les.
Neoptolemus came against him at a great rate, and ordered the helmsman
to steer the ship right against the vessel of Lucullus; but Demagoras,
fearing the weight of the king's vessel and the rough brass that she
was fitted with, did not venture to engage head to head, but he
quickly turned his ship round and ordered them to row her stern
foremost,[332] and the vessel being thus depressed at the stern
received the blow, which was rendered harmless by falling on those
parts of the ship which were in the water. In the meantime his friends
coming to his aid, Lucullus commanded them to turn his ship's head to
the enemy; and, after performing many praiseworthy feats, he put the
enemy to flight, and pursued Neoptolemus.

IV. After this, Lucullus joined Sulla in the Chersonesus, as he was
going to cross the Hellespont, and he made the passage safe for him,
and assisted his army in getting over. When the treaty was made, and
Mithridates had sailed off to the Euxine, and Sulla had imposed a
contribution[333] of twenty thousand talents on Asia, and Lucullus had
been appointed to collect the money, and to strike coin, it appeared
some small consolation to the cities of Asia for the harshness of
Sulla that Lucullus not only behaved with honesty and justice, but
conducted himself mildly in the discharge of so oppressive and
disagreeable a duty. Though the Mitylenaeans had openly revolted,
Lucullus wished them to come to their senses, and to submit to some
reasonable penalty for their ill-conduct in the matter of Marius;[334]
but perceiving that they were under the influence of some evil daemon,
he sailed against them, and defeated them in a battle, and, after
shutting them up in their walls, and establishing a blockade, he
sailed out in open day to Elaea,[335] but he returned by stealth, and
laying an ambuscade near the city, kept quiet. The Mitylenaeans
approached in disorder, and with confidence in the expectation of
plundering a deserted camp; but Lucullus falling on them took a great
number alive, and killed five hundred of them who made resistance. He
also took six thousand slaves, and the rest of the booty was past
count. But in the miseries which Sulla and Marius were at that time
bringing on the people of Italy, without limit and of every kind, he
had no share, being detained by his business in Asia by some happy
fortune. Nevertheless, he had not less favour with Sulla than the rest
of his friends; for, as I have said Su