“The enemy fell upon them, just after Lyfander had paffed "the Hoplites." While the man ftood wondering at the account, a Spartan, a friend of Lyfander's, asked the Phocian what he meant by * Hoplites, for he could make nothing of it. "I mean," said he, "the place where the enemy 66 cut down our first ranks. The river that runs by the "town is called Hoplites." The Spartan, when he heard this, burst out into tears, and cried out, "How inevitable 66 is fate!" It seems, Lyfander had received an oracle, couched in these terms

Fly from Hoplites, and the earth-born dragon
That ftings thee in the rear-

Some fay the Hoplites does not run by Haliartus, but is a brook near Coronea, which mixes with the river Phliarus, and runs along to that city. It was formerly called Hoplias, but is now known by the name of Isomantus. The Haliartian who killed Lyfander, was named Neochorus, and he bore a dragon in his shield, which it was supposed the oracle referred to.

They tell us too, that the city of Thebes, during the Peloponnefian war, had an oracle from the Ifmenian Apollo, which foretold the battle at + Delium, and this at Haliartus, though the latter did not happen till thirty years after the other.

The oracle runs thus

Beware the confines of the wolf; nor spread
Thy fnares for foxes on th' Orchalian hills.

The country about Delium he calls the confines, because Boeotia there borders upon Attica; and by the Orchalian hill is meant that in particular called Alopecus, on that fide of Helicon which looks towards Haliartus.

After the death of Lyfander, the Spartans fo much refented the whole behaviour of Paufanias with refpect to that event,

Hoplites, though the name of that river, fignifies also a heavy armed foldier.

The battle of Delium, in which the Athenians were defeated by the Thebans, was fought the first year of the eighty-ninth Olympiad, four hundred and twenty-two years before Chrift; and that of Haliartus full twenty-nine years after. But it is common for hiftorians to make use of a round number, except in cafes where great precision is required.

That is, fox-bill.

event, that they fummoned him to be tried for his life. He did not appear to answer that charge, but fled to Tegea, and took refuge in Minerva's temple, where he spent the reft of his days as her fuppliant.

Lyfander's poverty, which was difcovered after his death, added luftre to his virtue. It was then found, that notwithstanding the money which had paffed through his hands, the authority he had exercifed over fo many cities, and indeed the great empire he had been poffeffed of, he had not in the least improved his family fortune. This account we have from Theopompus, whom we more easily believe when he commends than when he finds fault; for he, as well as many others, was more inclined to cenfure than to praise.

Ephorus tells us, that afterwards, upon fome difputes between the confederates, and the Spartans, it was thought neceffary to infpect the writings of Lyfander, and for that purpofe Agefilaus went to his houfe. Among the other papers, he found that political one, calculated to show how proper it would be to take the right of fucceffion from the Eurytionida and Agidæ, and to elect kings from among perfons of the greatest merit. He was going to produce it before the citizens, and to fhow what the real principles of Lyfander were. But Lacratidas, a man of fenfe, and the principal of the ephori, kept him from it, by reprefenting, "How wrong it would be to dig Lyfander out of "his grave, when this oration, which was written in fo "artful and perfuafive a manner, ought rather to be buried "with him."

Among the other honours paid to the memory of Lyfander, that which I am going to mention, is none of the leaft. Some perfons, who had contracted themfelves to his daugh. ters in his life-time, when they found he died poor, fell off from their engagement. The Spartans fined them for courting the alliance while they had riches in view, and breaking off when they difcovered that poverty which was the best proof of Lyfander's probity and juftice. It feems, at Sparta there was a law which punished, not only thofe who continued in a state of celibacy, or married too late, but those that married ill; and it was levelled chiefly at perfons who married into rich, rather than good families. Such are the particulars of Lyfander's life which history has fupplied us with.

VOL. III.

G

SYLLA.

SYLLÀ.

LUCIUS Cornelius Sylla was of a patrician family. One of his ancestors, named * Rufinus, is faid to have been conful, but to have fallen under a difgrace more than equivalent to that honour. He was found to have in his poffeffion more than ten pounds of plate, which the law did not allow, and for that was expelled the fenate. Hence it was, that his pofterity continued in a low and obfcure condition; and Sylla himself was born to a very feanty fortune. Even after he was grown up, he lived in hired lodgings, for which he paid but a fmall confideration; and afterwards he was reproached with it when he was rifen to fuch opulence as he had no reason to expect. For one day as he was boafting of the great things he had done in Africa, a person of character made anfwer, "How canft ❝thou be an honeft man, who art mafter of fuch a fortune,

though thy father left thee nothing?" It feems, though the Romans at that time did not retain their ancient integrity and purity of manners, but were degenerated into luxury and expence, yet they confidered it as no lefs difgraceful to have departed from family poverty, than to have spent a paternal eftate. And a long time after, when Sylla had made himself abfolute, and put numbers to death, a man who was only the fecond of his family that was free, being condemned to be thrown down the Tarpeian rock, for con cealing a friend of his that was in the profcription, fpoke of Sylla in this upbraiding manner" I am his old acquaint ance; we lived long under the fame roof: I hired the upper apartment at two thousand fefterces, and he that under me at three thoufand." So that the difference between their fortunes was then only a thousand fefterces, which in Attic money is two hundred and fifty drachmas. Such is the account we have of his origin.

