ith cups of
gold, set with precious stones, while the soldiers of Pompeius were
now living as citizens,[415] and with their wives and children were
sitting quiet in the enjoyment of fertile lands and cities, though
they had not driven Mithridates and Tigranes into uninhabited
wildernesses, nor pulled down the palaces of Asia, but had fought with
exiles in Iberia, and runaway slaves in Italy? Why, then, if there is
never to be an end of our service, do we not reserve what remains of
our bodies and our lives for a general who considers the wealth of the
soldiers his chief glory?" By such causes as these the army of
Lucullus was corrupted, and his soldiers refused to follow him either
against Tigranes or against Mithridates, who immediately made an
irruption from Armenia into Pontus, and endeavoured to recover his
power; but alleging the winter as an excuse, the soldiers lingered in
Gordyene, expecting every moment that Pompeius, or some other
commander,[416] would arrive to supersede Lucullus.

XXXV. But when news came that Mithridates had defeated Fabius,[417]
and was marching against Sornatius and Triarius, through very shame
the soldiers followed Lucullus. Triarius, being ambitious to snatch
the victory which he thought was in his grasp, before Lucullus, who
was near, should arrive, was defeated in a great battle. It is said
that above seven thousand Romans fell, among whom were a hundred and
fifty centurions, and twenty-four tribunes; and Mithridates took the
camp. Lucullus arrived a few days after, and secreted from the
soldiers Triarius, whom in their passion, they wore looking for; and,
as Mithridates was not willing to fight, but was waiting for Tigranes,
who was already coming down with a large force, Lucullus determined to
march back, and to fight with Tigranes before he and Mithridates could
unite. As he was on his march the soldiers of Fimbria mutinied, and
left their ranks, considering that they were released from service by
the decree of the Senate, and that Lucullus had no longer any right to
the command, now that the provinces were assigned to others. Upon this
there was nothing, however inconsistent with his dignity, which
Lucullus did not submit to do--supplicating the soldiers individually,
and going about from tent to tent in humble manner, and with tears in
his eyes, and sometimes even taking the soldiers by the hand. But they
rejected his proffered hand, and threw down before him their empty
purses,