244 
Cimbri, and that of Mallius by the Gauls. In both these 
attacks the assailants were successful, and no fewer than 
80,000 of the citizens and allies of Rome, with 40,000 
attendants, perished in these unfortunate engagements; and 
it is said, that only ten men and the two generals themselves 
were left to carry the sad intelligence to Rome. The Cimbri 
destroyed all their spoil, threw the gold and silver into the 
Rhone, drowned the horses of the Romans, and put to 
death all the prisoners. The consternation which this terri¬ 
ble overthrow occasioned, called forth all the energies of 
Rome. Every citizen capable of bearing arms was called 
into the field, fencing-masters were introduced into the 
Roman camp, and a powerful army was quickly raised, and 
placed under the command of the celebrated Marius. The 
first object of the Roman general was to meet the Ambrones 
and Teutones, who were marching into Italy over the west¬ 
ern Alps. Having fallen in with this immense army, he 
defeated them with great slaughter, and is said to have left 
dead on the field no fewer than 100,000, whose bones were 
used to fence the vineyards of the peasantry. 
The Cimbri had, by this time, entered Italy. The troops 
of Catullus and Sylla, intimidated by their terrible aspect, 
fled before them; and had the barbarians not waited for the 
arrival of the Teutones, they might have easily taken posses¬ 
sion of Rome. By this delay, Marius had time to unite his 
forces with those of Catullus aud Sylla, of which he received 
the chief command. This little army of 52,300 men did 
not hesitate to attack the Cimbri, who, when drawn up in a 
square, are said to have extended over thirty furlongs. The 
Cimbri had tied themselves together with cords fastened to 
their belts, to prevent them from flying. The Romans soon 
threw them into disorder, and, unable to quit one another, 
they were butchered in such crowds, that 120,000 were left 
on the field. Having taken 60,000 prisoners, the Romans 
had to contend with the Cimbrian women, who defended 
their camp with the utmost ferocity and valour. 
No sooner was Rome delivered from this swarm of bar¬ 
barians, than she began, as usual, to suffer from her own 
domestic commotions. While the disputes had been con¬ 
fined to the plebeians and patricians, they produced proba¬ 
bly, on every occasion, an advance towards freedom and 
consequent prosperity. But when the senate called in the 
power of force against the Gracchi, they opened an avenue 
which soon led to their own downfall, and that of the 
republic likewise. Since force was appealed to, a third 
party appeared who, in this species of argumentation, were 
superior both to the citizens and their rulers, namely, the 
army. From this source little danger had been incurred, 
whilst it was composed of citizens, and whilst it was governed 
by leaders annually elected. But since it had become regu¬ 
lar and mercenary, and since the necessities of distant and 
difficult wars had rendered its commanders in some measure 
permanent, it had become a most dangerous weapon against 
the cause of liberty. The first general who joined the ple¬ 
beian party, was Marius; but he soon fell out with the 
demagogues of the city, and deserted them. Upon which 
the senate caused several of them to be massacred. The next 
disturbance was caused by the consuls, who, to prevent the 
Italians from usurping the rights of citizens, passed a law, com¬ 
manding all those pretended citizens to return home. This 
was so much resented, that an universal defection took place. 
A scheme was then formed by M. Livius Drusus, a tri¬ 
bune of the people, to reconcile all orders of men; but this 
only procured his own assassination. His death was the 
signal for the social war. The Marsi, Peligni, Sam- 
nites, Campanians, and Lucanians, and in short all the 
provinces from the river Liris to the Adriatic, revolted at 
once, and formed themselves into a republic, in opposition 
to that of Rome. The haughty Romans were now made 
thoroughly sensible that they were not invincible: they 
were defeated in almost every engagement; and must soon 
have yielded, had they not fallen upon a method of dividing 
their enemies. A law was passed, enacting, that all the 
nations in Italy, whose alliance with Rome was indisputable, 
The Republic. 
should enjoy the right of Roman citizens. This drew off? 
several nations from the alliance; and at the same time, 
Sylla taking upon him the comilnand of the Roman armies, 
fortune soon declared in favour of the latter. 
