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

790 SR.. TORI US. SERTORIUS.
tions to oppose him. But their mealls and mea- all occasions. Plutarch's life of Sertorius is written
sures were ineffectual against so wily an enemy. something in the style of a romance; but his story
The consul Norbanus was defeated; and the army of the fawn, and of the use which Sertorius made
of the other consul, L. Scipio, being gained over by of it, contains nothing improbable, if we consider
Sulla, though Q. Sertorius had warned Scipio of the character of the man and his circumstances.
the danger of a negotiation with Sulla, he withdrew The story of the fawn is also supported by the
into Etruria. His remonstrances also had no testimony of Frontinus (Stratag. i. 11. ~ 13).
effect in B. C. 82 with the consuls Carbo and the His first exploit was the defeat of Cotta, the
younger Marius, and in order to get rid of him, legate of Luscus, in a sea-fight in or near the Straits
they suggested that he should undertake the of Gibraltar (Plut. Sertor. 12). In B. C. 80,
administration of the province of Further Spain. Sulla sent L. Domitius Ahenobarbus to take the
Julius Exsuperantius (c. 8) is the sole authority command against Sertorius in Nearer Spain, and
for this fact, though he does not state the whole Fufidins in Further Spain. Fufidius was defeated
affair correctly. Appian (Bell. Civ. i. 86, 108) by Sertorius with great loss on the banks of the
makes Sertorius go to Spain ill B. C. 83, before the Guadalquivr. Sertorius was now strengthened
consulship of Carbo and the younger Marius. by the accession of many Romans who had been
With few men -and little money, Sertorius made proscribed by Sulla; and this not only added
his way through Gaul, and bought a free passage to his consideration, but brought him many good
over the Pyrenees from the barbarians (Plut. officers. The dictator Sulla appointed, as goSertor. 6). In Spain he set about forming an vernor of Spain for the following year, B.C. 79,
army of Roman settlers and Spaniards, providing his colleague in the consulship, Q. Metellus Pius,
munitions of war and building ships. Sulla sent the son of Numidicus. Metellus was about fifty
C. Annius Luscus into Spain to oppose Sertorius, years of age, inactive and fond of ease, and no
with the title of proconsul, who was followed by match for a younger soldier, who was never weary
his quaestors, L. Fabius and Q. Tarquitius. They and never off his guard.
found the passages of the Pyrenees occupied by The kind of -warfare which Metellus had to
Julius Salinator, the legate of Sertorius, and they carry on was new to his men and to himself. He
could not make any way until Salinator was could not bring the enemy to any decisive battle,
treacherously murdered. The road into Spain and yet the enemy let him have no rest. In
being opened, the troops of Luscus advanced with- a country without roads, which was so well known
out meeting with resistance, and Sertorius em- to Sertorius, he could not move with safety, and
barking at Carthago Nova (Cartagena) set sail he never knew when he might not expect an
for Mauritania. Here he was attacked by the attack. In the meantime, Domitius and his legate
barbarians, and after some loss he put to sea Thorius had pushed forward to the banks of the
again, and being joined by some Cilician pirates, Guadiana; but in their attempt to cross the river
he drove the Roman garrison from the Pityussae they were routed by L. Hirtuleius, the quaestor of
Islands (Yvica and Formontera). His light ships Sertorius, and both the generals were killed. (Florus,
were now attacked by the fleet of Luscus; and iii. 22.)
harassed by stormy weather, he sailed for the Two Roman armies were defeated by the geStraits of Gibraltar, and finally landed at the mouth nerals of Sertorius in the north-east of Spain;
of the Guadalquivr. Here he met with some L. Valerius Praeconinus was routed on the Segre
seamen who had visited the Atlantic Islands (Sicoris) in Catalonia, and L. Manilius, the pro(Madeira and Porto Santo, or, as some suppose, the consul of Gallia Narbonensis, was routed, and with
Canaries), and from their description of this happy difficulty escaped to Lerida (Ilerda) on the Segre
region he " was seized with a strong desire to dwell with the loss of his baggage (Caesar, Bell. Gall. iii.
in the islands, and to live in quiet, free from 20; Orosius, v. 23.) Metellus was still harassed
tyranny and never-ending wars." But the Cilician by the guerilla warfare of Sertorius (Plut.
pirates left him; and, to satisfy his men and keep Sertor. 13): he also received a challenge to a
them employed, he went over again to Mauritania, single combat from Sertorius, which, as Plutarch
to help the people against their king, whom he observes, he wisely declined. Metellus made an
defeated. He also defeated Paccianus, whom attempt to take the town of the Langobritae
Sulla had sent against him; and he took Tingis (Langobriga or Lacobriga, a place of uncertain
(Tangier), in which the Moorish king was. This position), which had only one well of water within
African campaign of Sertorius was in the north- the walls. He expected to take the town in two
west part of Marocco. days; but Sertorius supplied the place with water
Being strengthened by the addition of the forces by means of skins, which were carried into the
of Paccianus, and having acquired some fame by town by Spanish and Moorish volunteers. C.
his success in Africa, Sertorius was invited by the Aquinius, who was sent by Metellus to forage, fell
Lusitani, who were exposed to the invasion of the into an ambuscade, and Metellus at last was comRomans, to become their leader. He crossed over pelled to retire.
to the peninsula at the call with about two thou- In the year B.C. 77 Sertorius was joined by
sand six hundred men, of whom about one third M. Perperna, one of the legates of M. Lepidus.
were Libyans; and he soon got together an army, Perperna fled before the generals of Sulla, and
which for some years successfully opposed all the came to Spain with some troops and several senators
power of Rome. and nobles. His men compelled Perperna to take
Plutarch says that he also availed himself of the the command under Sertorius; Plutarch says that
superstitious character of the people among whom Perperna had fifty-three cohorts with him. (Settor.
he was, to strengthen his authority over them. 15.) To give some show of form to his formidable
A fawn was brought to him by one of the natives power, Sertorius established a senate of three
as a present, which soon became so tame as to hundred, into which no provincial was admitted;
accoempany him in his walks, and attend him on but to soothe the more distinguished Spaniards, and