r language when I have crossed over to Asia. At present let him
stay in Pergamum and there direct the conduct of a campaign which he
has not seen." The ambassadors were so much alarmed that they said
nothing, but Archelaus implored Sulla and tried to soften his anger,
clinging to his hands with tears in his eyes. At last he prevailed on
Sulla to let him go to Mithridates, and he promised to effect a peace
on Sulla's own terms, or to kill himself. Sulla accordingly sent
Archelaus to Mithridates, and in the mean time he invaded Maedike,[256]
and having ravaged the greater part of it, returned to Macedonia and
found Archelaus at Philippi,[257] who reported that all was
favourable, but that Mithridates much wished to have an interview with
him. Mithridates was minly induced to this by the circumstance that
Fimbria, after murdering the consul Flaccus, who belonged to the
opposite faction, and defeating the generals of Mithridates, was
advancing against the king himself. It was fear of Fimbria that made
Mithridates more inclined to make a friend of Sulla.

XXIV. Accordingly they met at Dardanus[258] in the Troad: Mithridates
had there two hundred rowing-ships, twenty thousand heavy-armed
soldiers, six thousand horsemen, and many of his scythe-bearing
chariots: Sulla had four cohorts and two hundred horsemen. Mithridates
advanced to meet Sulla and held out his hand, on which Sulla asked him
if he would put an end to the war on the terms agreed to by Archelaus.
As the king made no reply, Sulla said, "Well, those who sue must speak
first; conquerors may remain silent." Mithridates began an apology, in
which he partly imputed the origin of the war to the deities, and
partly threw the blame on the Romans; but Sulla cut him short by
saying, that he had long ago been told, and now he knew by his own
experience, that Mithridates was a most skilful speaker, inasmuch as
he had no difficulty in finding words to justify acts which were so
base and so contrary to all right. Sulla went on to recapitulate all
that Mithridates had done, reproaching him in bitter terms, and he
then asked him again, if he would abide by the agreement of Archelaus.
Mithridates said that he would; on which Sulla embraced him, threw his
arms round him and kissed him; he then brought forward the kings
Ariobarzanes and Nikomedes, and reconciled Mithridates to them. After
surrendering to Sulla seventy ships and five hundred bowmen,
Mithridates sailed off to the Pont