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

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"On the
428 The Revolution
that as the Gaul was approaching the pallet of Marius in
the dusk, he thought he saw the gleam and flash of fire
darting from the eyes of a hidden man, and that Marius
rose from his bed and in a thundering voice shouted to him,
"Dare you kill Gaius Marius?"
The Gaul turned and fled out of doors like a madman,
Carthage." exclaiming, "I Cannot kill Gaius Marius! " As the magis-
Plutarch,
trates had come to their previous decision with reluctance,
Marius, 40. g^ ^^^ ^ \i\xvd of religious awe came over them, for they
remembered the prophecy given him while he was a boy,
that he should be consul seven times.
At this time the governor of Libya was Sextilius, a
Roman who had received neither favor nor injury from
Marius.
It was expected therefore that the governor would
help him, at least as far as feelings of pity move a man.
But no sooner had Marius landed with a few of his party
than an officer met him, and standing right in front of him
said:
"The governor SextiUus forbids you, Marius, to set foot
on Libya, and he says that if you do, he will support the
decree of the senate by treating you as an enemy."
When Marius heard this command, grief and indignation
deprived him of the power of speech. He remained
silent a long time, looking fixedly at the officer. As the
latter asked him what he had to say—what reply he had
for the governor—he answered with a deep groan
" Tell him you have seen Gaius Marius, a fugitive, sitting
on the ruins of Carthage."
IV.
Sulla
After speedily finishing all his business with Mithridates,
8^-82 B C .
Civil War,
Sulla hastened his return to meet his enemies. . . . He
came home with a large, well disciplined army, devoted to