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

'956 MARIUS. MARIUS.
to the vast heap of broken arms which'had been gain the tribunate, did not hesitate to assassinate
collected together, and which was intended as an A. Nonius, because he was a rival candidate.
offering to the gods, horsemen rode up to him, and Mariufs in his sixth consulship (B. c. 100) was
greeted him with the news of his being elected guilty of an act of the deepest perfidy, in order to
consul for the fifth time. ruin his old enemy Metellus. Saturninus had proThe'Cimbri, in the mean time, had forced their posed an agrarian law [SATURNINUS], and had
way into Italy. The colleague of Marius, Q. Lu- added to it the clause, that if the people passed the
tatius Catulus, despairing of defending the passes law, the senate should swear obedience to it
of the Tyrol, had taken up a strong position on the within five days, and whoever refused to do so
Athesis (Adige); but in consequence of the terror should be expelled from the senate, and pay a fine
of his soldiers at the approach of the barbarians, he of twenty talents. In order to entrap Metellus,
was obliged to retreat even beyond the Po, thus Marius got up in his place in the senate, and deleaving the whole of the rich plain of Lombardy dared that he would never take the oath, and
exposed to the ravages of the barbarians. Marius Metellus made the same declaration; but when the
was thereupon recalled to Rome. The senate tribune' summoned the senators to the rostra to
offered him a triumph for his victory over the comply with the demand of the law, Marius, to the
Teutones, which he declined while the Cimbri were astonishment of all, immediately took the oath, and
in Italy, and proceeded to join Catulus, who now advised the senate to follow his example. Metellus
commanded as proconsul, B.C. 101. The army. of alone refused compliance, and was in consequence
Marius had also marched into Italy,'and with banished from the city. The next act of Marius
their united forces Marius and Catulus hastened in was one of equal treachery. He had availed himsearch of the enemy. They came up with them self of the services of Saturninus to gain the connear Vercellae (Vercelli), westward of Milan, and sulship and ruin Metellus, and had supported him
the decisive battle was fought on the 30th of July, in all his violent and unconstitutional proceedings;
in a plain called the Raudii Campi, the exact posi- but when he found that Saturninut had gone too
tion of which is uncertain, but which must have far, and had excited a storm of universal indigbeen in the neighbourhood of Vercellae. The nation and hatred, Marius deserted his companion
Cimbri met with the same fate as the Teutones; in guilt; and being applied to by the senate to
the slain are again spoken of as between one and crush Saturninus and his crew, he complied with
two hundred thousand; and the women, like those the request. Invested by the senate with absolute
of the Teutones, put an end to their lives. The power, by the well-known decree, Videret, nequid
Tigurini, who had been stationed at the passes of res publica detriomenti caperet, he collected an armed
the Tyrolese Alps, took to flight and dispersed, as force, and laid siege to the capitol, where Satursoon as they heard of the destruction of their ninus, Glaucia, and their confederates, had taken
brethren'in arms. The details of this battle are refuge. Marius cut off the pipes which supplied
given elsewhere [CATULUS, No. 3], where it is the capitol with water, and obliged the conspirators
shown that there are strong reasons for doubting to surrender at discretion; and though he made
the account of Plutarch, which assigns the glory of some efforts to save their' lives, they were put to
this victory to Catulus. At Rome, at all events, death immediately they had descended into the
the whole credit was given to Marius; he was forum. By the share which he had- taken in this
bailed as the saviour of the state; his name was transaction, Marius lost the favour of a great part
coupled with the gods in the libations and at ban- of the people, without gaining that of the senate
quets, and he received the title of third founder of and, accordingly, when the time for the election of
Rome. He celebrated his victories by the most the censors came, he did not venture to offer himbrilliant triumph, in which Catulus, however, was self as a candidate, but allowed persons of far inallowed to share. ferior pretensions to gain this dignity, to which his
Hitherto the career of Marius had been a glorious rank and position in the state would seem to have
one, and it would have been fortunate for him, as entitled him.
Niebuhr has remarked, if he had died on the day The sixth consulship of Marius ended in disgrace
of his triumph. The remainder of his life is full and shame. In the following year (B. c. 99) he
of horrors, and brings out into prominent relief the left Rome, in order that he might not witness the
worst features of his character. As the time for return of Metellus from exile, a measure which he
the consular elections approached, Marius was eager had been unable to prevent, and set sail for Capto obtain this dignity for the sixth time, and was padocia and Galatia, under the pretence of offering
therefore obliged, contrary to his inclination and sacrifices which he had vowed to the Great Mother.
character, to play the part of a popular man, and to He had however a deeper purpose in visiting these
court the favour of the electors. He wished to be countries. Finding that he was losing his influence
first in peace as well as in war, and to rule the and popularity while the republic was in a state of
state as well as the army. But he did not possess peace, he was anxious to recover his lost ground by
the qualities requisite for a popular leader at Rome; gaining fresh victories in war, and accordingly rehe had no power of oratory, and lost his presence paired to the court of' Mithridates, in hopes of
of mind in the noise and shouts of the popular rousing him to make war upon the Romans. It
assemblies. In order to secure his'election, he was during his absence that he wras elected augur.
entered into close connection with two of the worst Marius on his return to Rome built a house
demagogues that ever appeared at Rome, Satur- near the forum, that the people might not have to
ninus and Glaucia, the former of whom was a can- come so far to pay their respects to him; but all
didate for the tribunate, and the latter for the prae- his efforts were vain to regain his lost popularity
torship, and by their means, as well as by bribing and the hopes he had entertained of obtaining the
the tribes, he secured his election to the consulship command of the war in Asia were also frustrated by
for the sixth time. $'aturninus and Glaucia also the ability with which Sulla repressed all disturbcarried their elections; and the former, in order to ances in the East in B. c. 92. The disappointment