A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

954 MARIUS. MARIUS.
the officiating priest told him that the victims pre- chose to offer for the service, however poor and
dicted some great and wonderful events, and there- mean, instead of taking them from the five Classes
fore bade him, with full reliance upon the aid of according to ancient custom. Having thus colthe gods, to execute whatever purpose he had in lected a larger number of troops than had been
his mind. Marius regarded this as a voice *from decreed, he crossed over into Africa. Metellus,
heaven; he was then, as ever, thinking of the not bearing to see the man who had robbed him of
consulship, and he therefore resolved at once to the glory of bringing the war to a conclusion, priapply to Metellus for leave of absence, that he vately sailed from Africa, and left P. Rutilius, one
might proceed to Rome and offer himself as a can- of his legates, to deliver up the army to Marius.
didate. This, however, Metellus, who belonged to As soon as he had received the army, Marius cona family of the highest nobility, would not grant. tinded the war with great vigour; but the history
He at first tried to dissuade him from his presump- of his operations are related elsewhere. [JUGURtuous attempt, by pointing out the certainty of THA.] It is sufficient to state here that he was
failure; and when he could not prevail upon him unable to bring the war to a conclusion in the first
to abandon his design, he civilly evaded his request campaign, and it was not till the beginning of the
by pleading the exigencies of the public service, next year (B. C. 106) that Jugurtha was betrayed
which required the presence and assistance of his by Boochus, king of Mauritania, into the hands of
legate. But, as Marius still continued to press Marius, who sent his quaestor L. Sulla to receive
him for leave of absence, Metellus had the im- him from the Mauritanian king. Thus it happrudence to say to him on one occasion, "You pened that Marius gave to his future enemy and
need not be in such a hurry to go to Rome; it the destroyer of his family and party, the first
will be quite time enough for you to apply f6r the opportunity of distinguishing himself; and this
consulship along with my son." The latter, who very circumstance sowed the seeds of the personal
was then serving with the army, was only a youth hatred which afterwards existed between them, and
of twenty years of age, and could not, therefore, which was still further increased by political causes.
become a candidate for the consulship for upwards The enemies of Marius claimed for Sulla the glory
of twenty years more. Such an insult was not of the betrayal of Jugurtha, and the young palikely to be forgotten by a man like Marius. He trician nobleman appropriated the credit of it to
forthwith began to intrigue against his general, and himself, by always wearing a signet-ring on which
to represent that the war was purposely prolonged he had had engraved the surrender of Jugurtha by
by Metellus to gratify his own vanity and love of Bocchus. " By constantly wearing this ring," says
military power. He openly declared, that with Plutarch, "Sulla irritated Marius, who was an
one half of the army he would soon have Jugurtha ambitious and quarrelsome man, and could endure
in chains; and as all his remarks were carefully no partner in his glory."
reported- at Rome, the people began to regard him Though the war against Jugurtha was thus
as the only person competent -to finish the war. brought to a close, Marius did not immediately
Metellus, wearied out with his importunity, and return to Italy, but remained nearly two years
perceiving that he was exciting intrigues against longer in Numidia, during which time he was prohim in the army, at last allowed him to go, but, bably engaged in completely subjugating the
according to Plutarch, only twelve days before the country, and establishing the Roman power on a
election. Meeting with a favourable wind, he firmer basis. Meantime, a far greaterdangerthan
arrived at Rome in time, and was elected consul Rome had experienced since the time of Hannibal
with an enthusiasm which bore down all opposition was now threatening the state. Vast numbers of
before it. barbarians, such as spread over the south of Europe
Marius entered upon his first consulship in B. C. in the later times of the Roman empire, had col107, at the age of fifty, and received from the lected together on the northern side of the Alps,
people the province of Numidia, although the and were ready to pour down upon Italy. The
senate had previously decreed that Metellus should two leading nations of which they consisted are
continue in his command. The exultation of Marius called Cimbri and Teutones, the former of whom
knew no bounds. Instead of deserting the popular are supposed to have been Celts, of the same race
party, as has been constantly done by popular as the Cymri (comp. Arnold, Hist. of Rome, vol. i.
leaders when they have once been enrolled in the p. 519, &c.; Niebuhr, Lectures on Roman History,
ranks of the aristocracy, Marius gloried in his vol. i. p. 365), and the latter Gauls; but the exact
humble origin, and took every opportunity of in- parts of Europe from which they came is quite unsulting and trampling upon the party which had certain. To. these two great races were added the
for so many years been trying to put him down. Ambrones, who are conjectured, though on someHe told them that he regarded his election as a what slight grounds, to have been Ligurians (comp.
victory over their effeminacy and licentiousness, Plut. Mar. 19) and some of the Swiss tribes, such
and: that he looked upon the consulship as a trophy as the Tigurini. The whole host is said to have
of his conquest; and he proudly compared his own contained 300,000 fighting men, besides a much
wounds and military experience with their indolent larger number of women and children; and though
habits and ignorance of war. It was a great the exact calculations of the numbers of such bartriumph for the people, and a great humiliation for barians is little worthy of credit, yet it is certain
the aristocracy, and Marius made the latter drink that there was an immense and almost incredible
to the dregs the bitter cup which they had to multitude hanging on the frontiers of Italy. The
swallow. His was no forgiving temper, but a general alarm at Rome was still further increased
stern, a fierce, and almost savage one; and he well by the ill success which had hitherto attended the
earned the reputation of being a " good hater." arms of the republic against these barbarians. Army
While engaged in these attacks upon the nobility, after army had fallen before them. They were
he at the same time carried on a levy of troops first heard of in B. c. 113, in Noricum, whence they
with great activity, and enrolled any persons who descended into Illyricum, but probably did not