Sertorius   

and southerly winds which breathe upon them sometimes produce gentle
sprinkling showers, which they convey along with them from the sea,
but more usually bring days of moist, bright weather, cooling and
gently fertilizing the soil, so that the firm belief prevails, even
among the barbarians, that this is the seat of the blessed and that
these are the Elysian Fields celebrated by Homer.
When Sertorius heard this account, he was seized with a wonderful
passion for these islands, and had an extreme desire to go and live
there in peace and quietness, and safe from oppression and unending
wars; but his inclinations being perceived by the Cilician pirates,
who desired not peace nor quiet, but riches and spoils, they immediately
forsook him and sailed away into Africa to assist Ascalis, the son
of Iphtha, and to help to restore him to his kingdom of Mauritania.
Their sudden departure noways discouraged Sertorius; he presently
resolved to assist the enemies of Ascalis, and by this new adventure
trusted to keep his soldiers together. who from this might conceive
new hopes, and a prospect of a new scene of action. His arrival in
Mauritania being very acceptable to the Moors, he lost no time, but
immediately giving battle to Ascalis, beat him out of the field and
besieged him; and Paccianus being sent by Sylla, with a powerful supply,
to raise the siege, Sertorius slew him in the field, gained over all
his forces, and took the city of Tingis, into which Ascalis and his
brothers were fled for refuge. The Africans tell that Antaeus was
buried in this city, and Sertorius had the grave opened, doubting
the story because of the prodigious size, and finding there his body,
in effect, it is said, full sixty cubits long, he was infinitely astonished,
offered sacrifice, and heaped up the tomb again, gave his confirmation
to the story, and added new honours to the memory of Antaeus. The
Africans tell that after the death of Antaeus, his wife Tinga lived
with Hercules, and had a son by him called Sophax, who was king of
these countries, and gave his mother's name to this city, whose son,
also, was Diodorus, a great conqueror, who brought the greatest part
of the Libyan tribes under his subjection, with an army of Greeks,
raised out of the colonies of the Olbians and Myceneans placed here
by Hercules. Thus much I may mention for the sake of King Juba, of
all monarchs the greatest student of history whose ancestors are said
to have sprung from Diodorus and Sophax.
When Sertorius had made himself absolute master of the whole country,
he acted with great fairness to those who had confided in him, and
who yielded to his mercy; he restored to them their property, cities,
and government, accepting only of such acknowledgments as they themselves
freely offered. And whilst he considered which way next to turn his
arms, the Lusitanians sent ambassadors to desire him to be their general;
for being terrified with the Roman power, and finding the necessity
of having a commander of great authority and experience in war, being
also sufficiently assured of his worth and valour by those who had
formerly known him, they were desirous to commit themselves especially
to his care. And in fact Sertorius is said to have been of a temper
unassailable either by fear or pleasure, in adversity and dangers
undaunted, and noways puffed up with prosperity. In straightforward
fighting, no commander in his time was more bold and daring, and in
whatever was to be performed in war by stratagem, secrecy, or surprise,
if any strong place was to be secured, any pass to be gained speedily,
for deceiving and overreaching an enemy, there was no man equal to
him in subtlety and skill. In bestowing rewards and conferring honours
upon those who had performed good service in the wars, he was bountiful
and magnificent, and was no less sparing and moderate in inflicting
punishment. It is true that that piece of harshness and cruelty which
he executed in the latter part of his days upon the Spanish hostages
seems to argue that his clemency was not natural to him, but only
worn as a dress, and employed upon calculation, as his occasion or
necessity required. As to my own opinion, I am persuaded that pure
virtue, established by reason and judgment, can never be totally perverted
or changed into its opposite, by any misfortune whatever. Yet I think