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As

* Publius Cornelius Rufinus was twice conful: the first time in the year of Rome four hundred and fixty-three, and the fecond thirteen years after. He was expelled the fenate two years after his fecond confulfhip, when Q Fabricius Lucinus, and Caius melius Papus were cenfors. Velleius Paterculus tells us Sylla was the fixth in defcent from this Rufinus, which might very well be; for between the first confulfhip of Rufinus and the first campaign of Sylla there was a space of a hundred and eighty-eight years.

:

As to his figure, we have the whole of it in his statues, except his eyes. They were of a lively blue, fierce and menacing and the ferocity of his afpect was heightened by his complexion, which was a ftrong red interfperfed with fpots of white. From his complexion they tell us, he had the name of Sylla; and an Athenian droll drew the following jeft from it

*

แ Sylla's a mulberry ftrew'd o'er with meal." Nor is it foreign to make thefe obfervations upon a man, who in his youth, before he emerged from obfcurity, was such a lover of drollery, that he spent his time with mimics and jetters, and went with them every length of riot. Nay, when in the heighth of his power. he would collect the most noted players and buffoons every day, and, in a manner unfuit. able to his age, and dignity, drink and join with them in licentious wit, while bufinefs of confequence lay neglected. Indeed, Sylla would never admit of any thing ferious at his table; and though at other times a man of bufinefs, and rather grave and auftere in his manner, he would change inftantaneously, whenever he had company, and begin a caroufal. So that to buffoons and dancers he was the most affable man in the world, the most easy of accefs, and they moulded him juft as they pleafed.

To this diffipation may be imputed his libidinous attachments, his diforderly and infamous love of pleasure, which stuck by him even in age. One of his miltreffes named Nicopolis, was a courtezan, but very rich. She was fo taken with his company and the beauty of his person, that fhe entertained a real paffion for him, and at her death appointed him her heir. His mother-in-law. who loved him as her own fon, likewife left him her estate. thefe additions to his fortune, he was tolerably provided for.

With

He was appointed quæftor to Marius in his firft confulfhip, and went over with him into Africa to carry on the war with Jugurtha. In the military department he gained great honour, and, among other things, availed himself of an opportunity to make a friend of Bocchus king of Numidia. The ambaffadors of that prince had just escaped out of the hands of robbers, and were in a very indifferent condition,

G 2

Sil or Syl is a yellow kind of earth, which, when burnt,, becomes red. Hence Syllaceus Color in Vitruvius fignifies purple.

condition, when Sylla gave them the most humane reception, loaded them with prefents, and fent them back with a ftrong guard.

He

Bocchus, who for a long time had both hated and feared his fon in-law Jugurtha, had him then at his court. had taken refuge there after his defeat; and Bocchus, now meditating to betray him, chofe rather to let Sylla feize him, than to deliver him up himself Sylla communicated the aflair to Marius, and taking a fmall party with him, fet out upon the expedition, dangerous as it was. What, indeed, could be more fo, than in hopes of getting another man into his power, to truft himself with a barbarian who was treacherous to his own relations? In fact, when Bocchus faw them at his difpofal, and that he was under a neceffity to betray either the one or the other, he debated long with himself, which should be the victim. At laft, he determined to abide by his first refolution, and gave up Jugurtha into the hands of Sylla.

This procured Marius a triumph; but envy afcribed all the glory of it to Sylla; which Marius in his heart not a little refented. Efpecially when he found that Sylla, who was naturally fond of fame, and from a low and obfcure condition now came to general efteem, let his ambition carry him fo far, as to give orders for a fignet to be engraved with a reprefentation of this adventure, which he conftantly ufed in fealing his letters. The device was, Bocchus delivering up Jugurtha, and Sylla receiving him.

This touched Marius to the quick. However, as he thought Sylla not confiderable enough to be the object of envy, he continued to employ him in his wars. Thus in his fecond confulfhip he made him one of his lieutenants, and in his third gave him the command of a thousand men. Sylla, in thefe feveral capacities, performed many important fervices. In that of lieutenant, he took Copillus, chief of the Tectofaga, prifoner; and in that of tribune, he perfuaded the great and popular nation of the Marfi to declare themselves friends and allies of the Romans. But finding Marius uneafy at his fuccefs, and that, inftead of giving him new occafions to distinguish himself, he rather oppofed his advancement, he applied to Catulus the colleague of Marius.

Catulus was a worthy man, but wanted that vigour which is neceffa.y for action. He therefore employed Sylla in the

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