ract debt[193] to the
amount of more than two thousand drachmae, and yet at his death he left
behind him a debt of three millions. This man being let loose
upon the people by Marius, and putting everything into a state of
confusion by violence and force of arms, framed various pernicious
laws, and among them that which gave to Marius the command in the
Mithridatic war. The consuls accordingly declared a cessation[194] of
all public business; but while they were holding a meeting of the
people near the temple of Castor and Pollux, Sulpicius with his rabble
attacked them, and among many others massacred the youthful son of
Pompeius in the Forum; Pompeius only escaped by hiding himself. Sulla
was pursued into the house of Marius, from which he was compelled to
come out and repeal the edict for the cessation of public business;
and it was for this reason that Sulpicius, though he deprived Pompeius
of his office, did not take the consulship from Sulla, but, merely
transferred the command of the Mithridatic war to Marius, and sent
some tribunes forthwith to Nola to take the army and lead it to
Marius.

IX. But Sulla made his escape to the camp before the tribunes arrived,
and the soldiers hearing of what had passed, stoned them to death;
upon which the partisans of Marius murdered the friends of Sulla who
were in the city, and seized their property. This caused many persons
to betake themselves to flight, some going to the city from the camp,
and others from the camp to the city. The Senate was not its own
master, but was compelled to obey the orders of Marius and Sulpicius;
and on hearing that Sulla was marching upon Rome, they sent to him two
of the praetors, Brutus and Servilius, to forbid him to advance any
further. The praetors, who assumed a bold tone before Sulla, narrowly
escaped being murdered; as it was, the soldiers broke their fasces,
stripped them of their senatorial dress, and sent them back with every
insult. It caused dejection in the city to see the praetors return
without their insignia of office, and to hear them report that the
commotion could not be checked, and was past all remedy. Now the
partisans of Marius were making their preparations, while Sulla with
his colleague and six complete legions was moving from Nola; he saw
that the army was ready to march right to the city, but he had some
hesitation himself, and feared the risk.[195] However upon Sulla
making a sacrifice, the seer Postumius, after ins