in The Wounds of Civil War, or Marius and Scilla — Lodge, Thomas
Metadata
Play
The Wounds of Civil War, or Marius and Scilla
Author
Lodge, Thomas
Year (catalogued)
1594
First performance
1588
Decade
1590s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men
Speech prefix(es)
Young Marius: | Mar: iu: | Marius iu:
Words
424
Characters
2326
Typicality
0.24 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06184
BritDrama no.
802
Cluster
Cluster 22 — Ghosts, curses & horror voices
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
The way ward Lady of this wicked world. That leads in luckless triumph wretched men, My Roman friends hath forced our desires, And framed our minds to brook too base relief, What land or Libian desert is unsought, To find my father Marius and your friend: Yea they whom true relent could never touch, These fierce Numidians hearing our mishaps, Weep floods of moan to wail our wretched fates. Thus we that erst with terrors did attaint, The Bactrian bounds and in our Roman wars, Inforced the barbarous borderers of the Alps, To tremble with the terrors of our looks. Now fly poor men affrighted with our harms, Seeking amid the desert rocks and dens, For him that whilom in our Capitol, Even with a beck commanded Asia. Thou woeful son of such a famous man, Unsheath thy sword, conduct these warlike men To Room, unhappy Mistress of our harms: And there since tyrants pour hath thee oppressed, And robbed thee of thy father, friends and all, So die undaunted, killing of thy foes, That were the offspring of these wretched woes. what solitary father walks there? How many desert ways hath Marius sought, How many Cities have I visited, To find my father, and relieve his wants? To quite his love, Cynna let me alone, How fare these Lords that lumping pouting proud Imagine how to quell me with their looks. No welcome sirs, is Marius thought so base? Why stand you looking babies in my face? Who welcomes me, him Marius makes his friend: Who lowres on me, him Marius means to end. But why endures your Grace that braving mate To fit and face us in his robes of state. My Lord what heart in durate with revenge, Could leave this lossell, threatening murder thus? Vouchsafe me leave to taint that traitors seat With flowing streams of his contagious blood. I now my Cynna, noble Consul speaks, Octavius, your checks shall cost you deer. And so let Marius live and govern Room, As cursed Scylla never look on Room. My father's reasons Romans are of force: For if you see and live not too secure, You know that in so great a state as this, Two mighty foes can never well agree. I go my Lord in hope to make the world Report my service, and my duty too, And that proud challenger of Asia, Shall find that Marius son hath force and wit. Now fortune frown, & palter if thou please, Romans behold my father and your friend. O father.
Plot summary
Plot — The Wounds of Civil War, or Marius and Scilla
King Mithridates has defied Roman power in Asia Minor, and the consul Sulla has been selected by lot to take reprisals. But Sulla lingers with the army in Capua, and the Senate votes to transfer the command to Marius, a more experienced soldier. Sulla invades the Senate with his troops and threatens to uphold his rights with violence. The senators take sides, and a civil war follows. Sulla is victorious; Marius takes refuge at Minturnum. Sulla proscribes Marius and his allies as traitors, and leads the army to Asia Minor. Marius is warned that his hosts plot his murder, but accepts his fate and goes to sleep. The assassin, Pedro, is unable to go through with the killing, so the magistrates simply ask Marius to leave town. He flees to Africa, and lives in the mountains on a diet of roots. Marius’ son comes to recall him to Rome: the new consul, Cinna, is sympathetic to him. But Sulla returns victorious from the east, and attempts to prevent his rival from entering Italy. Nevertheless Marius reaches Rome, and begins to settle old scores with violence. Cinna deposes and murders his fellow consul Octavius, Marius’ enemy, and Marius is appointed to fill the vacancy. Sulla is proscribed and his property confiscated, and Marius sends his son to engage Sulla’s army in battle. Sulla’s wife and daughter are arrested as they attempt to leave Rome; Marius threatens them with death, but then sends them honourably back to Sulla. Marius dies in office. After a bloody battle, Sulla enters Rome victorious and compiles an extensive death-list of his enemies. Young Marius holes up in Praeneste, the last stronghold of resistance, but after a siege he concedes the inevitable and commits suicide; Sulla’s forces conquer the city and put the inhabitants to the sword. Sulla is proclaimed dictator, and insists that the appointment be made perpetual; but he soon finds that supreme power brings with it a troubled mind, and resigns the office. He plans to retire to the country, but a spirit appears with a prophecy of his death. He takes his leave of his family, and is buried with great pomp.