o and Norbanus, released from the pressure of Sulla's
army, struck across the Apennines to overwhelm Metellus; but their
imprudence ruined them. [Sidenote: Overthrow of Carbo by Metellus.]
Coming on Metellus at Faventia (Faenza) when their troops were weary
after a day's march, they attacked him in the evening, hoping to
surprise him. But the tired men were defeated. Ten thousand were
killed; 6000 surrendered or deserted. The rest fled, and only 1000
effected an orderly retreat to Arretium. Nor did the disaster end
here. A Lucanian legion, coming to join Carbo, deserted to Metellus on
hearing the result of the battle, and the commander sent to offer his
submission to Sulla. Sulla characteristically replied that he must
earn his pardon, and the other, nothing loth, asked Norbanus and his
officers to a banquet and murdered all who came. Norbanus refused the
invitation and escaped to Rhodes; but when Sulla sent to demand that
he should be given up he committed suicide. [Sidenote: Third attempt
to relive Praeneste.] Carbo had still more than 30,000 men at Clusium,
and he made a third attempt to relieve Praeneste by sending Damasippus
with two legions to co-operate from the north with the Samnites on the
south. [Sidenote: Carbo flies to Africa.] But Sulla found means to
hold them in check, and Carbo, on the news of other disasters--at
Fidentia, where Marcus Lucullus defeated one of his lieutenants, and
at Tuder, which Marcus Crassus took and pillaged--lost heart and fled
to Africa. Plutarch says that Lucullus, having less than a third of
the numbers of the enemy, was in doubt whether to fight. But just then
a gentle breeze blew the flowers from a neighbouring field, which fell
on the shields and helmets of the soldiers in such a manner that they
seemed to be crowned with garlands, and this so cheered them that they
won an easy victory. After Carbo's flight his army was defeated by
Pompeius near Clusium. [Sidenote: Carbo's lieutenants threaten Rome.]
The rest of it, under Carrinas and Censorinus, joined Damasippus, and,
taking up a position twelve miles from Rome in the Alban territory,
threatened the capital and forced Sulla to break up his quarters,
where he had been barring the roads to Praeneste and Rome. [Sidenote:
Sulla comes to the rescue.] The sequel is uncertain; but it is
probable that when the three commanders marched into Latium, Sulla was
obliged to detach cavalry to harass them, and soon afterwards to march
with