e forests, which reach into the interior as far as the
Hercynii[74]; and with respect to the heavens, their position was in
that region where the pole[75], having a great elevation owing to the
inclination of the parallels, appears to be only a short distance from
the spectator's zenith, and the days and nights are of equal length
and share the year between them, which furnished Homer[76] with the
occasion for his story of Ulysses visiting the ghosts. From these
parts then some supposed that these barbarians came against Italy, who
were originally Cimmerii, but then not inappropriately called Cimbri.
But all this is rather founded on conjecture than on sure historical
evidence. As to the numbers of the invaders, they are stated by many
authorities as above rather than below the amount that has been
mentioned. But their courage and daring made them irresistible, and in
battle they rushed forward with the rapidity and violence of fire, so
that no nations could stand their attack, but all the people that came
in their way became their prey and booty, and many powerful Roman
armies[77] with their commanders, which were stationed to protect Gaul
north of the Alps, perished ingloriously; and indeed these armies by
their unsuccessful resistance mainly contributed to direct the course
of the enemy against Rome. For when they had defeated those who
opposed them and got abundance of booty, they determined not to settle
themselves permanently anywhere till they had destroyed Rome and
ravaged Italy.

XII. Hearing this news from many quarters, the Romans called Marius
to the command; and he was elected consul the second time, though it
was contrary to a positive law for a man in his absence, and without a
certain interval of time, to be elected again, but the people would
not listen to those who made any opposition to the election. For they
considered that this would not be the first time that the law had
given way to convenience, and that the present was as good an occasion
for such an irregularity as the election of Scipio[78] as consul at a
time when they were under no apprehension about the ruin of Rome, but
merely wished to destroy Carthage. Accordingly these reasons
prevailed, and Marius, after crossing the sea with his army to Rome,
received the consulship, and celebrated his triumph on the calends of
January, which with the Romans is the beginning of the year, and
exhibited to them a sight they never expected to see, Jugurth