§6.1ἐπεὶ δὲ Μάριος μὲν ἐτελεύτησε καὶ Κίννας ἀνῃρέθη μικρὸν ὕστερον, ὁ δὲ νεανίας Μάριος ἄκοντος αὐτοῦ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους ὑπατείαν ἔλαβε, Κάρβωνες δὲ καὶ Νωρβανοὶ καὶ Σκηπίωνες ἐπιόντι Σύλλᾳ κακῶς ἐπολέμουν, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀνανδρίᾳ καὶ μαλακίᾳ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἐφθείρετο, τὰ δὲ οἱ προδιδόντες ἀπώλλυσαν, §6.2ἔργον δὲ οὐδὲν ἦν αὐτοῦ παρόντος τοῖς πράγμασι μοχθηρῶς ὑποφερομένοις διὰ τὸ χεῖρον φρονεῖν τοὺς μᾶλλον δυναμένους, τέλος δὲ Σύλλας Σκηπίωνι παραστρατοπεδεύσας καὶ φιλοφρονούμενος, ὡς εἰρήνης ἐσομένης, διέφθειρε τὸ στράτευμα, καὶ ταῦτα προλέγων Σκηπίωνι καὶ διδάσκων Σερτώριος οὐκ ἔπειθε, παντάπασιν ἀπογνοὺς τὴν πόλιν ὥρμησεν εἰς Ἰβηρίαν, ὡς, εἰ φθάσει τὴν ἐκεῖ κρατυνάμενος ἀρχήν, καταφυγὴ τοῖς πταίουσιν ἐνταῦθα τῶν φίλων ἐσόμενος.
But when Marius died and Cinna was killed shortly afterwards, and the younger Marius took the consulship against his will and contrary to the laws, and the Carbos, Norbanuses, and Scipios conducted the war poorly against Sulla as he advanced, and some of their affairs were ruined by the cowardice and weakness of the generals, while others were lost by those who betrayed them, there was no work for him, even though he was present, since affairs were being miserably swept away because those who had more power had worse judgment; and finally, Sulla, having encamped near Scipio and making friendly overtures as if peace were to be made, corrupted his army, and though Sertorius forewarned Scipio of these things and instructed him, he could not persuade him, and so, completely despairing of the city, he set out for Iberia, thinking that if he could succeed in securing his rule there beforehand, he would be a refuge for those of his friends who met with disaster here.
§6.3χειμῶσι δὲ χαλεποῖς χρησάμενος ἐν χωρίοις ὀρεινοῖς ὑπὸ βαρβάρων ἐπράττετο τέλη καὶ μισθοὺς τοῦ παρελθεῖν τὴν ὁδόν.
Having encountered severe winter weather in mountainous places, he was demanded tolls and payments by the barbarians for passing through their territory.
ἀγανακτούντων δὲ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ, καὶ δεινολογουμένων εἰ Ῥωμαίων ἀνθύπατος τέλη καταβαλεῖ βαρβάροις ὀλέθροις, μικρὰ φροντίσας τοῦ δοκοῦντος αἰσχροῦ, καὶ καιρὸν ὠνεῖσθαι φήσας, οὗ σπανιώτερον οὐδὲν ἀνδρὶ μεγάλων ἐφιεμένῳ, τοὺς μὲν βαρβάρους ἐθεράπευσε χρήμασι, τὴν δʼ Ἰβηρίαν ἐπειχθεὶς κατέσχε.
While those with him were indignant and made a terrible thing of it if a Roman proconsul should pay tribute to destructive barbarians, he, caring little for what seemed shameful and saying that he was buying time—than which nothing is scarcer for a man aiming at great things—appeased the barbarians with money and, hastening on, took possession of Iberia.
§6.4παραλαβὼν δὲ ἔθνη πλήθει μὲν καὶ ἡλικίᾳ ἀκμάζοντα, πλεονεξίᾳ δὲ καὶ ὕβρει τῶν πεμπομένων ἑκάστοτε στρατηγῶν πρὸς ὅλην κακῶς διακείμενα τὴν ἡγεμονίαν, ἀνελάμβανεν ὁμιλίᾳ τε τοὺς δυνατοὺς καὶ φόρων ἀνέσει τοὺς πολλούς, μάλιστα δὲ τῶν ἐπισταθμιῶν ἀπαλλάξας ἠγαπήθη· τοὺς γὰρ στρατιώτας ἠνάγκαζεν ἐν τοῖς προαστείοις χειμάδια πήγνυσθαι, πρῶτος αὐτὸς οὕτω κατασκηνῶν.
And having taken over tribes that were in their prime in terms of population and military age, but were ill-disposed toward the whole empire because of the greed and insolence of the generals sent to them on each occasion, he won over the powerful by friendly intercourse and the multitude by relief from taxes, and was loved especially because he freed them from the quartering of soldiers; for he compelled his soldiers to construct winter quarters in the suburbs, being the first himself to pitch his tent in this manner.
§6.5οὐ μὴν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν βαρβάρων εὐνοίᾳ τὸ πᾶν ἐποιήσατο, Ῥωμαίων δὲ τῶν αὐτόθι μετοικούντων τοὺς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ καθοπλίσας, μηχανάς τε παντοδαπὰς καὶ ναυπηγίας τριήρων ὑποβαλόμενος, διὰ χειρὸς εἶχε τὰς πόλεις, ἥμερος μὲν ὢν ἐν ταῖς εἰρηνικαῖς χρείαις, φοβερὸς δὲ τῇ παρασκευῇ κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων φαινόμενος.
He did not, however, place his all upon the goodwill of the barbarians, but having armed those of the Romans who resided there who were of military age, and having undertaken the manufacture of all kinds of siege engines and the building of triremes, he held the cities under his hand, appearing mild in peaceful duties, but formidable to his enemies by his preparation.