severally.  But the soldiers turned a deaf ear to him, and the desertions became still more numerous, on which Fimbria went round to the tents of the officers, and bribing some of them, he called another meeting, and commanded the soldiers to take the oath to him.  As those who were hired by him called out that he ought to summon the men by name to take the oath, he called by the crier those who had received favours from him, and he called Nonius first who had been his partner in everything.  Nonius refused to take the oath, and Fimbria drew his sword and threatened to kill him, but as there was a general shout, he became alarmed and desisted.  However he induced a slave by money and the promise of his freedom to go to Sulla as a deserter, and to attempt his life.  The man as he came near the act was alarmed, and this gave rise to suspicion, which led to his being seized, and he confessed.  The army of Sulla, full of indignation and contempt, surrounded the camp of Fimbria, and abused him, calling him Athenion, which was the name of the fellow who put himself at the head of the rebel runaway slaves in Sicily, and was a king for a few days.  Fimbria now despairing came to the rampart, and invited Sulla to a conference.  But Sulla sent Rutilius; and this first of all annoyed Fimbria, as he was not honoured with a meeting, which is granted even to enemies.  On his asking for pardon for any error that he might have committed, being still a young man, Rutilius promised that Sulla would allow him to pass safe to the coast, if he would sail away from Asia, of which Sulla was proconsul.  Fimbria replied that he had better means than that, and going to Pergamum and entering the temple of AEsculapius, he pierced himself with his sword.  As the wound was not mortal, he bade his slave plunge the sword into his body.  The slave killed his master, and then killed himself on the body.  Thus died Fimbria, who had done much mischief to Asia after Mithridates.  Sulla allowed Fimbria’s freedmen to bury their master; adding that he would not imitate Cinna and Marius, who had condemned many persons to death at Rome, and also refused to allow their bodies to be buried.  The army of Fimbria now came over to Sulla, and was received by him and united with his own.  Sulla also commissioned Curio to restore Nicomedes to Bithynia and Ariobarzanes to Cappadocia, and he wrote to the Senate about all these matters, pretending that he did not know that he had been declared an enemy.]

[Footnote 259:  Thyateira was a town in Lydia about 45 miles from Pergamum.]

[Footnote 260:  The original is simply “after being initiated;” but the Eleusinian mysteries are meant.  The city of Eleusis was in Attica, and the sacred rites were those of Ceres and Proserpine (Demeter and Persephone).  Those only who were duly initiated could partake in these ceremonies.  An intruder ran the risk of being put to death.  Livius (31, c. 14) tells a story of two Akarnanian youths who were not initiated, and during the time