The senate instructed him to break up his army-- an implied hint that he was not to be allowed a triumph, to which as an extraordinary magistrate he could according to precedent make no claim.

The general murmured secretly, the soldiers loudly; it seemed for a moment as if the African army would revolt against the senate and Sulla would have to take the field against his son-in- law.

But Sulla yielded, and allowed the young man to boast of being the only Roman who had become a triumphator before he was a senator (12 March 675); in fact the "Fortunate," not perhaps without a touch of irony, saluted the youth on his return from these easy exploits as the "Great." Fresh Difficulties with Mithradates In the east also, after the embarkation of Sulla in the spring of 671, there had been no cessation of warfare.

The restoration of the old state of things and the subjugation of individual towns cost in Asia as in Italy various bloody struggles.

Against the free city of Mytilene in particular Lucius Lucullus was obliged at length to bring up troops, after having exhausted all gentler measures; and even a victory in the open field did not put an end to the obstinate resistance of the citizens.
Meanwhile the Roman governor of Asia, Lucius Murena, had fallen into fresh difficulties with king Mithradates.