s was manifest at once by the
points of their spears, for they were wreathed with bay. Pompeius at
first wished to finish his exercises, but as the men called out and
entreated him, he leapt from his horse and taking the letters advanced
into the camp. But as there was no tribunal[295] and there had not
been time to make even the kind of tribunal that is used in the camp,
which they are accustomed to form by digging out large lumps of earth
and putting them together upon one another, in their then zeal and
eagerness they piled together the loadings of the beasts of burden and
raised an elevated place. Pompeius ascending this announced to the
soldiers, that Mithridates was dead, having put an end to his own life
because his son Pharnakes[296] rebelled against him, and Pharnakes had
taken possession of everything in those parts, and put all under his
own dominion and that of the Romans, as he said in his letter.

XLII. Upon this the soldiers being delighted, as was natural, occupied
themselves with sacrifices and entertainments, considering that in the
person of Mithridates ten thousand enemies had expired. Pompeius
having brought his own undertakings and expeditions to a termination,
which he had not anticipated could be so easily done, immediately
retired from Arabia; and quickly traversing the intermediate provinces
he arrived at Amisus, where he found that many presents had been sent
by Pharnakes and many corpses of members of the royal family, and the
corpse of Mithridates also, which could not well be recognised by the
face (for those who had embalmed the body had neglected to destroy the
brain); but those who wished to see the body, recognised it by the
scars. Pompeius himself would not see the body, but fearing divine
retribution[297] he sent it off to Sinope.[298] He was amazed at the
dress and armour of Mithridates, both at the size and splendour of
what he saw; though the sword belt, which cost four hundred talents,
Publius stole and sold to Ariarathes, and the cittaris, a piece of
wonderful workmanship, Gaius the foster-brother of Mithridates himself
gave to Faustus the son of Sulla who asked for it. Pompeius did not
know this at the time; but Pharnakes who afterwards discovered it
punished the thieves. After Pompeius had arranged and settled affairs
in those parts, he continued his march with more pomp. On arriving at
Mitylene[299] he gave the city its freedom for the sake of Theophanes,
and he witnessed the