美国学生人类历史 第96期:罗马帝国的故事(6)

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　　至于苏拉，他当了"独裁 官"，意思就是罗马帝国及其全部财产、属地的唯一而至高的统治者。他在位4年后退休，安详地死于卧榻。像许多一辈子屠杀自己同胞的罗马人一样，他的晚年安闲适意，把大部分的时间花在了浇花种菜上。

　　But conditions did not grow better. On the contrary, they grew worse. Another general, Gneus Pompeius, or Pompey, a close friend of Sulla, went east to renew the war against the ever troublesome Mithridates. He drove that energetic potentate³ into the mountains where Mithridates took poison and killed himself, well knowing what fate awaited him as a Roman captive. Next he re-established the authority of Rome over Syria, destroyed Jerusalem, roamed through western Asia, trying to revive the myth of Alexander the Great, and at last (in the year 62) returned to Rome with a dozen ship-loads of defeated Kings and Princes and Generals, all of whom were forced to march in the triumphal procession of this enormously popular Roman who presented his city with the sum of forty million dollars in plunder⁴.

　　不过罗马的政治情势并未因苏拉的死去而好转，相反，局势急转直下。苏拉的密友庞培将军再度领军东征，讨伐不断给帝国制造麻烦的米特拉达特斯国王。庞培将这位精力旺盛的反抗者赶人山区，四面包围起来。绝望的米特拉达特斯深知，若成为罗马人的俘虏，等待他命运将是什么。于是他也像多年前穷途末路的汉尼拔一样，服毒自杀了。庞培继续攻城略地。他打败叙利亚，将其重新置于罗马的统治之下；他摧毁了耶路撒冷，并挥师席卷整个西亚，试图重建一个罗马人的亚历山大帝国。最后在公元62年，他返回罗马，随行的12艘舰船上满载着被他俘虏的国王、王子和将军。在罗马人为庞培举行的盛大凯旋仪式上，这些曾显赫一时的国王将军们被迫走在队列之中，作为庞培伟大战功的一部分向罗马民众展示。此外，这位将军还向罗马献上了高达4000多万的财富。

　　It was necessary that the government of Rome be placed in the hands of a strong man. Only a few months before, the town had almost fallen into the hands of a good-for-nothing young aristocrat⁵ by the name of Catiline, who had gambled away his money and hoped to reimburse⁶ himself for his losses by a little plundering⁷.

　　现在，罗马确实需要一位政治强人来统治。仅仅在几个月前，罗马城险些落人一个一无是处的年轻贵族之手。此人名叫卡梯林，因赌博 输光了家产。他妄图发动政变，以便趁火打劫，捞一笔钱来弥补自己的损失。

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