t with a few herdsmen, who had nothing to give them in their
need, but they recognised Marius and advised him to get out of the way
as quickly as he could, for a number of horsemen had just been seen
there riding about in quest of him. Thus surrounded by every
difficulty and his attendants fainting for want of food, he turned
from the road, and plunging into a deep forest, passed the night in
great suffering. The next day, compelled by hunger and wishing to make
use of his remaining strength before he was completely exhausted, he
went along the shore, encouraging his followers, and entreating them
not to abandon the last hope, for which he reserved himself on the
faith of an old prediction. For when he was quite a youth and living
in the country, he caught in his garment an eagle's nest as it was
falling down, with seven young ones in it; which his parents wondering
at, consulted the soothsayers, who told them that their son would
become the most illustrious of men, and that it was the will of fate
that he should receive the supreme command and magistracy seven times.
Some affirm that this really happened to Marius; but others say that
those who were with Marius at this time and in the rest of his flight
heard the story from him, and believing it, recorded an event which is
altogether fabulous. For an eagle has not more than two young ones at
a time, and they say that Musaeus[125] was mistaken when he wrote of
the eagle thus:--

Lays three, two hatches, and one tends with care.

But that Marius frequently during his flight, and when he was in the
extremest difficulties, said that he should survive to enjoy a seventh
consulship, is universally admitted.

XXXVII. They were now about twenty stadia from Minturnae,[126] an
Italian city, when they saw at a distance a troop of horse riding
towards them, and as it chanced two merchant vessels sailing along the
coast. Running down to the sea as fast as they could and as their
strength would allow, and throwing themselves into the water, they
swam to the vessels. Granius having got into one of the vessels,
passed over to the island of AEnaria,[127] which is off that coast. But
Marius, who was heavy and unwieldy, was with difficulty held above the
water by two slaves and placed in the other vessel, the horsemen being
now close to them and calling from the shore to the sailors either to
bring the vessel to land or to throw Marius overboard, and to set sail
wherever they pleased.