MARIONETTES MARIUS. 



689 



Staluta Illustrissimee Rcip. S. Marini. See Valli, 

 Origitie e Governo di San Marino (1655); Delfico, 

 Memorie di S. Marino (.1804); Siinond's Travels in 

 Italy. 



MARIONETTES. See Puppets/tows. 



MARITIME LAW. See Commercial Law. 



MARIUS, CAIUS; a Roman of Arpinum, in the 

 territory of the Volsci, born of obscure parents, whom 

 he assisted in the labours of the field. With strength 

 of body he united much understanding, firmness of 

 purpose, and a spirit of enterprise. His character 

 was rough, ambitious, and unyielding. Marius 

 devoted himself to a military career, and gave the 

 first proofs of his courage at Numantia, under Scipio 

 Africanus. His merits successively raised him 

 through the different ranks, and Scipio foresaw in 

 him a great general. During the consulship of 

 Caecilius Metellus and L. Aurelius Cotta, he was 

 made tribune by the influence of the former. In 

 order to check the abuses at the Comitia,he proposed 

 the law making the entrance to the place of voting 

 narrower, so as to protect the citizens from the solici- 

 tations of the candidates and their friends (lex Maria}. 

 The patricians, indignant at a law so injurious to 

 their influence, demanded of Marius an explanation 

 of his motives. The two consuls declared against 

 him; but Marius threatened them with the weight of 

 his tribunitial authority, and, without regard to his 

 obligations to Metellus, ordered the lictor to conduct 

 the consul to prison. His firmness triumphed, and 

 gained him the favour of the people. He afterwards 

 modified the law proposed by Gracchus for the divi- 

 sion of corn among the poor citizens, so as to spare 

 the public treasury. He then stood candidate for 

 the edileship, but without success. He was, how- 

 ever, appointed praitor. Having been charged with 

 procuring his election by bribery, he was acquitted, 

 and discharged the duties of his office to general 

 satisfaction, supplying the deficiencies of his educa- 

 tion by the natural strength of his understanding. 

 The office of propraetor of Spain, which was confer- 

 red on him the following year, he discharged with 

 great reputation. He delivered the country from 

 robbers, and endeavoured to civilize the yet savage 

 natives. On his return, he again devoted himself to 

 political aflairs ; and by his marriage with Julia, the 

 aunt of Julius Caesar, connected himself with the 

 illustrious Julian family. 



A wider career was now open to him. He ac- 

 companied the consul Q. Caecilius Metellus, as his 

 lieutenant, to the Jugurthine war. His courage and 

 his patience in hardships, in which he placed himself 

 on a level with the meanest soldier, gained for him 

 the esteem of Metellus and the love of the army. 

 But Marius was so ungrateful as to vilify the man 

 who had raised him from obscurity, in order to rise 

 by his fall. Their hatred increased daily. At length 

 Marius asked permission of Metellus to return to 

 Rome, in order to seek for the consulship. Metel- 

 lus, not without ridicule, refused his request; but 

 Marius continued his importunity, till he obtained 

 his object, a few days before the election of the con- 

 suls. In six days he hastened to Rome, and, by 

 calumnies against Metellus, and the most extrava- 

 gant promises, he gained over the minds of the people 

 so completely, that he was chosen unanimously; and, 

 although Metellus had been appointed proconsul of 

 Numidia for the third time, he obtained the command 

 in that province (B. C. 108). L. Cassius Longinus 

 was his colleague in the consulship. As Marius 

 perceived that his plebeian origin would never permit 

 him to gain the support of the patricians, and that 

 lie could expect nothing but from a powerful party 

 among the common people, he declared himself the 

 enemy of the nobles. In proportion to the violence 



with which he attacked the nobility in his public 

 speeches, was the favour of the populace. As the 

 rich refused to enrol themselves in his legions, in 

 order to complete the number, he had recourse to 

 the lowest class of citizens, who had previously been 

 employed only in cases of the most pressing necessity, 

 and taught the Roman people to enrich themselves 

 by the service. With the speed of lightning, he 

 appeared in Utica, and began the campaign. 



In ttie mean time, Jugurtha had found an ally in 

 Bocchus, king of Mauritania. Two armies opposed 

 the Romans. Marius avoided a general engagement 

 till he was forced to yield to the impatience of 

 his men. He then directed his march through the 

 deserts of Numidia to Capsa, the capital of the coun- 

 try, which he stormed and destroyed. Terrified by 

 tins cruel example, every place which he approached 

 surrendered. While Marius was prosecuting the 

 war, L. Cornelius Sylla, the quaestor, arrived with a 

 reinforcement of cavalry, and, by his courage, his 

 perseverance against obstacles, and his austere man- 

 ner of living, gained the friendship of his com- 

 mander. After the capture of Mulucha, Marius led 

 his troops back to the sea-coast, in order to place 

 them in winter quarters. On this march, Bocchus 

 and Jugurtha attacked him, and surrounded him in 

 his intrenchments. The Romans seemed to be lost; 

 but, during the night, Marius fell upon the enemy, 

 exhausted with dancing and revelry, and almost en- 

 tirely destroyed them. After this defeat, Bocchus 

 made his peace with the Romans, and was persuaded 

 by Sylla to betray Jugurtha to them. Marius divided 

 a part of Jugurtha's territory between Bocchus and 

 Hiempsal II., or Mandrestal, and made the remain- 

 der a Roman province. Before his return to the 

 capital, he received the unexpected information that 

 he was chosen consul the second time. The people, 

 terrified by the approach of the Cimbri and Teutones, 

 had chosen him contrary to the laws. Marius 

 received in Rome the honour of a triumph. He then 

 marched over the Alps to Gaul, while C. Fulvius 

 Fimbria, his colleague, went to Upper Italy. The 

 Cimbri and Teutones, instead of passing into Italy, 

 had invaded Spain, and thus given Marius an oppor- 

 tunity to discipline his army. As the terror of the 

 Cimbri was unabated, he was made consul a third 

 and fourth time in succession. The barbarians at 

 length returned from Spain, and threatened to invade 

 Italy from two sides. Marius stationed his army at 

 the confluence of the Rhone and the Iser, while his 

 colleague Lutatius Catulus was to take his position 

 at the foot of the Norican Alps. As it was impossible 

 for ships to enter the mouths of the Rhone, he con- 

 structed a canal, the Fossa Mariana, uniting the waters 

 of the Rhone with the Mediterranean, to supply the 

 army with provisions from the sea. This work was 

 scarcely finished, when the Teutones, with the Am- 

 brones, pitched their camps opposite to the Romans. 

 Marius hesitated to meet in the open field so superior 

 a force; and, by cutting off their means of subsistence, 

 he hoped, if not to destroy, at least to weaken, them. 

 But the barbarians determined to continue their 

 course, without regard to the Roman army. Marius 

 pursued and overtook them at Aquas Sexto. He first 

 attacked the Ambrones, and, on the next day the Teu- 

 tones, and destroyed both armies (B. C. 1O2). 



On the report of this victory, messengers were 

 sent from Rome, to inform him that he was appoint- 

 ed, for the fifth time, to the consulship, and that the 

 honour of a second triumph was decreed him. The 

 latter, however, he would not accept until he had 

 made himself worthy of it by the defeat of the 

 Cimbri. These barbarians had entered Italy on the 

 east : Marius united his forces with those of Lutatius, 

 and marched against them. They then sent an ein- 



