The Fragments of the Histories

the slave uprising, the third Mithridatic war, and then I shall discuss certain lesser matters: the pirate wars, the Macedonian, and the Cretan, and finally, I will add the urban affairs briefly.

Chapter II

On the sedition of Lepidus

Mommsen has already best established the events that occurred in Italy in the years 78–77, primarily using the remnants of Granius Licinianus. For my part, I would add that Sulla died after the expedition against the pirates was begun by Servilius (cf. Suet. Caes. 3); therefore, I would believe the dictator expired almost in the month of March. I assume the ensuing tumults, both in the city and in Etruria, were settled by mid-summer, since peace was made between the consuls before the elections 1) Cf. App. b. c. I 107: he did not go down to the elections, i.e., in the month of July or August cf. Mommsen "Roman Constitutional Law" I p. 563², p. 580³. began. However, it is evident from Exuperantius and Sallust 2) Cf. Exup. p. 3, 26 (Bursian): 'But in the battle joined on the shore of Etruria, Lepidus had begun to be superior through the armed multitude which, because of their hatred of Sullan affairs, had attached themselves to Lepidus's factions.' Sall. hist. or. Phil. § 10: 'Or do you wait, until he leads his army forward again and invades the city with iron and flame.' Drumann (IV p. 343 note) falsely refers the words of Philippus to an attack made at the beginning of the year 77, which is unknown to us. You are prevented from referring the statement of Exuperantius to the battle fought at Cosa by the words 'Lepidus had begun to be superior', which do not at all suit 'his fleeing troops and those entangling themselves in the haste of fear.' Similar accounts concerning the first attack of Lepidus and the battle seem to exist also in Granius Licinianus (p. 44 A. ed. Bonn.). that Lepidus, when he led the bands of Etruscans and proscribed men, attacked Rome itself with violence after his colleague Catulus had been repulsed. At the beginning of the year 77, Lepidus, having been judged an enemy on the motion of Philippus and Catulus, approached the city again, but his momentum was repulsed by Catulus. Meanwhile, Pompeius defeated the armies of the popular party in Gaul and Liguria. However, Drumann 3) IV p. 345, whom Neumann II p. 23 ought not to have followed., who was deceived by the words of Florus 4) II 11 (Halm): 'But now Lutatius Catulus and Gnaeus Pompeius had occupied the Mulvian bridge and the Janiculum hill — — — with another army, from whom he was repulsed at the first onset' etc. into making Pompeius go to northern Italy only after Lepidus had been put to flight, not only contradicts the most accurate narrative of Plutarch, but also invents incredible things for himself. For what does the learned man think Catulus and Lepidus were doing in Etruria, or at Cosa, or elsewhere, while Pompeius was fighting against the popular party for several months? Otherwise, I think the events led by Lepidus, Catulus, and Pompeius lasted until the middle of the summer of 77, when Pompeius had penetrated as far as Liguria and had besieged Mutina for a long time. But let us now turn to the writers who handed down these events to memory and let us ask whether Sallust or another was their author.