XXV.  From Dardanus Sulla marched against Fimbria, who was encamped near Thyateira,[259] and halting there, began to throw up his intrenchments.  Fimbria’s men coming out of their camp in their jackets embraced the soldiers of Sulla, and began to assist them zealously in their works.  Fimbria seeing that his soldiers had deserted him, and fearing Sulla’s unforgiving temper, committed suicide in the camp.  Sulla now levied a contribution on Asia to the amount of twenty thousand talents:  and he reduced individuals to beggary by the violence and exactions which he permitted to the soldiers who were quartered in their houses.  He issued an order that the master of a house should daily supply the soldier who was quartered on him with four tetradrachmae, and with dinner for himself and as many of his friends as he chose to invite; a centurion was to receive fifty drachmae daily, and to be supplied with two garments, one to wear in the house and the other when he went abroad.

XXVI.  Sulla set sail from Ephesus with all his ships, and on the third day anchored in the Peiraeus.  After being initiated into the Eleusinian[260] mysteries, he appropriated to himself the library of Apellikon[261] of Teos, which contained most of the writings of Aristotle and Theophrastus.  The works of these two philosophers were not then well known to people in general.  It is said that when the library was brought to Rome, Tyrannio the grammarian arranged most of the books, and that Andronikus of Rhodes having procured copies from Tyrannio, published them, and made the tables which are now in use.  It appears that the older Peripatetics were indeed well-instructed men, and devoted to letters, but they did not possess many of the writings of Aristotle and Theophrastus, nor yet correct copies, owing to the circumstances that the books came into the hands of the heirs of Neleus of Skepsis, to whom Theophrastus bequeathed them, and that they were ignorant persons, who never troubled themselves about such matters.  While Sulla was staying at Athens, he was seized with a numbness in his feet, accompanied with a feeling of heaviness, which Strabo[262] calls “a stammering of gout.”  Accordingly he crossed the sea to AEdepsus[263]; where he used the warm springs, at the same time indulging in relaxation and spending all his time in the company of actors.  As he was walking about on the seashore, some fishermen presented him with some very fine fish; Sulla was much pleased with the present, but on hearing that the men belonged to Halaeae,[264] he said, What, is there an Halaean still alive?  For it happened, that while pursuing his enemies after the victory at Orchomenus, he destroyed at once three Boeotian cities, Anthedon, Larymna, and Halaeae.  The men were struck speechless with fear, but Sulla with a smile bade them go away in good heart, for the intercessors they had brought were no mean ones, and not to be despised.  Upon this the Halaeans say they took courage and again occupied their city.