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BELLA A. L. CORN. SULLA GESTA.
BELLUM MARSICUM.
90 88 a.C.
BELLA IN ITALL\ GESTA.
83-80 a.C.
E.r.
89.—During the Siicial War Sulla holds certain suboi-iliiiate commands at the beginning, but in 89 B.C. he is in eoinmand of the
southern Roman army, and penetrates into southern Campania.
Sulla takes Stabiae and destroys it ; Herculaneum is taken b}- T. Didius. Pompeii offers resistance, and the
Sanniite general. Lucius Cluentius, comes to relieve the town, but is repulsed by Sulla. Reinforced by Celts,
Cluentius renews his attempt, but is totally defeated, his camp taken, and he himself with many of his troops cut
down on their flight to Nola.
Sulla now advances into the interior of Sauinium ; captures and punishes Aeelanuni ; turns the pass where the Samnite
army under JIutilus awaited him, and attacks and defeats the Samnite army. He then marches to Boviannm, and
compels it to suirender by a victor}' under its walls.
88. — In Campania Sulla takes the smaller towns still occupied by the Sauiniles ; and invests Xola.
At this time occur the riots due to the Sulpician proposals. Sulla is recalled, and the command in the East is transferred
to Jlarius.
Sulla is determined to resist, and marches with his troops from his camp before Xola on Rome.
The Marian party within the city atiempts to resist, but after a few hours Sulla becomes master of Rome.
83. — When Sulla lands at Krundisium from the East, he is welcomed by all Apulia and Mcssapia, and the scattered adherents
of the ojitimate party join his camp ; Quintus Metellus, who had escaped to Liguria, resuming, as Sidla's colleague,
the proconsular command which had been committed to him in 87 and withdrawn by the revolution. The revolutionary
army is at Ariniinum.
(inaeus Pompeius who had gone to Picenum, and led the optimate party at Auximum, also takes Sulla's side.
Troops are sent from Rome to put down the Piceuian insurrection, but Pompey defeats them in detail and joins Sulla,
apparently in Apulia.
Sulla and iletellus march from Apulia through Samnium towards Campania. The revolutionary army of Gains
Xorbanus is at Capua, while the second consular army also advances along the Appiau Way. Before this latter
arrives, Sulla throws liimself in front of Norbanu.s.
An attempt at mediation results in the arrest of Sulla"s envoys. Sulla then attacks the force of Xorbanus, whose
armj' is broken !)}• the charge of Sulla's troops down Mount Tifata. Xorbanus' army takes refuge in Capua and
Xeapolis. where they are blockaded.
Sulla, leaving these towns to be invested, pushes along the Appiau Way against Teanum, where Scipio, the other
consul, is posted. Sulla makes to him fresh proposals of peace, and an armistice is concluded at a couference
between Calcs and Teanum. Scipio afterwards repudiates the armistice, but his troops, who had mingled with
those of Sulla, bodily go over to the latter.
Sulla and Metellus take up winter quarters in Campania, and maintain the blockade of Capua through the winter,
after having failed a second time to come to terms with Xorbanus.
82. — Metellus, relying on the Picenian insurrection, advances to upper Italy, while Sulla marches from Campania against Rome.
Carbo, the revolutionary consul, marches against Metellus ; the other consul, the younger Marius, having the task of
meeting Sulla in Latium.
Marching along the Latin Way, Sulla falls in w ith Marius' force near Signia. Marius falls back to Sacriportus,
between Signia and Praeneste, where he prepares for battle. The result is a signal \ictory for Sulla, a division of the
enemy even going over to Sulla during the battle.
Marius now sends orders to the commander at Rome to put to death the noted men of the opposite party still there,
and to evacuate the place : w liile the renniaiits of his force throw themselves into Xorba and Praeneste, Marius
himself going to the latter place.
Sulla, leaving a force to blockaile Praeneste, advances on Rome, and occupies it without resistance. Then, having
settled matters, he at once pushes on to Etruria to attack his antagcmists in upper Italy, in concert with Metellus.
Meanwhile Metellus meets and defeats Carbo's legate Carrinas at the river Aesis on the borders of Picenum, but
desists from further advance on the approach of Carlio with his superior force.
Carbo, on getting news of the battle of Sacripoitiis, retreats to the Flaminian road, intending to take up his headquarters
at Ariminum, and from Ihcncc to conmiand the Apennines and the Po valley. In this object, which on the
whole he accomplished, Carbo sutlers sundry leverses ; Sena (iallica is stormed and Carbo's rearguard is broken in a
brilliant cavalr}' engagement with Pompey.
To face Mdjt 4:!.