[Sidenote:  Fate of Carbo.  Pompeius in Sicily.] In the provinces there was still much to be done.  Pompeius was sent to Sicily, and on his arrival Perperna, the Marian governor, left the island.  Carbo had come over from Africa to Cossura, and was taken and brought before Pompeius.  Pompeius condemned the man who had once been his advocate, and sent his head to Sulla.  It is said that Carbo met his death in a craven way, begging for a respite.  Whether this is true or not, he seems to have been a selfish and incapable man.  But if it be true that Pompeius, while he had Carbo’s companions instantly slain, purposely spared Carbo himself in order to have the satisfaction of trying him, he was less to be envied than the man he tried.  He divorced his wife at this time in order to marry Sulla’s step-daughter, who was also divorced from her husband for the purpose.  From Sicily Pompeius was sent to Africa, where Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus was in arms.  Crossing offer with 120 ships and 800 transports he landed some of his troops at Utica and some at Carthage.

[Sidenote:  Decay of discipline in Roman armies.] The decay of discipline in the Roman armies is illustrated by an incident which occurred at Carthage.  One soldier found some treasure, and the rest would not stir for several days till they were convinced that there was nothing more to be found.  Pompeius looked on and laughed at them.  Sulla’s way of treating his soldiers was already bearing fruit, and was one of the worst of the evils which he brought on Italy; for he who goes about scattering smiles and smooth words in order to win a name, for good-nature will always find others to run him a race in such meanness, and so discipline becomes subverted and states are ruined.

[Sidenote:  Domitius Ahenobarbus conquered and slain by Pompeius in Africa.] Pompeius found Domitius strongly posted behind a ravine.  Taking advantage of a tempest, he crossed it and routed the enemy.  His men hailed him Imperator:  but he said he would not take the title till they had taken the camp.  The camp was then stormed and Domitius slain.  Pompeius also captured the towns held by the partisans of Domitius, and defeated and took prisoner the Marian usurper who had expelled Hiempsal, King of Numidia.  Hiempsal was restored and his rival put to death.  On returning to Utica Pompeius found a message from Sulla, telling him to disband his troops except one legion and wait till his successor came. [Sidenote:  Vanity of Pompeius.] The men mutinied, for they liked Pompeius, and Sulla was told that Pompeius was in rebellion.  He remarked that ’in his old age it was his fate to fight with boys’—­a saying to which Pompeius’s speech, ’that more men worshipped the rising than the setting sun,’ may have been intended as a rejoinder.  But soon he was relieved by hearing that the politic Pompeius had appeased the mutiny.  Sulla had the art of yielding with a good grace when it was necessary, and, seeing how popular Pompeius was, he went out to meet him on his return and greeted him by the name ‘Magnus.’  The vain young man asked for a triumph.  His forty days’ campaign had indeed been brilliant; but he was not even a praetor, the lowest official to whom a triumph was granted, nor a senator, but only an eques.  Sulla at first was astonished at the request, but contemptuously replied, ‘Let him triumph; let him have his triumph.’