οὕτω δὴ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐχόντων ἡ βουλὴ συνελθοῦσα πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμψε πρὸς Κίνναν καὶ Μάριον, εἰσιέναι καὶ φείδεσθαι δεομένη τῶν πολιτῶν. Κίννας μὲν οὖν ὡς ὕπατος ἐπὶ τοῦ δίφρου καθήμενος ἐχρημάτιζε καὶ φιλανθρώπους ἀποκρίσεις ἔδωκε τοῖς πρέσβεσι, Μάριος δὲ τῷ δίφρῳ παρειστήκει φθεγγόμενος μὲν οὐδέν, ὑποδηλῶν δὲ ἀεὶ τῇ βαρύτητι τοῦ προσώπου καὶ τῇ στυγνότητι τοῦ βλέμματος ὡς εὐθὺς ἐμπλήσων φόνων τὴν πόλιν.
Matters being at this pass, the senate met and sent a deputation to Cinna and Marius, begging them to enter the city and spare the citizens. Cinna, accordingly, as consul, seated on his chair of office, received the embassy and gave them a kindly answer; but Marius, standing by the consul’s chair without speaking a word, made it clear all the while, by the heaviness of his countenance and the gloominess of his look, that he would at once fill the city with slaughter. After the conference was over they moved on towards the city.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀναστάντες ἐβάδιζον, Κίννας μὲν εἰσῄει δορυφορούμενος, Μάριος δὲ παρὰ ταῖς πύλαις ὑποστὰς εἰρωνεύετο πρὸς ὀργήν, φυγὰς εἶναι λέγων καὶ τῆς πατρίδος εἴργεσθαι κατὰ τὸν νόμον, εἰ δὲ χρῄζοι τις αὐτοῦ παρόντος, ἑτέρᾳ ψήφῳ λυτέον εἶναι τὴν ἐκβάλλουσαν, ὡς δὴ νόμιμός τις ὢν ἀνήρ καὶ κατιὼν εἰς πόλιν ἐλευθέραν·
Cinna entered it with a bodyguard, but Marius halted at the gates and angrily dissembled, saying that he was an exile and was excluded from the country by the law, and if his presence there was desired, the vote which cast him out must be rescinded by another vote, since, indeed, he was a law-abiding man and was returning to a free city.
ἐκαλει δὴ τὸ πλῆθος εἰς ἀγορὰν καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τρεῖς ἢ τέτταρας φυλὰς ἐνεγκεῖν τὴν ψῆφον ἀφεὶς τὸ πλάσμα καὶ τὴν φυγαδικὴν ἐκείνην δικαιολογίαν κατῄει, δορυφόρους ἔχων λογάδας ἐκ τῶν προσπεφοιτηκότων δούλων, οὓς Βαρδυαίους προσηγόρευσεν. οὗτοι πολλοὺς μὲν ἀπὸ φωνῆς, πολλοὺς δὲ ἀπὸ νεύματος ἀνῄρουν προστάσσοντος αὐτοῦ· καὶ τέλος Ἀγχάριον, ἄνδρα βουλευτὴν καὶ στρατηγικόν, ἐντυγχάνοντα τῷ Μαρίῳ καὶ μὴ προσαγορευθέντα καταβάλλουσιν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ ταῖς μαχαίραις τύπτοντες.
So the people were summoned to the forum; and before three or four of the tribes had cast their votes, he threw aside his feigning and all that jetty talk about being an exile, and entered the city, having as his body-guard a picked band of the slaves who had flocked to his standard, to whom he had given the name of Bardyaei. These fellows killed many of the citizens at a word of command from him, many, too, at a mere nod; and at last, when Ancharius, a man of senatorial and praetorial dignity, met Marius and got no salutation from him, they struck him down with their swords before the face of their master.
ἐκ δὲ τούτου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσους ἀσπασαμένους μὴ προσαγορεύσειε μηδὲ ἀντασπάσαιτο, τοῦτο αὐτὸ σύμβολον ἦν ἀποσφάττειν εὐθὺς ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, ὥστε καὶ τῶν φίλων ἕκαστον ἀγωνίας μεστὸν εἶναι καὶ φρίκης ὁσάκις ἀσπασόμενοι τῷ Μαρίῳ πελάζοιεν· κτεινομένων δὲ πολλῶν Κίννας μὲν ἀμβλὺς ἦν καὶ μεστὸς ἤδη τοῦ φονεύειν, Μάριος δὲ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀκμάζοντι τῷ θυμῷ καὶ διψῶντι διὰ πάντων ἐχώρει τῶν ὁπωσοῦν ἐν ὑποψίᾳ γεγονότων.
