caius marius-第9节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


pursued；　took　refuge　in　Marius's　house；　which　none　could　suspect；　by
that　means　escaping　those　that　sought　him；　who　hastily　passed　by
there；　and；　it　is　said；　was　safely　conveyed　by　Marius　himself　out　at
the　other　door；　and　came　to　the　camp。　Yet　Sylla；　in　his　memoirs；
positively　denies　that　he　fled　to　Marius；　saying　he　was　carried
thither　to　consult　upon　the　matters　to　which　Sulpicius　would　have
forced　him；　against　his　will；　to　consent；　that　he；　surrounding　him
with　drawn　swords；　hurried　him　to　Marius；　and　constrained　him　thus；
till　he　went　thence　to　the　forum　and　removed；　as　they　required　him
to　do；　the　interdict　on　business。
　　Sulpicius；　having　thus　obtained　the　mastery；　decreed　the　command
of　the　army　to　Marius；　who　proceeded　to　make　preparations　for　his
march；　and　sent　two　tribunes　to　receive　the　charge　of　the　army　from
Sylla。　Sylla　hereupon　exasperating　his　soldiers；　who　were　about
thirty…five　thousand　full…armed　men；　led　them　towards　Rome。　First
falling　upon　the　tribunes　Marius　had　sent；　they　slew　them；　Marius
having　done　as　much　for　several　of　Sylla's　friends　in　Rome；　and　now
offering　their　freedom　to　the　slaves　on　condition　of　their
assistance　in　the　war；　of　whom；　however；　they　say；　there　were　but
three　who　accepted　his　proposal。　For　some　small　time　he　made　head
against　Sylla's　assault；　but　was　soon　overpowered　and　fled；　those　that
were　with　him；　as　soon　as　he　had　escaped　out　of　the　city；　were
dispersed；　and　night　coming　on；　he　hastened　to　a　country…house　of　his；
called　Solonium。　Hence　he　sent　his　son　to　some　neighbouring　farms　of
his　father…in…law；　Mucius；　to　provide　necessaries；　he　went　himself
to　Ostia；　where　his　friend　Numerius　had　prepared　him　a　ship；　and
hence；　not　staying　for　his　son；　he　took　with　him　his　son…in…law
Granius；　and　weighed　anchor。
　　Young　Marius；　coming　to　Mucius's　farms；　made　his　preparations；　and
the　day　breaking；　was　almost　discovered　by　the　enemy。　For　there　came
thither　a　party　of　horse　that　suspected　some　such　matter；　but　the　farm
steward；　foreseeing　their　approach；　hid　Marius　in　a　cart　full　of
beans；　then　yoking　in　his　team　and　driving　toward　the　city；　met
those　that　were　in　search　of　him。　Marius；　thus　conveyed　home　to　his
wife；　took　with　him　some　necessaries；　and　came　at　night　to　the
seaside；　where；　going　on　board　a　ship　that　was　bound　for　Africa；　he
went　away　thither。　Marius；　the　father；　when　he　had　put　to　sea；　with
a　strong　gale　passing　along　the　coast　of　Italy；　was　in　no　small
apprehension　of　one　Geminius；　a　great　man　at　Terracina；　and　his　enemy；
and　therefore　bade　the　seamen　hold　off　from　that　place。　They　were
indeed　willing　to　gratify　him；　but　the　wind　now　blowing　in　from　the
sea　and　making　the　waves　swell　to　a　great　height；　they　were　afraid　the
ship　would　not　be　able　to　weather　out　the　storm；　and　Marius；　too；
being　indisposed　and　sea…sick；　they　made　for　land；　and　not　without
some　difficulty　reached　the　shore　near　Circeium。
　　The　storm　now　increasing　and　their　victuals　failing；　they　left　their
ship；　and　wandered　up　and　down　without　any　certain　purpose；　simply
as　in　great　distresses　people　shun　the　present　as　the　greatest　evil；
and　rely　upon　the　hopes　of　uncertainties。　For　the　land　and　sea　were
both　equally　unsafe　for　them；　it　was　dangerous　to　meet　with　people；
and　it　was　no　less　so　to　meet　with　none；　on　account　of　their　want　of
necessaries。　At　length；　though　late；　they　lighted　upon　a　few　poor
shepherds；　that　had　not　anything　to　relieve　them；　but　knowing
Marius；　advised　him　to　depart　as　soon　as　might　he；　for　they　had　seen　a
little　beyond　that　place　a　party　of　horse　that　were　gone　in　search
of　him。　Finding　himself　in　a　great　strait；　especially　because　those
that　attended　him　were　not　able　to　go　further；　being　spent　with
their　long　fasting；　for　the　present　he　turned　aside　out　of　the　road；
and　hid　himself　in　a　thick　wood；　where　he　passed　the　night　in　great
wretchedness。　The　next　day；　pinched　with　hunger；　and　willing　to　make
use　of　the　little　strength　he　had；　before　it　were　all　exhausted；　he
travelled　by　the　seaside；　encouraging　his　companions　not　to　fall
away　from　him　before　the　fulfillment　of　his　final　hopes；　for　which；　in
reliance　on　some　old　predictions；　he　professed　to　be　sustaining
himself。　For　when　he　was　yet　but　very　young；　and　lived　in　the　country；
he　caught　in　the　skirt　of　his　garment　an　eagle's　nest；　as　it　was
falling；　in　which　were　seven　young　ones；　which　his　parents　seeing
and　much　admiring；　consulted　the　augurs　about　it；　who　told　them　he
should　become　the　greatest　man　in　the　world；　and　that　the　fates　had
decreed　he　should　seven　times　be　possessed　of　the　supreme　power　and
authority。　Some　are　of　opinion　that　this　really　happened　to　Marius；　as
we　have　related　it；　others　say；　that　those　who　then　and　through　the
rest　of　his　exile　heard　him　tell　these　stories；　and　believed　him；　have
merely　repeated　a　story　that　is　altogether　fabulous；　for　an　eagle
never　hatches　more　than　two；　and　even　Musaeus　was　deceived；　who；
speaking　of　the　eagle；　says　that…

