caius marius-第3章

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received　him　as　a　suppliant；　rather　because　ashamed　to　do　otherwise
than　out　of　real　kindness；　and　when　he　had　him　in　his　power；　he　openly
entreated　Marius　on　his　behalf；　and　interceded　for　him　with　bold
words；　giving　out　that　he　would　by　no　means　deliver　him。　Yet　privately
designing　to　betray　him；　he　sent　for　Lucius　Sylla；　quaestor　to　Marius；
and　who　had　on　a　previous　occasion　befriended　Bocchus　in　the　war。　When
Sylla；　relying　on　his　word；　came　to　him；　the　African　began　to　doubt
and　repent　of　his　purpose；　and　for　several　days　was　unresolved　with
himself；　whether　he　should　deliver　Jugurtha　or　retain　Sylla；　at　length
he　fixed　upon　his　former　treachery；　and　put　Jugurtha　alive　into
Sylla's　possession。　Thus　was　the　first　occasion　given　of　that　fierce
and　implacable　hostility　which　so　nearly　ruined　the　whole　Roman
empire。　For　many　that　envied　Marius　attributed　the　success　wholly　to
Sylla；　and　Sylla　himself　got　a　seal　made；　on　which　was　engraved
Bocchus　betraying　Jugurtha　to　him；　and　constantly　used　it；
irritating　the　hot　and　jealous　temper　of　Marius；　who　was　naturally
greedy　of　distinction；　and　quick　to　resent　any　claim　to　share　in　his
glory；　and　whose　enemies　took　care　to　promote　the　quarrel；　ascribing
the　beginning　and　chief　business　of　the　war　to　Metellus　and　its
conclusion　to　Sylla；　that　so　the　people　might　give　over　admiring　and
esteeming　Marius　as　the　worthiest　person。
　　But　these　envyings　and　calumnies　were　soon　dispersed　and　cleared
away　from　Marius　by　the　danger　that　threatened　Italy　from　the　west；
when　the　city；　in　great　need　of　a　good　commander；　sought　about　whom
she　might　set　at　the　helm　to　meet　the　tempest　of　so　great　a　war；　no
one　would　have　anything　to　say　to　any　members　of　noble　or　potent
families　who　offered　themselves　for　the　consulship；　and　Marius；　though
then　absent；　was　elected。
　　Jugurtha's　apprehension　was　only　just　known；　when　the　news　of　the
invasion　of　the　Teutones　and　Cimbri　began。　The　accounts　at　first
exceeded　all　credit；　as　to　the　number　and　strength　of　the
approaching　army；　but　in　the　end　report　proved　much　inferior　to　truth；
as　they　were　three　hundred　thousand　effective　fighting　men；　besides
a　far　greater　number　of　women　and　children。　They　professed　to　be
seeking　new　countries　to　sustain　these　great　multitudes；　and　cities
where　they　might　settle　and　inhabit；　in　the　same　way　as　they　had　heard
the　Celti　before　them　had　driven　out　the　Tyrrhenians；　and　possessed
themselves　of　the　best　part　of　Italy。　Having　had　no　commerce　with
the　southern　nations；　and　travelling　over　a　wide　extent　of　country；　no
man　knew　what　people　they　were；　or　whence　they　came；　that　thus　like
a　cloud　burst　over　Gaul　and　Italy；　yet　by　their　grey　eyes　and　the
largeness　of　their　stature　they　were　conjectured　to　be　some　of　the
German　races　dwelling　by　the　northern　sea；　besides　that；　the　Germans
call　plunderers　Cimbri。
　　There　are　some　that　say　that　the　country　of　the　Celti；　in　its　vast
size　and　extent；　reaches　from　the　furthest　sea　and　the　arctic
regions　to　the　lake　Maeotis　eastward；　and　to　that　part　of　Scythia
which　is　near　Pontus；　and　that　there　the　nations　mingle　together；　that
they　did　not　swarm　out　of　their　country　all　at　once；　or　on　a　sudden；
but　advancing　by　force　of　arms；　in　the　summer　season；　every　year；　in
the　course　of　time　they　crossed　the　whole　continent。　And　thus；
though　each　party　had　several　appellations；　yet　the　whole　army　was
called　by　the　common　name　of　Celto…Scythians。　Others　say　that　the
Cimmerii；　anciently　known　to　the　Greeks；　were　only　a　small　part　of　the
nation；　who　were　driven　out　upon　some　quarrel　among　the　Scythians；　and
passed　all　along　from　the　lake　Maeotis　to　Asia；　under　the　conduct　of
one　Lygdamis；　and　that　the　greater　and　more　warlike　part　of　them　still
inhabit　the　remotest　regions　lying　upon　the　outer　ocean。　These；　they
say；　live　in　a　dark　and　woody　country　hardly　penetrable　by　the
sunbeams；　the　trees　are　so　close　and　thick；　extending　into　the
interior　as　far　as　the　Hercynian　forest；　and　their　position　on　the
earth　is　under　that　part　of　heaven　where　the　pole　is　so　elevated　that；
