A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

3. L.LiciniusLucullus, L. F., son of the preceding, was praetor in B. C. 103, and was appointed by the senate to take the command in Sicily, where the insurrection of the slaves under Athenion and Tryphon had begun to assume a very formidable aspect. He took with him a force of 17,000 men, of which the greater part were regular Roman or Italian troops; but though lie at first obtained a complete victory in the field, and compelled Tryphon to shut himself up in the fortress of Triocala, he failed in reducing that stronghold, and ultimately retreated front before it in an ignominious manner. (Diod. xxxvi. Exc. Phot. p. 535, 536; Flor. 3.19.) After this, whether from incapacity or corruption, he affected nothing more, and was soon after replaced by C. Servilius. He is said to have destroyed all his military stores and broken up his camp previous to resigning the command into the hands of his successor. (Diod. Exc. Vat. p. 111.) It was perhaps in revenge for this proceeding, that on his return to Rome he found himself assailed by another Servilius with a prosecution for bribery and malversation. But whatever may have been the motives of the latter, the guilt of Lucullus was so manifest that even his brother-in law, Metellus Numidicus, declined to appear in his defence; and he was unanimously condemned and driven into exile. (Plut. Luc. 1; Cic. Ver. 4.66; Diod. Exc. Phot. p. 536; Aur. Vict. de Vir. Illust. 62.)