　　　　　　　　〃She　lays　three　eggs；　hatches　two；　and　rears　one。〃

However　this　be；　it　is　certain　Marius；　in　his　exile　and　greatest
extremities；　would　often　say　that　he　should　attain　a　seventh
consulship。
　　When　Marius　and　his　company　were　now　about　twenty　furlongs　distant
from　Minturnae；　a　city　in　Italy；　they　espied　a　troop　of　horse　making
up　toward　them　with　all　speed；　and　by　chance；　also；　at　the　same
time；　two　ships　under　sail。　Accordingly；　they　ran　every　one　with
what　speed　and；　strength　they　could　to　the　sea；　and　plunging　into　it
swam　to　the　ships；　Those　that　were　with　Granius；　reaching　one　of　them；
passed　over　to　an　island　opposite；　called　Aenaria；　Marius　himself；
whose　body　was　heavy　and　unwieldy；　was　with　great　pains　and　difficulty
kept　above　the　water　by　two　servants；　and　put　into　the　other　ship。　The
soldiers　were　by　this　time　come　to　the　seaside；　and　from　thence　called
out　to　the　seamen　to　put　to　shore；　or　else　to　throw　out　Marius；　and
then　they　might　go　whither　they　would。　Marius　besought　them　with　tears
to　the　contrary；　and　the　masters　of　the　ship；　after　frequent
changes；　in　a　short　space　of　time；　of　their　purpose；　inclining　first
to　one；　then　to　the　other　side；　resolved　at　length　to　answer　the
soldiers　that　they　would　not　give　up　Marius。　As　soon　as　they　had
ridden　off　in　a　rage；　the　seamen；　again　changing　their　resolution；
came　to　land；　and　casting　anchor　at　the　mouth　of　the　river　Liris；
where　it　overflows　and　makes　a　marsh；　they　advised　him　to　land；
refresh　himself　on　shore；　and　take　some　care　of　his　discomposed
body；　till　the　wind　came　fairer；　which；　said　they；　will　happen　at　such
an　hour；　when　the　wind　from　the　sea　will　calm；　and　that　from　the
marshes　rise。　Marius；　following　their　advice；　did　so；　and　when　the
seamen　had　set　him　on　shore；　he　laid　him　down　in　an　adjacent　field；
suspecting　nothing　less　than　what　was　to　befall　him。　They；　as　soon
as　they　had　got　into　the　ship；　weighed　anchor　and　departed；　as
thinking　it　neither　honourable　to　deliver　Marius　into　the　hands　of
those　that　sought　him；　nor　safe　to　protect　him。
　　He　thus；　deserted　by　all；　lay　a　good　while　silently　on　the　shore；　at
length　collecting　himself；　he　advanced　with　pain　and　difficulty；
without　any　path；　till；　wading　through　deep　bogs　and　ditches　full　of
water　and　mud；　he　came　upon　the　hut　of　an　old　man　that　worked　in　the
fens；　and　falling　at　his　feet　besought　him　to　assist　and　preserve
one　who；　if　he　escaped　the　present　danger；　would　make　him　returns
beyond　his　expectation。　The　poor　man；　whether　he　had　formerly　known
him；　or　were　then　moved　with　his　superior　aspect；　told　him　that　if
he　wanted　only　rest　his　cottage　would　be　convenient；　but　if　he　were
flying　from　anybody's　search；　he　would　hide　him　in　a　more　retired
place。　Marius　desiring　him　to　do　so；　he　carried　him　into　the　fens
and　bade　him　hide　himself　in　an　hollow　place　by　the　river…side；
where　he　laid　upon　him　a　great　many　reeds；　and　other　things　that
were　light；　and　would　cover；　but　not　oppress　him。　But　within　a　very
short　time　he　was　disturbed　with　a　noise　and　tumult　from　the
cottage；　for　Geminius　had　sent　several　from　Terracina　in　pursuit　of
him；　some　of　whom　happening　to　come　that　way；　frightened　and
threatened　the　old　man　for　having　entertained　and　hid　an　enemy　of
the　Romans。　Whereupon　Marius；　arising　and　stripping　himself；　plunged
into　a　puddle　full　of　thick　muddy　water；　and　even　there　he　could　not
escape　their　search；　but　was　pulled　out　covered　with　mire；　and　carried
away　naked　to　Minturnae　and　delivered　to　the　magistrates。　For　there
had　been　orders　sent　through　all　the　towns　to　make　public　search　for
Marius；　and　if　they　found　him　to　kill　him；　however；　the　magistrates
thought　convenient　to　consider　a　little　better　of　it　first；　and　sent
him　prisoner　to　the　house　of　one　Fannia。
　　This　woman　was　supposed　not　very　well　affected　towards　him　upon　an
old　account。　One　Tinnius　had　formerly　married　this　Fannia；　from　whom
she　afterwards；　being　divorced；　demanded　her　portion；　which　was
considerable；　but　her　husband　accused　her　of　adultery；　so　the
controversy　was　brought　before　Marius　in　his　sixth　consulship。　When
the　case　was　examined　thoroughly；　it　appeared　both　that　Fannia　had
been　incontinen