t heart of
Marius had never failed him. He told Fannia that, as he was coming to
her house, an ass had come out to drink at a neighbouring fountain,
and, fixing its eyes steadily on him, had brayed aloud and frisked
vivaciously, whence he augured that he would find safety by sea. The
magistrates, however, had resolved to kill him, and sent a Cimbrian
to do the deed, for no citizen would do it. The man went armed with
a sword into the gloomy room where Marius lay. But soon he ran out
crying, 'I cannot slay Marius.' He had seen eyes glaring in the
darkness, and had heard a terrible voice say, 'Darest thou slay Caius
Marius?' His heart had failed him; he had thrown down the sword and
fled. Either the magistrates now changed their minds, or the people
forced them to let Marius go, or perhaps Fannia connived at his
escape. Plutarch says that the people escorted him to the coast, and,
when they came to a sacred grove, called the Marician Grove, which no
man might enter, but which it would take a long time to go round, an
old man had led the way into it, saying that no place was so sacred
but that it might be entered to save Marius. [Sidenote: Aenaria.] In
some way he reached the coast where a friend had secured a vessel,
and being driven by the wind to Aenaria (Ischia), he there found his
son-in-law and sailed for Africa.

[Sidenote: Eryx.] Want of water forced them to put in at Eryx on the
N.W. of Sicily; but the Roman quaestor there was on the look-out, and
killing sixteen of the crew nearly took Marius. Landing at Meninx
(Jerbah), the fugitive heard that his son was in Africa too, and had
gone to Hiempsal, King of Numidia, to ask for aid, upon which he set
sail again and landed at Carthage. [Sidenote: Carthage.] The Roman
governor there sent to warn him off from Africa. Marius was dumb with
indignation, but on being asked what answer he had to send, replied,
so ran the story, 'Go and say you have seen Caius Marius sitting on
the ruins of Carthage.'

Hiempsal meanwhile had been keeping young Marius in a sort of
honourable captivity. But, according to a story similar to that told
of Thomas a Becket's father, a damsel of the country had fallen in love
with his handsome face, and helped him to escape. [Sidenote: Circina.]
Father and son now retired to Circina (Kerkennah), where news soon
reached him which brought him back to Italy.

[Sidenote: Counter-revolutions at Rome.] Hardly had Sulla left
Brundusium when the truce wh