After this, whenever anybody else greeted Marius and got no salutation or greeting in return, this of itself was a signal for the man’s slaughter in the very street, so that even the friends of Marius, to a man, were full of anguish and horror whenever they drew near to greet him. So many were slain that at last Cinna’s appetite for murder was dulled and sated; but Marius, whose anger increased day by day and thirsted for blood, kept on killing all whom he held in any suspicion whatsoever.
καὶ πᾶσα μὲν ὁδός, πᾶσα δὲ πόλις τῶν διωκόντων καὶ κυνηγετούντων τοὺς ὑποφεύγοντας καὶ κεκρυμμένους ἔγεμεν. ἠλέγχετο δὲ καὶ ξενίας καὶ φιλίας πίστις οὐδὲν ἔχουσα παρὰ τὰς τύχας βέβαιον· ὀλίγοι γάρ ἐγένοντο παντάπασιν οἱ μὴ προδόντες αὐτοῖς τοὺς παρὰ σφᾶς καταφυγόντας.
Every road and every city was filled with men pursuing and hunting down those who sought to escape or had hidden themselves. Moreover, the trust -men placed in the ties of hospitality and friendship was found to be no security against the strokes of Fortune; for few there were, all told, who did not betray to the murderers those who had taken refuge with them.
ἄξιον οὖν ἄγασθαι καὶ θαυμάσαι τοὺς τοῦ Κορνούτου θεράποντας οἳ, οἱ τὸν δεσπότην ἀποκρύψαντες οἴκοι, νεκρὸν δέ τινα τῶν πολλῶν ἀναρτήσαντες ἐκ τοῦ τραχήλου καὶ περιθέντες αὐτῷ χρυσοῦν δακτύλιον ἐπεδείκνυον τοῖς Μαρίου δορυφόροις καὶ κοσμήσαντες ὡς ἐκεῖνον αὐτὸν ἔθαπτον. ὑπενόησε δὲ οὐδείς, ἀλλʼ οὕτω λαθὼν ὁ Κορνοῦτος ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκετῶν εἰς Γαλατίαν διεκομίσθη.
All the more worthy of praise and admiration, then, was the behaviour of the slaves of Cornutus. They concealed their master in his house; then they hung up by the neck one of the many dead bodies that lay about, put a gold ring on its finger, and showed it to the guards of Marius, after which they decked it out as if it were their master’s body and gave it burial. Nobody suspected the ruse, and thus Cornutus escaped notice and was conveyed by his slaves into Gaul.
χρηστῷ δὲ καὶ Μᾶρκος Ἀντώνιος ὁ ῥήτωρ φίλῳ χρησάμενος ἠτύχησεν. ὁ γάρ ἄνθρωπος ἦν μὲν πένης καὶ δημοτικός, ὑποδεξάμενος δὲ πρῶτον ἄνδρα Ῥωμαίων καὶ φιλοφρονούμενος ἐκ τῶν παρόντων, οἰκέτην ἔπεμψε πρός τινα τῶν ἐγγὺς καπήλων ληψόμενον οἶνον. διαγευομένου δὲ ἐπιμελέστερον καὶ βελτίονα μετρῆσαι κελεύοντος ἠρώτησεν ὁ κάπηλος ὁ τι παθὼν οὐχὶ τὸν νέον, ὥσπερ εἴωθεν, ὠνεῖται καὶ δημοτικόν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ σπουδαίου καὶ πολυτελοῦς.
Marcus Antonius also, the orator, found a faithful friend, but it did not save him. For this friend, who was a poor plebeian and had received into his house a leading man of Rome, whom he wished to entertain as well as he could, sent a slave to a neighbouring innkeeper to get some wine. As the slave tasted the wine more carefully than usual and ordered some of better quality, the innkeeper asked him what was the reason that he did not buy the new and ordinary wine as usual, instead of wanting some that was choice and expensive.
ἁπλῶς δέ πως ἐκείνου φράσαντος ὡς πρὸς συνήθη καὶ γνώριμον, ὅτι Μᾶρκον Ἀντώνιον ὁ δεσπότης ἑστιᾷ παρʼ αὐτῷ κρυπτόμενον, ἀσεβὴς καὶ μιαρὸς ὢν ὁ κάπηλος ἅμα τῷ τὸν οἰκέτην ἀπελθεῖν αὐτὸς συνέτεινε πρὸς Μάριον ἤδη περὶ δεῖπνον ὄντα, καὶ προσαχθεὶς ὡμολόγησε παραδώσειν αὐτῷ τὸν Ἀντώνιον.
The slave, in his great simplicity, conscious that he was dealing with an old acquaintance, told him that his master was entertaining Marcus Antonius, who was concealed at his house. As soon as the slave had gone home, the innkeeper, who was an impious and pestilent fellow, hastened in person to find Marius, who was already at supper, and on being introduced, promised to betray Antonius to him.
