temple treasures.
Three years later he was tried and condemned for defrauding the state of
this booty. In 105, two Roman armies were destroyed by the united tribes
in a battle at Arausio (Orange), in which 60,000 Romans were said to have
fallen. This disaster, the greatest suffered by Rome since Cannae, was
largely brought about by friction between the two Roman commanders. The
way to Italy lay open but the barbarians failed to take advantage of their
opportunity. The Cimbri invaded Spain and the rest remained in Gaul.

*The army reforms of Marius.* In this crisis Marius was appointed to the
command against the Cimbri and their allies, and at once set to work to
create an army for the defence of Italy. The increasing luxury and
refinements of civilization in Italy had begun to undermine the military
spirit among the Romans, especially the propertied classes, and this had
led to a decline of discipline and efficiency in the Roman armies.
Furthermore, the universal obligation to military service was no longer
rigidly enforced, partly because of the residence abroad of so many
citizens. Appeals to volunteers became more and more frequent. No longer
were recruits enrolled for one year only, but took the oath of service for
sixteen years. In building up his new army Marius recognized these new
tendencies. He relied mainly upon voluntary enlistments, admitting to the
ranks, as he had done already in the Jugurthine War, those whose lack of
property had previously disqualified them for service in the legions. The
soldiers now became recognized professionals, who upon their discharge
looked to their commanders to provide for their future. Among the troops
loyalty to the state was supplanted by devotion to a successful general,
and the latter could rely upon his veterans to support him in his
political career. Marius also introduced changes in the arms and equipment
of the soldiers, and he is also credited, although with less certainty,
with the increase in the size of the legion to 6000 men and its division
into ten cohorts as tactical units.

*Marius in Gaul.* During the years 104 and 103 Marius kept his army in
Gaul guarding the passage to Italy, while he completed the training of his
troops and dug a new channel at the mouth of the Rhone to facilitate the
passage of his transports into the river. He was re-elected to the
consulship for 103 and again for 102 since the danger from the barbarians
was not over. In 102 the Cimbri