the senate to the people when there was a misunderstanding
between them; and Fabius Rullus,[215] because he ejected from the
senate certain rich persons the children of freedmen who had been
enrolled in the list of senators.

XIV. After this Pompeius asked for a triumph, but Sulla opposed his
claim: for the law gives a triumph to a consul or to a praetor[216]
only, but to no one else. And this is the reason why the first Scipio,
after defeating the Carthaginians in greater and more important
contests in Iberia, did not ask for a triumph, for he was not consul,
nor yet praetor. Sulla considered that if Pompeius, who was not yet
well bearded, should enter the city in triumph, he who, by reason of
his age, was not yet a member of the senate, both his own office and
the honour given to Pompeius would be exposed to much obloquy. Sulla
made these remarks to Pompeius, to show that he did not intend to let
him have a triumph, but would resist him and check his ambition, if he
would not listen to reason. Pompeius, however, was not cowed, but he
told Sulla to reflect, that more men worship the rising than the
setting sun, intending him to understand that his own power was on the
increase, but that the power of Sulla was diminishing and fading away.
Sulla did not distinctly hear these words, but observing that those
who did hear them, by looks and gestures expressed their astonishment,
he asked what it was that Pompeius had said. When he heard what it
was, he was confounded at the boldness of Pompeius, and called out
twice, "Let him triumph!" Now many persons were annoyed, and expressed
their dissatisfaction at the triumph, on which Pompeius, wishing to
annoy them still more, it is said, made preparation for entering the
city in a car drawn by four elephants,[217] for he brought from Libya
many of the king's elephants that he had taken; but as the gate was
too narrow, he gave up his project and contented himself with horses.
The soldiers, who had not obtained as much as they expected, were
ready to make a disturbance and impede the triumph, but Pompeius said
that he cared not for it, and would rather give up the triumph than
humour them; whereupon Servilius,[218] a man of distinction, who had
made most opposition to the triumph of Pompeius, said, Now he
perceived that Pompeius was really Great and was worthy of the
triumph. It is also certain that he might then have been easily
admitted into the senate, if he had chosen; but he s