the packet; but they were so earnest in their entreaties, that
they prevailed upon him to alight and take it. He entered the camp with
it in his hand; and as there was no tribunal ready, and the soldiers
were too impatient to raise one of turf, which the common method, they
piled a number of pack-saddles one upon the other, upon which Pompey
mounted, and gave them this information: "Mithridates is dead. He killed
himself upon the revolt of his son Pharnaces. And Pharnaces has seized
all that belonged to his father; which he declares he has done for
himself and Romans."

At this news the army, as might be expected, gave a loose rein to their
joy, which they expressed in sacrifices to the gods, and in reciprocal
entertainments, as if 10,000 of their enemies had been slain in
Mithridates. Pompey having thus brought the campaign and the whole
war to a conclusion so happy, and so far beyond his hopes, immediately
quitted Arabia, traverses the provinces between that and Galatia with
great rapidity, and soon arrived at Amisus. There he found many presents
from Pharnaces, and several corpses of the royal family, among which was
that of Mithridates. As for Pompey, he would not see the body, but to
propitiate the avenging Nemesis, sent it to Sinope. However, he looked
upon and admired the magnificence of his habit, and the size and beauty
of his arms. The scabbard of his sword cost four hundred talents, and
the diadem was of most exquisite workmanship.

Pompey having thoroughly settled the affairs of Asia, hoped to return to
Italy the greatest and happiest of men.

People talked variously at Rome concerning his intentions. Many
disturbed themselves at the thought that he would march with his army
immediately to Rome and make himself sole and absolute master there.
Crassus took his children and money, and withdrew; whether it was that
he had some real apprehensions, or rather that he chose to countenance
the calumny, and add force to the sting of envy; the latter seems the
more probable. But Pompey had no sooner set foot in Italy, than he
called an assembly of his soldiers, and, after a kind and suitable
address, ordered them to disperse in their respective cities, and attend
to their own affairs till his triumph, on which occasion they were to
repair to him again.

Pompey's triumph was so great, that though it was divided into two days,
the time was far from being sufficient for displaying what was prepared
to be carried in p