1The age-old lust for power, long ago implanted in mankind, grew and broke out with the greatness of the empire; 1for while affairs were modest, equality was easily maintained. 1But when the world had been subdued and rival cities or kings destroyed, and men were free to covet wealth in security, the first struggles flared up between senators and people. 1Now there were turbulent tribunes, now over-powerful consuls, and in the city and the forum rehearsals for civil wars; 1soon Gaius Marius, from the lowest of the people, and Lucius Sulla, cruellest of the nobles, defeated liberty by arms and turned it into despotism. 1After them came Gnaeus Pompeius, more covert, not better, and from then on the struggle was never for anything but supreme power.
1Legions of citizens did not lay down their arms at Pharsalus and Philippi, much less were the armies of Otho and Vitellius likely to give up the war of their own accord: the same anger of the gods, the same madness of men, the same motives for crime drove them into discord. 1That the wars were finished with what were, as it were, single blows was due to the cowardice of the emperors. 1But reflection on ancient and modern ways has carried me too far: now I return to the order of events.