by　the　declination　of　the　parallels；　the　zenith　of　the　inhabitants
seems　to　be　but　little　distant　from　it；　and　that　their　days　and　nights
being　almost　of　an　equal　length；　they　divide　their　year　into　one　of
each。　This　was　Homer's　occasion　for　the　story　of　Ulysses　calling　up
the　dead；　and　from　this　region　the　people；　anciently　called
Cimmerii；　and　afterwards；　by　an　easy　change；　Cimbri；　came　into
Italy。　All　this；　however；　is　rather　conjecture　than　an　authentic
history。
　　Their　numbers；　most　writers　agree；　were　not　less；　but　rather　greater
than　was　reported。　They　were　of　invincible　strength　and　fierceness
in　their　wars；　and　hurried　into　battle　with　the　violence　of　a
devouring　flame；　none　could　withstand　them：　all　they　assaulted
became　their　prey。　Several　of　the　greatest　Roman　commanders　with　their
whole　armies；　that　advanced　for　the　defence　of　Transalpine　Gaul；
were　ingloriously　overthrown；　and；　indeed；　by　their　faint
resistance；　chiefly　gave　them　the　impulse　of　marching　towards　Rome。
Having　vanquished　all　they　had　met；　and　found　abundance　of　plunder；
they　resolved　to　settle　themselves　nowhere　till　they　should　have　razed
the　city　and　wasted　all　Italy。　The　Romans；　being　from　all　parts
alarmed　with　this　news；　sent　for　Marius　to　undertake　the　war；　and
nominated　him　the　second　time　consul；　though　the　law　did　not　permit
any　one　that　was　absent；　or　that　had　not　waited　a　certain　time　after
his　first　consulship；　to　be　again　created。　But　the　people　rejected　all
opposers；　for　they　considered　this　was　not　the　first　time　that　the　law
gave　place　to　the　common　interest；　nor　the　present　occasion　less
urgent　than　that　when；　contrary　to　law；　they　made　Scipio　consul；　not
in　fear　for　the　destruction　of　their　own　city；　but　desiring　the　ruin
of　that　of　the　Carthaginians。
　　Thus　it　was　decided；　and　Marius；　bringing　over　his　legions　out　of
Africa　on　the　very　first　day　of　January；　which　the　Romans　count　the
beginning　of　the　year；　received　the　consulship；　and　then；　also；
entered　in　triumph；　showing　Jugurtha　a　prisoner　to　the　people；　a　sight
they　had　despaired　of　ever　beholding；　nor　could　any；　so　long　as　he
lived；　hope　to　reduce　the　enemy　in　Africa；　so　fertile　in　expedients
was　he　to　adapt　himself　to　every　turn　of　fortune；　and　so　bold　as
well　as　subtle。　When；　however；　he　was　led　in　triumph；　it　is　said
that　he　fell　distracted；　and　when　he　was　afterwards　thrown　into
prison；　where　some　tore　off　his　clothes　by　force；　and　others；　whilst
they　struggled　for　his　golden　earring；　with　it　pulled　off　the　tip　of
his　ear；　and　when　he　was；　after　this；　cast　naked　into　the　dungeon；
in　his　amazement　and　confusion；　with　a　ghastly　laugh；　he　cried　out；　〃O
Hercules！　how　cold　your　bath　is！〃　Here　for　six　days　struggling　with
hunger；　and　to　the　very　last　minute　desirous　of　life；　he　was　overtaken
by　the　just　reward　of　his　villainies。　In　this　triumph　was　brought；
as　is　stated；　of　gold　three　thousand　and　seven　pounds　weight；　of
silver　bullion　five　thousand　seven　hundred　and　seventy…five；　of
money　in　gold　and　silver　coin　two　hundred　and　eighty…seven　thousand
drachmas。　After　the　solemnity；　Marius　called　together　the　senate　in
the　capitol；　and　entered；　whether　through　inadvertency　or　unbecoming
exultation　with　his　good　fortune；　in　his　triumphal　habit；　but
presently　observing　the　senate　offended　at　it；　went　out；　and
returned　in　his　ordinary　purple…bordered　robe。
　　On　the　expedition　he　carefully　disciplined　and　trained　his　army
whilst　they　were　on　their　way；　giving　them　practice　in　long　marches；
and　running　of　every　sort；　and　compelling　every　man　to　carry　his　own
baggage　and　prepare　his　own　victuals；　insomuch　that　thenceforward
laborious　soldiers；　who　did　their　work　silently　without　grumbling；　had
the　name　of　〃Marius's　mules。〃　Some；　however；　think　the　proverb　had　a
different　occasion；　that　when　Scipio　besieged　Numantia；　and　was
careful　to　inspect　not　only　their　horses　and　arms；　but　their　mules　and
carriages　too；　and　see　how　well　equipped　and　in　what　readiness　each
one's　was；　Marius　brought　forth　his　horse　which　he　had　fed　extremely
well；　and　a　mule　in　better　case；　stronger　and　g