ἀκούσας οὖν ἐκεῖνος ἐκκραγεῖν λέγεται μέγα καὶ ταῖς χερσὶν ὑφʼ· ἡδονῆς ἀνακροτῆσαι· καὶ μικροῦ μὲν ἐδέησεν ἐξαναστὰς αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον φέρεσθαι, τῶν δὲ φίλων κατασχόντων Ἄννιον ἔπεμπε καὶ στρατιώτας μετʼ αὐτοῦ κελεύσας κατὰ τάχος τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ Ἀντωνίου κομίζειν. ὡς οὖν ἧκον ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν, ὁ μὲν Ἄννιος ὑπέστη παρὰ τὰς θύρας, οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται διὰ κλιμάκων ἀναβάντες εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον καὶ θεασάμενοι τὸν Ἀντώνιον ἄλλος ἄλλον ἐπὶ τὴν σφαγὴν ἀνθʼ ἑαυτοῦ παρεκάλει καὶ προὐβάλλετο.
When Marius heard this, as we are told, a loud cry burst from his lips and he clapped his hands for joy; he actually came near springing from his seat and hurrying to the place himself, but his friends restrained him; so he sent Annius and some soldiers with him, ordering them to bring him the head of Antonius with all speed. Accordingly, when they were come to the house, Annius stopped at the door, while the soldiers climbed the stairs and entered the room. But when they beheld Antonius, every man began to urge and push forward a companion to do the murder instead of himself.
τοιαύτη δὲ τις ἦν, ὡς ἔοικε, τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἡ τῶν λόγων σειρὴν καὶ χάρις, ὥστε ἀρξαμένου λέγειν καὶ παραιτεῖσθαι τὸν θάνατον ἅψασθαι μὲν οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησεν οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι, κάτω δὲ κύψαντες ἐδάκρυον ἅπαντες, διατριβῆς δὲ γενομένης ἀναβὰς ὁ Ἄννιος ὁρᾷ τὸν μὲν Ἀντώνιον διαλεγόμενον, τοὺς δὲ στρατιώτας ἐκπεπληγμένους καὶ κατακεκηλημένους ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ· κακίσας οὖν ἐκείνους καὶ προσδραμὼν αὐτὸς ἀποτέμνει τὴν κεφαλήν.
So indescribable, however, as it would seem, was the grace and charm of his words, that when Antonius began to speak and pray for his life, not a soldier had the hardihood to lay hands on him or even to look him in the face, but they all bent their heads down and wept. Perceiving that there was some delay, Annius went upstairs, and saw that Antonius was pleading and that the soldiers were abashed and enchanted by his words; so he cursed his men, and running up to Antonius, with his own hands cut off his head.
Κάτλος δὲ Λουτάτιος Μαρίῳ συνάρξας καὶ συνθριαμβεύσας ἀπὸ Κίμβρων, ἐπεὶ πρὸς τοὺς δεομένους ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ καὶ παραιτουμένους ὁ Μάριος τοσοῦτον μόνον εἶπεν, ἀποθανεῖν δεῖ, κατακλεισάμενος εἰς οἴκημα καὶ πολλοὺς ἄνθρακας ἐκζωπυρήσας ἀπεπνίγη.
Again, the friends of Catulus Lutatius, who had been a colleague of Marius in the consulship, and with him had celebrated a triumph over the Cimbri, interceded for him and begged Marius to spare his life; but the only answer they could get was: He must die. Catulus therefore shut himself up in a room, lighted up a great quantity of charcoal, and was suffocated.
ῥιπτουμένων δὲ τῶν σωμάτων ἀκεφάλων καὶ πατουμένων ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἔλεος οὐκ ἦν, ἀλλὰ φρίκη καὶ τρόμος ἁπάντων πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν. ἠνία δὲ μάλιστα τὸν δῆμον ἡ τῶν καλουμένων Βαρδυαίων ἀσέλγεια, τοὺς γάρ δεσπότας ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις σφάττοντες ᾔσχυνον μὲν αὐτῶν παῖδας, ἐμείγνυντο δὲ βίᾳ ταῖς δεσποίναις, ἀκατάσχετοι δὲ ἦσαν ἁρπάζοντες καὶ μιαιφονοῦντες, ἕως οἱ περὶ Κίνναν καὶ Σερτώριον συμφρονήσαντες ἐπέθεντο κοιμωμένοις αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ καὶ κατηκόντισαν ἅπαντας.
But headless trunks thrown into the streets and trampled under foot excited no pity, though everybody trembled and shuddered at the sight. The people were most distressed, however, by the wanton licence of the Bardyaei, as they were called, who butchered fathers of families in their houses, outraged their children, violated their wives, and could not be checked in their career of rapine and murder until Cinna and Sertorius, after taking counsel together, fell upon them as they were asleep in their camp, and transfixed them all with javelins.
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