and they had but a very indistinct idea of the people who lived in the north of Europe and in Asia. The inhabitants of these last-named countries were fierce and warlike tribes, who cared nothing for the arts and luxuries upon which the Romans prided themselves, and were therefore considered barbarians; yet it was ordered by God that these barbarians should in the end overthrow the vast Roman Empire, and become as much celebrated themselves for elegance and refinement as the people whom they conquered.

When we first hear of these tribes it seems as if they were all alike, and there could be no interest in distinguishing them from each other. But this is not really the case. The difference is actually seen and felt to this day amongst persons whom we meet and live with, and it is especially to be discovered in language. For instance, we hear constantly of a Scotch accent, but we do not often think why, when persons speak the same words, they should not pronounce them alike. It does not enter our heads that the difference arises from the fact, that hundreds of years ago England and Scotland were overrun by different tribes, who, when they talked could not understand each other; and that the difference has come down from father to son till it has reached us, so that, although the descendants of the tribes who settled in Scotland speak English, they pronounce it, as French or Italian persons might do, with a foreign accent.

The barbarians, who in the time of Marius invaded Gaul and threatened to invade Italy, were the Cimbri. They came, it is said, from Asia and the eastern parts of Europe, and appeared in Gaul before the war with Jugurtha was ended. The Romans sent armies to aid the Gauls in defending themselves, but they were defeated; and when

they afterwards drew near to the Alps and seemed prepared to cross into Italy, the Romans grew so alarmed that they ordered Marius, who had been chosen consul five times since he first offered himself, to assist in repelling them.

The Cimbri were at that time joined by another tribe, the Teutones; but only the Cimbri crossed the Alps. Marius defeated the Teutones first in Gaul, and then he brought his army back to Italy to attack the Cimbri. The Cimbri, who had not heard of the defeat of the Teutones, sent ambassadors to Marius, asking him to give themselves and their allies land on which they might settle, and threatening war if they were refused. "You ask lands for your allies, the Teutones," answered Marius; "I have given them some already. Their bodies are now mouldering in the fields, and their bones are serving as fences for vineyards." After this haughty answer both armies prepared for a battle, which was fought on the 30th of June, B. C. 101. The Cimbri attacked the Romans with fury; but the heat of the weather, which they were not accustomed to, made them faint and weak, and they were easily overcome. They had also tied themselves together with cords, thinking they should support each other better in consequence; but this only gave the Romans greater power over them. Thousands of them were killed, and thousands more taken prisoners and sold for slaves. Nearly the whole tribe, in fact, was destroyed, and the Romans were for the time freed from a great calamity. Marius was now a greater person than ever. He was allowed a splendid triumph, and was chosen consul for the sixth time.

At this period there was, what is called, a servile war, that is an insurrection of slaves, in Sicily. These slaves were in a wretched condition, and

some of them being set free, all the others wished to be free likewise. They rebelled and made two of their number kings, and kept up a war for four years; but they were subdued at last, though not till a million of them had perished. It is saia that one thousand of the number gave themselves up to the Roman general, who was sent against them, on condition that their lives should be spared. The promise was given, and yet this same man sent them afterwards to Rome to fight with wild beasts in the public shows and entertainments. The poor slaves killed each other to avoid such a shocking fate.

B. C. 90.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE SOCIAL, OR MARSIC WAR,
BROKE OUT B. C. 90.

THE events which happened in Italy after the invasion of the barbarians brought worse consequences than any foreign wars. They were caused by disputes between the citizens of Rome and the states of Italy, who were subject to Rome; and by the selfishness and ambition of particular persons, who thought much more of their own interests than of the good of their country. There had always been a distinction between the citizens of Rome and the inhabitants of the rest of Italy. The citizens of Rome had particular privileges; amongst other things they were allowed to vote for the consuls, and so had some power in the government, and whenever the Roman senate wished to show favour to a city which they had conquered, they used to give the

inhabitants what was called the franchise; that is, the same advantages as those persons possessed who were Romans by birth. There is a reference to this difference between the Roman citizens and other Roman subjects in the New Testament. St. Paul, we are told, being about to be scourged, informed the centurion who guarded him, that he was a Roman, meaning a Roman citizen. The centurion was then afraid to punish him, and went and told the chief captain, saying, "Take heed what thou doest, for this man is a Roman.' The chief captain immediately inquired of St. Paul whether it was really so, and said, that he himself had obtained the privilege by paying a great sum. St. Paul replied, "But I was freeborn, or born a citizen;" and he was in consequence saved from punishment. We see from this that it was considered a great advantage to be a Roman citizen.

The Italian states were naturally enough very anxious to have the same privileges as their fellowcountrymen at Rome, and tried many times to force the senate to give them what they considered their right. There were great differences of opinion in Rome upon this subject. Marius was in favour of the franchise being given, for he generally sided with any party who were against the senators; but he did not really care for any one but himself. His hatred of Sylla increased every year, and as Sylla was a friend to the rich and great, Marius allied himself with the lower classes, and endeavoured to make himself popular amongst them. At one time he joined himself with persons whose conduct was so disgraceful, that he was at last obliged to turn against them, and even fight against them. If he had not done so his fellow-citizens would have turned against him. There was one honourable

person in Rome who openly opposed Marius-and that was Metellus, the general, who had been with him in Africa. When Marius proposed a law which he said was to benefit the people, but which Metellus saw would give them a great deal more power than was good and right, he boldly refused to vote for it; and when his friends told him that evil would happen to him if he did not, he answered, that to do well when no danger attended it was common, but to do well in the midst of dangers was the part of a truly good and honest man.

Marius contrived that Metellus should go into exile as a punishment for this refusal; but he was afterwards recalled, and there was great joy at his return, for every one respected him. All the chief persons in Rome went to receive him, and his house was crowded with persons who came to congratulate him. Marius did not stay long in Rome to see the triumph of Metellus; he left Italy about this period, and travelled into Asia, where he stayed at the court of Mithridates, king of Pontus, in Asia Minor, who was inclined to be an enemy of the Romans. Perhaps that was the reason which induced Marius to go there, when he was angry with his fellow-countrymen; but he did not please Mithridates, who was a proud, imprudent, and bad man. He was too rough in his manner, and too plain in his speech, and offended the king by advising him either to try and make himself more powerful than the Romans, or else quietly to submit to them. Mithridates said nothing at the time in reply, but he soon afterwards dismissed his visitor with presents, and Marius then went back to Italy and lived at Rome like a private person; but he had no friends, for his roughness and his pride together made every one dislike him.

A few years after this the question about giving the franchise to the Italian states was brought for