e in most
cases they behaved less maliciously, since they were acting not according
to definite plans but as chance dictated. And the victims, succumbing
to sudden and unheard of catastrophes, found some alleviation in the
unexpectedness of their experience. At this time, on the other hand,
they were executing in person or beholding or at least understanding
thoroughly by fresh descriptions merely deeds that had been dared before;
in the intervals, expecting a recurrence of similar acts, some were
inventing various new methods to employ, and others were becoming
afflicted by new fears that they too should suffer. The perpetrators
resorted to most unusual devices in their emulation of the outrages of
yore and their consequent eagerness to add, through the resources of art,
novel features to their attempts. The others reflected on all that they
might suffer and hence even before their bodies were harmed their spirits
were thoroughly on the rack, as if they were already undergoing the
trial. [-5-] Another reason for their faring worse on this occasion than
before was that previously only Sulla's own enemies and the foes of the
leaders associated with him were destroyed: among his friends and the
people in general no one perished at his bidding; so that except the very
wealthy,--and these can never be at peace with the stronger element
at such a time,--the remainder took courage. In this second series of
assassinations, however, not only the men's enemies or the rich were
being killed, but also their best friends and quite without looking for
it. On the whole it may be said that almost nobody had incurred the
enmity of those men from any private cause that should account for
his being slain by them. Politics and compromises regarding posts of
authority had created both their friendships and their violent hatreds.
All those that had aided or assisted one of the group in any way the
others held in the light of an enemy. So it came about that the same
persons had become friends to some one of them, and enemies to the entire
body, so that while each was privately quelling his antagonists, they
destroyed the dearest friends of all in general. In the course of their
joint negotiations[26] they made a kind of account of who was on their
side and who was opposed, and no one was allowed to take vengeance on one
of his own enemies who was a friend of another without giving up some
friend in his turn: and because of their anger over wha