caius marius-第2章

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never　be　brought　to　a　conclusion　unless　they　chose　Caius　Marius
consul。　All　which　was　evidently　unpleasing　to　Metellus；　but　what
more　especially　grieved　him　was　the　calamity　of　Turpillius。　This
Turpillius　had；　from　his　ancestors；　been　a　friend　of　Metellus；　and
kept　up　a　constant　hospitality　with　him；　and　was　now　serving　in　the
war　in　command　of　the　smiths　and　carpenters　of　the　army。　Having　the
charge　of　a　garrison　in　Vaga；　a　considerable　city；　and　trusting　too
much　to　the　inhabitants；　because　he　treated　them　civilly　and　kindly；
he　unawares　fell　into　the　enemy's　hands。　They　received　Jugurtha　into
the　city；　yet　nevertheless；　at　their　request；　Turpillius　was　dismissed
safe　and　without　receiving　any　injury；　whereupon　he　was　accused　of
betraying　it　to　the　enemy。　Marius；　being　one　of　the　council　of　war；
was　not　only　violent　against　him　himself；　but　also　incensed　most　of
the　others；　so　that　Metellus　was　forced；　much　against　his　will；　to　put
him　to　death。　Not　long　after　the　accusation　proved　false；　and　when
others　were　comforting　Metellus；　who　took　heavily　the　loss　of　his
friend；　Marius；　rather　insulting　and　arrogating　it　to　himself；　boasted
in　all　companies　that　he　had　involved　Metellus　in　the　guilt　of　putting
his　friend　to　death。
　　Henceforward　they　were　at　open　variance；　and　it　is　reported　that
Metellus　once；　when　Marius　was　present；　said　insultingly；　〃You；　sir；
design　to　leave　us　to　go　home　and　stand　for　the　consulship；　and　will
not　be　content　to　wait　and　be　consul　with　this　boy　of　mine？〃
Metellus's　son　being　a　mere　boy　at　the　time。　Yet　for　all　this　Marius
being　very　importunate　to　be　gone；　after　several　delays；　he　was
dismissed　about　twelve　days　before　the　election　of　consuls；　and
performed　that　long　journey　from　the　camp　to　the　seaport　of　Utica　in
two　days　and　a　night；　and　there　doing　sacrifice　before　he　went　on
shipboard；　it　is　said　the　augur　told　him　that　heaven　promised　him　some
incredible　good　fortune；　and　such　as　was　beyond　all　expectation。
Marius；　not　a　little　elated　with　his　good　omen；　began　his　voyage；
and　in　four　days；　with　a　favourable　wind；　passed　the　sea；　he　was
welcomed　with　great　joy　by　the　people；　and　being　brought　into　the
assembly　by　one　of　the　tribunes；　sued　for　the　consulship；　inveighing
in　all　ways　against　Metellus；　and　promising　either　to　slay　Jugurtha　or
take　him　alive。
　　He　was　elected　triumphantly；　and　at　once　proceeded　to　levy
soldiers　contrary　both　to　law　and　custom；　enlisting　slaves　and　poor
people；　whereas　former　commanders　never　accepted　of　such；　but　bestowed
arms；　like　other　favours；　as　a　matter　of　distinction；　on　persons　who
had　the　proper　qualification；　a　man's　property　being　thus　a　sort　of
security　for　his　good　behaviour。　These　were　not　the　only　occasions
of　ill…will　against　Marius；　some　haughty　speeches；　uttered　with
great　arrogance　and　contempt；　gave　great　offence　to　the　nobility；
as；　for　example；　his　saying　that　he　had　carried　off　the　consulship
as　a　spoil　from　the　effeminacy　of　the　wealthy　and　high…born
citizens；　and　telling　the　people　that　he　gloried　in　wounds　he　had
himself　received　for　them；　as　much　as　others　did　in　the　monuments　of
dead　men；　and　images　of　their　ancestors。　Often　speaking　of　the
commanders　that　had　been　unfortunate　in　Africa；　naming　Bestia；　for
example；　and　Albinus；　men　of　very　good　families；　but　unfit　for　war；
and　who　had　miscarried　through　want　of　experience；　he　asked　the　people
about　him　if　they　did　not　think　that　the　ancestors　of　these　nobles　had
much　rather　have　left　a　descendant　like　him；　since　they　themselves
grew　famous　not　by　nobility；　but　by　their　valour　and　great　actions？
This　he　did　not　say　merely　out　of　vanity　and　arrogance；　or　that　he
were　willing；　without　any　advantage；　to　offend　the　nobility；　but　the
people　always　delighting　in　affronts　and　scurrilous　contumelies
against　the　senate；　making　boldness　of　speech　their　measure　of
greatness　of　spirit；　continually　encouraged　him　in　it；　and
strengthened　his　inclination　not　to　spare　persons　of　repute；　so　he
might　gratify　the　multitude。
　　As　soon　as　he　arrived　again　in　Africa；　Metellus；　no　longer　able　to
control　his　feelings　of　jealousy；　and　his　indignation　that　now　when　he
had　really　finished　the　war；　and　nothing　was　left　but　to　secure　the
person　of　Jugurtha；　Marius；　grown　great　merely　through　his　ingratitude
to　him；　should　come　to　bereave　him　both　of　his　victory　and　triumph；
could　not　bear　to　have　any　interview　with　him；　but　retired　himself；
whilst　Rutilius；　his　lieutenant；　surrendered　up　the　army　to　Marius；
whose　conduct；　however；　in　the　end　of　the　war；　met　with　some　sort　of
retribution；　as　Sylla　deprived　him　of　the　glory　of　the　action　as　he
had　done　Metellus。　I　shall　state　the　circumstances　briefly　here　as
they　are　given　at　large　in　the　life　of　Sylla。　Bocchus　was　king　of
the　more　distant　barbarians；　and　was　father…in…law　to　Jugurtha；　yet
sent　him　little　or　no　assistance　in　his　war；　professing　fears　of　his
unfaithfulness；　and　really　jealous　of　his　growing　power；　but　after
Jugurtha　fled；　and　in　his　distress　came　to　him　as　his　last　hope；　he
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　ev