rule the state as well as the army. But he did not possess the qualities
requisite for a popular leader at Rome; he had no power of oratory, and
lost his presence of mind in the noise and shouts of the popular
assemblies. In order to secure his election, he entered into close
connection with two of the worst demagogues that ever appeared at Rome,
Saturninus and Glaucia. The former was a candidate for the Tribunate,
and the latter for the Praetorship; and by their means, as well as by
bribing the Tribes, Marius secured his election to the Consulship for
the sixth time. Glaucia also obtained the Praetorship, but Saturninus was
not equally successful. He lost his election chiefly through the
exertions of A. Nonius, who was chosen in his stead. But Nonius paid
dearly for the honor, for on the evening of his election he was murdered
by the emissaries of Saturninus and Glaucia, and next morning, at an
early hour, before the forum was full, Saturninus was chosen to fill up
the vacancy.

As soon as Saturninus had entered upon his office (B.C. 100) he brought
forward an Agrarian Law for dividing among the soldiers of Marius the
lands in Gaul which had been lately occupied by the Cimbri. He added to
the law a clause that, if it was enacted by the people, every Senator
should swear obedience to it within five days, and that whoever refused
to do so should be expelled from the Senate, and pay a fine of twenty
talents. This clause was specially aimed at Metellus, who, it was well
known, would refuse to obey the requisition. In order to insure a
refusal on the part of Metellus, Marius rose in the Senate, and declared
that he would never take the oath, and Metellus made the same
declaration; but when the law had been passed, and Saturninus summoned
the Senators to the rostra to comply with the demands of the law,
Marius, to the astonishment of all, immediately took the oath, and
advised the Senate to follow his example. Metellus alone refused
compliance; and on the following day Saturninus sent his beadle to drag
him out of the Senate-house. Not content with this victory, Saturninus
brought forward a bill to punish him with exile. The friends of Metellus
were ready to take up arms in his defense; but he declined their
assistance, and withdrew privately from the city. Saturninus brought
forward other popular measures, of which our information is very scanty.
He proposed a _Lex Frumentaria_, by which the state was to sell corn to
the p