[
76]
Sulla now hastened his return to meet his enemies, having quickly finished
all his business with Mithridates, as I have already related. Within less
than three years he had killed 160,000 men, recovered Greece, Macedonia,
Ionia, Asia, and many other countries that Mithridates had previously
occupied, taken the king's fleet away from him, and from such vast
possessions restricted him to his paternal kingdom alone. He returned with a
large and well-disciplined army, devoted to him and elated by its exploits.
He had abundance of ships, money, and apparatus
suitable for all emergencies, and was an object of terror to his enemies.
Carbo and Cinna were in such fear of him that they despatched emissaries to
all parts of Italy to collect money, soldiers, and supplies. They took their
leading citizens into friendly intercourse and appealed especially to the
newly created citizens of the towns, pretending that it was on their account
that they were threatened with the present danger. They hastily repaired the
ships, and recalled those that were in Sicily, guarded the coast, and, with
fear and trembling, made rapid preparations in every way.