The success of Rome against the allies served only to- 
bring greater miseries upon herself. Marius and Sylla be¬ 
came rivals; the former adhering to the people, and the latter 
to the patricians. Marius associated with one of the tribunes 
named Sulpitius; in conjunction with whom he raised such 
disturbances, that Sylla was forced to retire from the city. 
Having thus driven off - his rival, Marius got himself ap¬ 
pointed general against Mithridates, king of Pontus; but the 
soldiers refused to obey any other than Sylla. A civil war 
immediately ensued, in which Marius was driven out in his 
turn, and a price set upon his head and that of Sulpitius, 
with many of their adherents. Sulpitius was soon seized and 
killed; but Marius made his escape. In the mean time, 
however, the cruelties of Sylla rendered him obnoxious both 
to the senate and people; and Cinna, a furious partisan of 
the Marian faction, being chosen consul, cited him to give 
an account of his conduct. Upon this Sylla thought proper 
to set out for Asia: Marius was recalled from Africa, whither 
he had fled; and immediately on his landing in Italy, was 
joined by a great number of shepherds, slaves, and men of 
desperate fortunes; so that he soon saw himself at the head 
of a considerable army. 
Cinna, in the mean time, whom the senators had deposed 
and driven out of Rome, solicited and obtained a powerful 
army from the allies; and being joined by Sertorius, a most 
able and experienced general, the two, in conjunction with 
Marius, advanced towards the capital; and as their forces 
daily increased, a fourth army was formed under the com¬ 
mand of Papirius Garbo. The senate raised some forces to 
defend the city; but the troops being vastly inferior in num¬ 
ber, and likewise inclined to the contrary side, they were 
obliged to open their gates to the confederates. Marius 
entered at the head of a numerous guard, composed of slaves, 
whom he called his Bardia;a?is, and whom he designed to 
employ in revenging himself on his enemies. The first 
order he gave these assassins was, to murder all who came 
to salute him, and were not answered with the like civility. 
As every one was forward to pay his compliments to the new 
tyrant, this order proved the destruction of vast numbers. 
At last these Bardiseans abandoned themselves to such ex¬ 
cesses in every kind of vice, that Cinna and Sertorius ordered 
their troops to fall upon them; which being instantly put in 
execution, they were all cut off to a man. 
By the destruction of his guards, Marius was reduced to 
the necessity of taking a method of gratifying his revenge 
somewhat more tedious, though equally effectual. A con¬ 
ference was held between the four chiefs, in which Marius 
seemed quite frantic with rage. Sertorius endeavoured to 
moderate his fury; but, being overruled by Cinna and 
Carbo, a resolution was taken to murder without mercy all 
the senators who had opposed the popular faction. This was 
immediately put in execution. A general slaughter com¬ 
menced, which lasted five days, and during which the 
greatest part of the obnoxious senators were cut off, their 
heads stuck upon poles over-against the rostra, and their 
bodies dragged with hooks into the forum, where they were 
left to be devoured by dogs. Sylla’s house was demolished, 
his goods confiscated, and he himself declared an enemy to 
his country; however, his wife and children had the good 
fortune to make their escape. This massacre was not con¬ 
fined to the city of Rome. The soldiers, like as many blood¬ 
hounds, were dispersed over the country in search of those 
who fled. The neighbouring towns, villages, and all the 
highways, swarmed with assassins. 
This slaughter being over, Cinna named himself and 
Marius consuls for the ensuing year; and these tyrants seemed 
resolved to begin the new year as they had ended the old 
one; but, while they were preparing to renew their cruelties, 
Sylla, having proved victorious in the east, sent a long 
letter to the senate, giving an account of his many victories. 
The Republic. R O M E. 
