or believing himself wronged to become beyond measure bold) many are on many occasions inspired to undergo dangers even beyond their strength, with the determination to conquer or at least not to perish utterly without having shed some blood.  So it is that partly conquering and partly defeated, sometimes gaining the mastery over others and again falling prostrate themselves, some are altogether annihilated and others gain a Cadmean victory, as it is called, and at a time when the knowledge can avail them nothing they perceive that their plans were ill drawn.

[-28-] “That this is so you also have learned by experience.  Consider, Marius for some time had power in seditions; then he was driven out, collected a force, and accomplished what you know.  Likewise Sulla—­not to speak of Cinna or Strabo or the rest who intervene—­influential at first, then subdued, then making himself ruler, authorized every possible terrible severity.”

After that Lepidus, evidently with the intention of following in their footsteps, instituted a kind of sedition of his own and stirred nearly the whole of Italy.  When we at last got rid of him too, remember what we suffered from Sertorius and from the exiles with him.  What did Pompey, what did this Caesar himself do?—­not to mention here Catiline or Clodius.  Did they not at first fight against each other, and that in spite of their relationship, and then fill full of countless evils not only our own city or even the rest of Italy, but practically the entire world?  Well, after Pompey’s death and that great destruction of the citizens, did any quiet appear?  Whence could it?  By no means.  Africa knows, Spain knows the multitudes who perished in each of those lands.  What then?  Did we have peace after this?  How is it possible, when Caesar himself lies slain in this fashion, the Capitol is occupied, all through the Forum arms are seen, and throughout the city fear exists? [-29-] In this way, when men begin a seditious career and seek ever to repay violence with violence and inflict vengeance without care for propriety, without care for human limitations, but according to their desires and the power that arms give them, there necessarily arises in each such case a kind of circle of ills, and alternate requitals of outrages take place.  The fortunate party abounds in insolence and sets no limits to the advantage it may take, and the party that is crushed, if it does not perish immediately, rages at the disaster and is eager to take vengeance on the oppressor, until it sate its wrath.  Then the remainder of the multitude, even if it has not been previously involved in the transactions, now through pity of the beaten and envy of the victorious side, cooeperates with the former, fearing that it may suffer the same evils as the downtrodden element and hoping that it may win the same success as the force temporarily in the ascendant.  Thus the portion of the citizens that is not concerned is brought into the dispute and one class takes the