they needed slaves in great numbers for
their plantations, and their business interests profited by the trade.
However the depredations of the pirates at length became too serious to be
ignored, and in 102 B. C. the praetor Marcus Antonius was given a special
command against them. They had their chief strongholds on the Cilician
coast and the island of Crete, and Antonius proceeded to Cilicia, where he
destroyed several of their towns and annexed some territory, which became
the province of Cilicia.

Besides these troubles the Romans had to face revolts in Spain which broke
out spasmodically down to 95 B. C., as well as continual inroads of
barbarians from Thrace into the provinces of Macedonia and Illyricum.

V. SATURNINUS AND GLAUCIA

*Popular **triumphs** in Rome.* The successes of their champion, Marius,
emboldened the populares to undertake the prosecution of the corrupt and
incapable generals of the _optimates_, a number of whom were brought to
trial and convicted. Another popular victory was won in 104 B. C. when the
_lex Domitia_ transferred the election of new members of the colleges of
augurs and pontiffs from the colleges themselves to a Comitia of seventeen
tribes chosen by lot.

*The sixth consulship of Marius, 100 B. C.* Upon Marius himself his
present prestige had an unwholesome effect. In spite of the fact that he
had violated the constitution by his five consulships, four of which were
held in succession, he determined to seek a sixth term, although there was
now no military danger to excuse his ambition. He leagued himself with the
leaders of the _populares_, Lucius Appuleius Saturninus, who as tribune
had supported Marius in 103, and Caius Servilius Glaucia. Both were
ambitious demagogues, who sought to imitate the role of the Gracchi by
introducing a legislative program catering to the popular party. For the
moment they were successful. Marius secured his sixth consulship for 100
B. C., Saturninus became tribune a second time, and Glaucia praetor. But
violence had to be resorted to in order to carry the elections. Saturninus
then introduced bills for the distribution of grain to the city
proletariat at much less than half the market price, for the allotment of
the lands in north Italy which had been ravaged by the Cimbri, and for the
founding of colonies in the provinces. His corn law failed, but the others
were forced through by the aid of the disbanded Marian soldie