the apartment. Now that part of the
room in which Marius happened to be lying was not very well lighted,
but was in shade, and it is said that the eyes of Marius appeared to
the soldier to dart a strong flame, and a loud voice issued from the
gloom, "Man, do you dare to kill Caius Marius?" The barbarian
immediately took to flight, and throwing the sword down, rushed
through the door, calling out, "I cannot kill Caius Marius." This
caused a general consternation, which was succeeded by compassion and
change of opinion, and self-reproach for having come to so illegal and
ungrateful a resolution concerning a man who had saved Italy, and whom
it would be a disgrace not to assist. "Let him go, then," it was said,
"where he pleases, as an exile, and suffer in some other place
whatever fate has reserved for him. And let us pray that the gods
visit us not with their anger for ejecting Marius from our city in
poverty and rags." Moved by such considerations, all in a body entered
the room where Marius was, and getting round him, began to conduct him
to the sea. Though every man was eager to furnish something or other,
and all were busying themselves, there was a loss of time. The grove
of Marica, as it is called, obstructed the passage to the sea, for it
was an object of great veneration, and it was a strict rule to carry
nothing out of it that had ever been carried in; and now, if they
went all round it, there would of necessity be delay: but this
difficulty was settled by one of the older men at last calling out,
that no road was inaccessible or impassable by which Marius was saved;
and he was the first to take some of the things that they were
conveying to the ship and to pass through the place.

XL. Everything was soon got ready through these zealous exertions, and
a ship was supplied for Marius by one Belaeus, who afterwards caused a
painting to be made representing these events, and dedicated it in the
temple. Marius embarking, was carried along by the wind, and by chance
was taken to the island AEnaria, where he found Granius and the rest of
his friends, and set sail with them for Libya. As their water failed,
they were compelled to touch at Erycina in Sicily. Now the Roman
quaestor, who happened to be about these parts on the look-out, was
very nearly taking Marius when he landed; and he killed about sixteen
of the men who were sent to get water. Marius, hastily embarking and
crossing the sea to the island of Meninx,[132