Gaius Marius

Broughton: Joining forces, Marius and Catulus together destroyed the Cimbri on July 30 (Roman calendar) near Vercellae (a). Extravagant praises and high honors (b) included the voting of a supplicatio of 15 days (c). He celebrated along with Catulus one triumph for his two victories (d). He set up memorials of his victory in Rome (e), and built a temple to Honos and Virtus (f). His renown as the saviour of his country, his political alliance with Saturninus and Glaucia, release of his soldiers to come to the elections in Rome, and according to Rutilius and others, bribery, all combined to secure his reelection over a Metellus, perhaps Numidicus, to a sixth consulship in 100 (g). Meantime Aquillius held command in Sicily in the war against the slaves (h; see 100, and 99, Promagistrates).

Broughton: Marius supported, with his veterans, the legislative program of Saturninus and Glaucia, even to taking the oath to maintain the agrarian law and interdicting Metellus Numidicus, who refused to do so, from fire and water (a). In December the riots in connection with the elections, the murder of Memmius, Glaucia's rival for the consulate, and Glaucia's illegal candidacy for the office, led the Senate to pass the senatus consultum ultimum, in obedience to which Marius suppressed his former associates, who had seized the Capitol. In spite of their surrender to Marius, who placed them in custody in the Curia, they were lynched there by the crowd (b). As his final act he opposed the proposal to recall Metellus from exile (c). Flaccus, whom Rutilius termed more Marius' servant than his colleague (d), commanded a guard on the Quirinal (e). On Valerius, see Münzer, Gent. Val. 41, no. 24.

Broughton: Cinna's rule was termed a tyranny (a). Marius died on January 13 (b). See 88, Promagistrates.