HISTORY 345 



B.C. Thereafter Marius (the before-mentioned conqueror 

 of the Cinibri) espoused the cause of the poorer classes 

 and of the Italians who desired to be admitted to Roman 

 citizenship. Many had taken up arms (90 B.C.) and, 

 on their submission, obtained their desire. The Samnites, 

 however, would not submit, and then Sylla who was 

 sent with Marius against them attained great credit at 

 Home, so that violent jealousy arose between them, 

 which led to the first civil war in Roman history. 

 Sylla was called away to chastise Mithridates, king of 

 Pontus (the region south of the Euxine), who had 

 massacred Romans and invaded Greece. Sylla stormed 

 Athens, defeated Mithridates, and returned hastily to 

 Rome, where he assumed supreme power as perpetual 

 dictate, and exterminated the party of Marius. At the 

 end of the war all the Italians obtained Roman citizen- 

 ship, save the almost annihilated Samnites. In 74 B.C. 

 Mithridates made war again, and having been defeated 

 by the great General Pompey, his kingdom was sub- 

 divided. Pompey then chastised the Pontic king's 

 allies, erected in Syria a Roman province, and took 

 Jerusalem, 63 B.C., Palestine then remaining under 

 tributary kings as before mentioned. 



The disorder at Rome, and the conflicts between its 

 leading men, had become extreme, and while many 

 desired to maintain the aristocratic republic which had 

 so long existed, certain clear-sighted men saw that it was 

 no longer in a condition fit to rule over such enormous 

 and varied dominions. 



Amongst those who strove to maintain their existing 

 political state were Pompey, a greatly esteemed citizen 

 Cato, and the world-renowed orator Cicero. 



Another and most gifted Roman had married the 

 daughter of Marius, and though of an old patrician 



