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

MARIUS. MARIUS. 9539
came to the gates he affected to have scruples, and appears to have passed the winter in Campania,
observed with contempt, that it was illegal for him Marius was stationed on the frontiers of Latium
as an exile to enter the city, and that if they to oppose him; and the decisive battle was fought
wished for his presence, they must summon the near Sacriportus (the position of which is quite uncomitia and repeal the law which banished him. certain). Marius was entirely defeated, and threw
The comitia were accordingly summoned; but be- himself into the strongly-fortified town of Praefore three or four tribes had voted, Marius became neste, where he had deposited the treasures of the
tired of the farce, threw off, the mask, and entered Capitoline temple (Plin. H. N. xxxiii. 1. s. 5): Sulla
the city, surrounded by his body-guard, which he left Lucretius Opella to prosecute the siege while
had formed out of the slaves who had flocked to he hastened on to Rome. But Marius, resolving
him. The most frightful scenes followed. His that his enemies should not escape, sent orders to
guards stabbed every one whom he did not salute, L. Junius Brutus Damasippus, who was then
and the streets ran with the blood of the noblest of praetor at Rome, to summoni the senate under some
the Roman aristocracy. Every one whom Marius pretext, and put to death Mucius Scaevola, the
hated or feared was hunted out and put to death; pontifex maximus, and many others. [BRUTUS, No.
and no consideration either of rank, talent, or 19.] Various efforts were made to relieve Praeneste,
former friendship induced him to spare the victims but they all failed; and after Sulla's great victory
of his vengeance. The great orator M. Antonius at the Colline gate of Rome, in which Pontius
fell by the hands of his assassins; and his former Telesinus was defeated and slain, Marius despaired
colleague Q. Catulus, who had triumphed with him of holding out any longer, and, in company with
over the Cimbri, was obliged to put an end to his the brother of Telesinus, attempted to escape by a
own life. Cinna'was soon tired of the butchery; subterraneous passage, which led from the town into
but the appetite of Marius seemed only whetted the open country; but finding that their flight was
by the slaughter, and daily required fresh victims discovered, they put an end to one another's lives.
for its gratification. Without going through the According to other accounts, Marius killed himself,
form of an election, Marius and Cinna named or was killed by his slave at his own request.
themselves consuls for the following year (B. c. 86), Marius perished in the year of his consulship.
and thus was fulfilled the prediction that Marius His head was- cut off and carried to Sulla, who
should be seven times consul. But he did not long contemptuously remarked, in allusion to his youth,
enjoy the honour: he was now in his seventy-first that he ought. to have worked at the oar before
year; his body was quite worn out by the fatigues steering the vessel. It was after the death of the
and sufferings he had recently undergone; and on younger Marius that Sulla first assumed the surthe eighteenth day of his consulship he died of an name of Felix., (Plut. Sell. 28-32, Mar. 46;
attack of pleurisy, after seven days' illness. Ac- Appian, B. C. i. 87 —94; Liv. Epit. 86-88;
cording to Plutarch, his last illness was brought on Vell. Pat. ii. 26, 27'; Flor. iii. 21; Oros.- v. 20;
by dread of Sulla's return, and he is said to have Val. Max. vi. 8. ~ 2.)
been troubled with terrific dreams; but these state- 3. C. or M. MARIUS, whom Appian calls the
ments are probably derived from the Memoirs' of other (7q'EPOS) C. Marius, was a relation of the
Sulla, and should be received with great caution. great Marius, and fled to Cinna, when the latter
The ashes of Marius were subsequently thrown was driven out of Rome by his colleague Octavius,
into the Anio by command of Sulla. (Plut. Life B.. 87. (Appian, B. C. i. 65.) As Appian calls
of Marius; the passages of Cicero in Orelli's this C. Marius a senator, he is probably the same
Onomasticon Tullian. vol. ii. pp. 384-386; Sall. as the M. Marius who settled some of the Celtiberi
Jug. 46, 63-65, 73-114; Appian, B. C. i. 29- in a town not far from Colenda, because they had
31, 40-46, 55-74; Liv. Epit. 66-80; Vell. assisted him in- a war against the Lusitanians.
Pat. ii. 9, 12-23; Flor. iii. 1, 3, 16, 21; Oros. v. This happened about the year B. c. 99, when
19.) All the ancient authorities are collected by Marius was probably quaestor. (Appian, Hisp.
F. Weiland, C. Marii VII. Cos. Vit., in the Pro- 100.)
gramme of the C0ll1ge Royal FranFads, Berlin, 4. The False Marius, whose real name was
1845; and much useful information is given by Amatius, pretended to be a son or grandson of the
G. Long in the notes to his translation of Plutarch's great Marius.'[AMATIUS.]
Life of Marius, London, 1844. 5. M. MARIUS, of Sidicinum, of whom A.
2. C. MARIUS, the son of the great Marius, was Gellius (x. 3) relates a striking tale, which shows
only an adopted son. (Liv. Epit. 86; Vell. Pat. the gross indignity with which the Roman magis-'
ii. 26.) Appian in one passage (B. C. i. 87) calls trates sometimes treated the most distinguished
him a nephew of the preceding, though he had men among the allies. This Marius, "who is called
previously spoken of him as his son (B. C. i. 62). by Gellius suae civilatis nobilissimnus homo, was a
He was born in B. ac. 109; and the particulars of contemporary of C. Gracchus. It has been conhis life down to the time of his father's death are jectured that he may'have been the father. or a
related in the preceding article. During the three near connection of Marius Egnatius, one of the
years after the death of the elder Marius Sulla was principal leaders of the allies in the Social war.
engaged in the prosecution of the war against [EGNATIUS, No. 2.]
Mithridates, and Italy was entirely in the hands'6.' M. MARIUS, a friend of Cicero, whose
of the Marian party. The young Marius followed estate was in the neighbourhood of one of Cicero's,
in the footsteps of his father, and was equally dis- and with whom he was closely united by similarity
tinguished by merciless severity against his enemies. of political opinions and intellectual, tastes and
lie was elected consul for the year B. C. 82, when habits. Although Marius constantly suffered from
he wastwenty-seven years of age, and his colleague ill health, he was of a lively and cheerful diswas Cn. Papirius Carbo. Sulla had landed at Brun- position, full of wit and merriment; and accorddisium at the beginning of the preceding year; and ingly, Cicero's four letters to him, which have come
after conquering the southern part of the peninsula, down to us (ad cam. vii. 1-4), are written in a