plutarch - Conscious Evolution TV

POMPEY
fighting in battle array with full-armed soldiers.
Pompey, therefore, keeping his army in
readiness, made it his object to be sent in aid to
Metellus; neither would he be induced to disband
his forces, notwithstanding that Catulus
called upon him to do so, but by some colourable
device or other he still kept them in arms
about the city, until the senate at last thought
fit, upon the report of Lucius Philippus, to
decree him that government. At that time, they
say, one of the senators there expressing his
wonder and demanding of Philippus whether
his meaning was that Pompey should be sent
into Spain as pro-consul, "No," replied Philippus,
"but as pro-eonsuls," as if both consuls
for that year were in his opinion wholly useless.
When Pompey was arrived in Spain, as is
usual upon the fame of a new leader, men began
to be inspired with new hopes, and those
nations that had not entered into a very strict
alliance with Sertorius began to waver and revolt;
whereupon Sertorius uttered various arrogant
and scornful speeches against Pompey,
saying, in derision, that he should want no
other weapon but a ferula and rod to chastise
this boy with, if he were not afraid of that old
woman, meaning Metellus. Yet in deed and
reality he stood in awe of Pompey,and kept
on his guard against him, as appeared by his
whole management of the war, which he was
observed to conduct much more warily than before:
for Metellus, which one would not have
imagined, was grown excessively luxurious in
his habits, having given himself over to selfindulgence
and pleasure, and from a moderate
and temperate became suddenly a sumptuous
and ostentatious liver, so that this very thing
gained Pompey great reputation and goodwill,
as he made himself somewhat specially an
example of frugality" although that virtue was
habitual in him, and required no great industry
to exercise it, as he was naturally inclined
to temperance, and no w-ays inordinate in his
desires.
The fortune of the war was very various;
nothing, however, annoyed Pompey so much as
the taking of the town of Lauron by S,ertorius.
For when Pompey thought he had him safe
enclosed, and had boasted somewhat largely of
raising the siege, he found himself all of a
sudden encompassed; insomuch that he durst
not move out of his camp; but was forced to
sit still whilst the city was taken and burnt before
his face. Howeyer, afterwards, in a battle
507
near Valentia, he gave a great defeat to Herennius
and Perpenna, two commanders among
the refugees who had fled to Sertorius and
now lieutenants under him, in which he slew
above ten thousand men.
Pompey, being elated and filled with confidence
by this victory, made all haste to engage
Sertorius himself, and the rather lest Metell
us should come in for a share in the honour
of the victory. Late in the day towards sunset
they joined battle near the river Sucro, both
being in fear lest Metellus should come: Pompey,
that he might engage alone, Sertorius,
that he might have one alone to engage with.
The issue ofthe battle proved doubtful, for
a wing of each side had the better, but of the
generals Sertorius had the greater honour, for
that he maintained his post, having put to
flight the entire division that was opposed to
him, whereas Pompey was himself, almost
made a prisoner; for being set upon by a strong
man-at-arms that fought on foot (he being on
horseback), as they were closely engaged hand
to hand the strokes of their swords chanced to
light upon their hands, but with a different
success; for Pompey's was a slight wound only,
whereas he cut off the other's hand. However,
it so happened, that many now falling upon
Pompey together, and his own forces there
being put to the. [(:lut, he made his escape beyond
expectation, by quitting his horse, and
turning him out among the enemy. For the
horse being richly adorned with golden trappings,
and having a caparison of great value,
the soldiers quarrelled among themselves for
the booty, so that while they were fighting with
one another, and dividing the spoil, Pompey
made his escape.
By break of day the next morning each
drew out his forces into the field to claim the
victory; but Metellus coming up, Sertorius vanished,
having broken up and dispersed his
army. For this was the way in which he used
to raise and disband his armies, so that sometimes
he would be wandering up and down all
alone, and at other times again he would come
pouring into the field at the head of no less
than one hundred and fifty thousand fighting
men, swelling of a sudden like a winter torrent.
When Pompey was going, after the battle,
to meet and welcome Metellus, and when they
were near one another, he commanded his attendants
to lower their rods in honour of Metell
us, as his senior an,d superior. But Metellus
on the other side forbade it, and behaved him-