A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Marius and Sulla 427
This war, diversified by many defeats and by great
changes of fortune, took from Marius as much reputation
and influence as it gave to Sulla.
At length the Italians yielded, and many persons at
Rome were intriguing for the command in the war with
Mithridates. . . . Marius, moved by boyish emulation,
threw off his old age and infirmities, and went daily to the
Campus INIartius, where he took his exercises with the
young men, and showed that he was still active in arms
and sat firm in all the movements of horsemanship, though
he was not well-built in his old age, but very fat and
heavy.
The assembly voted the command to Marius, who when
ready to set out, sent two tribunes to receive the army from
Sulla. But Sulla, after encouraging his soldiers, who numbered
thirty-five thousand well armed men, led them toward
Rome. These troops fell upon the tribunes whom
Marius had sent, and murdered them. Marius, on his
part, put to death many of the friends of Sulla in Rome,
and proclaimed freedom to the slaves if they would join
him; but it is said that three only accepted the oflfer. As
Sulla entered the city,
and was soon compelled to flee.
Marius made a feeble resistance,
Instructions had already been sent to every city, requiring
the authorities to search for the fugitive and put
him to death when he should be found.
Marius escaped, however, and without a companion or
servant fled to Minturnae.
While he was resting there in a
secluded house, the magistrates of the city, whose fears
were excited by the proclamation of the Roman people, but
who hesitated to be the murderers of a man who had been
six times consul and had performed so many brilliant exploits,
sent a Gaul to kill him with a sword. The story is
Plutarch,
Marius, 33.
90-88 B.C.
lb. 34.
(For causes
of Social
War, see
Rome, 166;
Ancient History,
357.)
Flight of
Marius,
88 B.C.
(The senate
had already
given the
command to
Sulla.)
Plutarch,
Marius, 35.
lb. 38.
"I cannot
kill Gaius
Marius!"
Appian, Civil
Wars, i. 61.