o the ground and was destroyed,
which made the spectators shudder and greatly dispirited Mithridates,
though his affairs were then going on favourably beyond all
expectation. For he had taken Asia[202] from the Romans, and Bithynia
and Cappadocia from their kings, and had fixed himself at Pergamum,
where he was distributing wealth and provinces and kingdoms among his
friends; one of his sons also held without any opposition the ancient
dominions in Pontus, and the Bosporus[203] as far as the uninhabited
regions beyond the Maeotis; Ariarathes[204] occupied Thrace and
Macedonia with a large army; and his generals with their forces were
subduing other places. Archelaus,[205] the greatest of his generals,
was master of all the sea with his navy, and was subjugating the
Cyclades[206] and all the other islands east of Malea, and had already
taken Euboea, while with his army, advancing from Athens as his
starting-point, he was gaining over all the nations of Greece as far
north as Thessaly, and had only sustained a slight check near
Chaeroneia. For there he was met by Bruttius Sura,[207] a legatus of
Sentius, praetor of Macedonia, and a man of signal courage and
prudence. Archelaus was sweeping through Boeotia like a torrent, when
he was vigorously opposed by Sura, who, after fighting three battles
near Chaeroneia, repulsed him and drove him back to the coast. On
receiving orders from Lucius Lucullus[208] to make room for Sulla, who
was coming, and to allow him to carry on the war, for which he had
received his commission, Sura immediately left Boeotia and went back to
Sentius, though he had succeeded beyond his expectations, and Greece
was well disposed to change sides on account of his great merit.
However, these exploits of Bruttius were very brilliant.

XII. Now all the rest of the Grecian cities immediately sent
deputations to Sulla and invited him to enter; but against Athens,
which was compelled by the tyrant Aristion[209] to be on the king's
side, he directed all his energies; he also hemmed in and blockaded
the Peiraeus,[210] employing every variety of engine and every mode of
attack. If he had waited a short time, he might have taken the Upper
City without danger, for through want of provisions it was reduced by
famine to extreme necessity; but anxious to return to Rome, and
fearing a new revolution there, at great risk fighting many battles
and at great cost he urged on the war, wherein, besides the rest of
the exp