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Dolabella followed him, without
any one having any suspicion of war. For how could any one think of such a
thing? Very friendly conferences with Trebonius ensued; embraces, false tokens
of the greatest good-will, were there full of simulated affection; the pledge of
the right hand, which used to be a witness of good faith, was violated by
treachery and wickedness; then came the nocturnal entry into Smyrna, as if into an enemy's
city—Smyrna, which is
a city of our most faithful and most ancient allies; then the surprise of
Trebonius, who, if he were surprised by one who was an open enemy, was very
careless; if by one who up to that moment maintained the appearance of a
citizen, was miserable. And by his example fortune wished us to take a lesson of
what the conquered party had to fear. He handed over a man of consular rank,
governing the province of Asia with
consular authority, to an exiled armorer;1 he would not slay him the moment that he had taken him,
fearing, I suppose, that his victory might appear too merciful; but after having
attacked that most excellent man with insulting words from his impious mouth,
then he examined him with scourges and tortures. Concerning the public money,
and that for two days together. Afterward he cut off his head, and ordered it to
be fixed on a javelin and carried about; and the rest of his body, having been
dragged through the street and town, he threw into the sea.
1 The Latin is Samiarius, or as some read it Samarius. Orellius says, “perhaps it means some sort of trade, for I doubt its having been a Roman proper name,” Nizollius says, “Samarius exul—proverbium.” Facciolatti calls him a man whose business it was to clean the arms of the guards. &c., with Samian chalk.
M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, literally translated by C. D. Yonge. London. George Bell & Sons. 1903.
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