co-operation on
the part of the allies, he slaughtered a great number of the
Cappadocians, and on another occasion a still greater number of
Armenians who had come to the relief of the Cappadocians, drove out
Gordius, and declared Ariobarzanes king. While he was staying near the
Euphrates, the Parthian general Orobazus, a commander of King
Arsaces,[176] had an interview with him, which was the first occasion
on which the two nations met; and this also may be considered as one
of the very fortunate events in Sulla's successful career, that he was
the first Roman to whom the Parthians addressed themselves in their
request for an alliance and friendship with Rome. Sulla is said to
have had three chairs placed, one for Ariobarzanes, another for
Orobazus, and a third for himself, on which he took his seat between
the two, while the business was transacted. The king of the Parthians
is said to have put Orobazus to death for submitting to this
indignity; as to Sulla, some commended him for his haughty treatment
of the barbarians, while others blamed him for his arrogance and
ill-timed pride. It is said there was a man among the attendants of
Orobazus, a Chaldaean,[177] who examined the countenance of Sulla and
observed the movements of his mind and body, not as an idle spectator,
but studying his character according to the principles of his art, and
he declared that of necessity that man must become the first of men,
and he wondered that he could endure not to be the first already. On
his return to Rome Censorinus[178] instituted proceedings against
Sulla on the charge of having received large sums of money, contrary
to express law, from a king who was a friend and ally of the Romans.
Censorinus did not bring the matter to a trial, but gave up the
prosecution.

VI. His quarrel with Marius was kindled anew by fresh matter supplied
by the ostentation of King Bocchus, who, with the view of flattering
the Roman people and pleasing Sulla, dedicated in the Capitol some
figures bearing trophies, and by the side of them placed a gilded
figure of Jugurtha being surrendered by himself to Sulla. Marius was
highly incensed and attempted to take the figures down, while others
were ready to support Sulla, and the city was all but in a flame
through the two factions, when the Social War which had long
smouldered burst forth in a blaze upon Rome and stopped the civil
discord. In this most serious war, which was attended with many
variations