hung themselves or each other, and some locking
themselves inside their houses, set them in flames. A wind was blowing
and the town was consumed. So at Norba there was neither pillage nor
execution. Nola was not taken till two years afterwards, and we have
seen (p. 121) what became of Mutilus on its surrender. [Sidenote:
Sulla's vengeance in Samnium.] Aesernia, the last Samnite capital in
the Social War, was captured in the same year (80), and Sulla did his
best to fulfil his threat of extirpating the Samnite name. In Etruria
Populonium held out longer, and in Strabo's time was still deserted--a
proof of the punishment which it received. Volaterrae was the last
town to submit. In 79 its garrison surrendered, on condition of their
lives being spared. But the soldiers of the besieging force raised a
cry of treason and stoned their general, and a troop of cavalry sent
from Rome cut the garrison to pieces.

[Sidenote: Fate of Carbo. Pompeius in Sicily.] In the provinces there
was still much to be done. Pompeius was sent to Sicily, and on his
arrival Perperna, the Marian governor, left the island. Carbo had
come over from Africa to Cossura, and was taken and brought before
Pompeius. Pompeius condemned the man who had once been his advocate,
and sent his head to Sulla. It is said that Carbo met his death in a
craven way, begging for a respite. Whether this is true or not, he
seems to have been a selfish and incapable man. But if it be true that
Pompeius, while he had Carbo's companions instantly slain, purposely
spared Carbo himself in order to have the satisfaction of trying him,
he was less to be envied than the man he tried. He divorced his wife
at this time in order to marry Sulla's step-daughter, who was also
divorced from her husband for the purpose. From Sicily Pompeius
was sent to Africa, where Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus was in arms.
Crossing offer with 120 ships and 800 transports he landed some of his
troops at Utica and some at Carthage.

[Sidenote: Decay of discipline in Roman armies.] The decay of
discipline in the Roman armies is illustrated by an incident which
occurred at Carthage. One soldier found some treasure, and the rest
would not stir for several days till they were convinced that there
was nothing more to be found. Pompeius looked on and laughed at them.
Sulla's way of treating his soldiers was already bearing fruit, and
was one of the worst of the evils which he brought on Italy; for he
who goes a