2.  The first opportunity that was offered of discovering their mutual jealousy, was upon disbanding their troops.  Neither chose to begin; so that the most fatal consequences were likely to arise from their dissension.  At length Crassus, stifling his resentment, laid down his command; and the other followed his example immediately after. 3.  The next trial between them was, who should be foremost in obtaining the favour of the people.  Crassus entertained the populace at a thousand tables, distributed corn to the families of the poor, and fed the greatest part of the citizens for nearly three months.  Pompey, on the other hand, laboured to abrogate the laws made against the authority of the people by Sylla; restored to the knights the power of judging, which had been formerly granted them by Gracchus; and gave back to the tribunes all their former privileges. 4.  Thus each gave his private aims an appearance of zeal for the public good; so that what was in reality ambition in both, took with one the name of liberality; with the other, that of a love of freedom.

5.  An expedition, in which Pompey cleared the Mediterranean, which was infested by pirates, having added greatly to his reputation, the tribunes of the people hoped it would be easy to advance their favourite still higher. 6.  Man’lius, therefore, one of the number, preferred a law, that all the armies of the empire, the government of Asia, and the management of the war which was renewed against Mithrida’tes, should be committed to Pompey alone.  The law passed, with little opposition, and the decree was confirmed.

7.  Being thus appointed to the command of that important war, he departed for Asia. 8.  Mithrida’tes had been obliged by Lucul’lus to take refuge in Lesser Armenia, and thither that general was preparing to follow him, when his whole army abandoned him; so that it remained for Pompey to terminate the war, which he effected with great ease and expedition, adding a large extent of dominion to the Roman empire, and returning to Rome in triumph at the head of his conquering army.

9.  But the victories of Pompey rather served to heighten the glory than to increase the power of Rome; they made it more a glaring object of ambition, and exposed its liberties to greater danger.  Those liberties, indeed, seemed devoted to ruin on every side; for, even while he was pursuing his conquests abroad, Rome was at the verge of ruin from a conspiracy at home. 10.  This conspiracy was projected and carried on by Ser’gius Cat’iline, a patrician by birth, who resolved to build his own power on the downfall of his country. 11.  He was singularly formed, both by art and nature, to conduct a conspiracy:  he was possessed of courage equal to the most desperate attempts, and of eloquence to give a colour to his ambition:  ruined in his fortunes, profligate in his manners, vigilant in pursuing his aims, he was insatiable after wealth, only with a view to lavish it on his guilty pleasures. 12.  Cat’iline