ius having spent most of his own property and applied it to
the purposes of the war, demanded money of the senate, and said that
he would come to Italy with his army if they did not send it.
Lucullus, who was then consul, being at variance with Pompeius, and
intriguing to get the command in the Mithridatic war for himself,
bestirred himself to get money sent for fear of letting Pompeius have
a reason for leaving Sertorius, and attacking Mithridates, which he
wished to do, for Mithridates was considered to be an opponent whom it
would be an honour to oppose and easy to vanquish. In the meantime,
Sertorius[225] was assassinated by his friends, of whom Perpenna was
the chief leader, and he attempted to do what Sertorius had done,
having indeed the same troops and means, but not equal judgment for
the management of them. Now Pompeius immediately advanced against
Perpenna, and perceiving that he was floundering in his affairs, he
sent down ten cohorts into the plain, as a bait, and gave them orders
to disperse as if they were flying. When Perpenna had attacked the
cohorts, and was engaged in the pursuit, Pompeius appeared in full
force, and joining battle, gave the enemy a complete defeat. Most of
the officers fell in the battle; but Perpenna was brought to Pompeius,
who ordered him to be put to death, in which he did not show any
ingratitude, nor that he had forgotten what had happened in Sicily, as
some say, but he displayed great prudence and a judgment that was
advantageous to the commonweal. For Perpenna, who had got possession
of the writings of Sertorins, offered to produce letters from the most
powerful men in Rome, who being desirous to disturb the present
settlement and to change the constitution, invited Sertorius to Italy.
Now Pompeius, apprehending that this might give rise to greater wars
than those which were just ended, put Perpenna to death, and burnt the
letters without even reading them.

XXI. After staying[226] long enough to extinguish the chief
disturbances, and to quiet and settle those affairs which were in the
most inflammatory state, he led his army back to Italy, and happened
to arrive at the time when the servile war[227] was at its height.
This was the reason why Crassus the commander urged on the hazard of a
battle, which he gained, with the slaughter of twelve thousand three
hundred of the enemy. Fortune, however, in a manner adopted Pompeius
into this success also, for five thousand men who es