ured by a singular piece of good fortune; for
there was a reflux in the course of the barbarians, and the torrent
flowed towards Iberia before it turned to Italy, which gave Marius
time to discipline the bodies of his men and to confirm their courage;
and what was most of all, it gave the soldiers an opportunity of
knowing what kind of a man their general was. For the first impression
created by his sternness and by his inexorable severity in punishing,
was changed into an opinion of the justice and utility of his
discipline when they had been trained to avoid all cause of offence
and all breach of order; and the violence of his temper, the harshness
of his voice, and ferocious expression of his countenance, when the
soldiers became familiarised with them, appeared no longer formidable
to them, but only terrific to their enemies. But his strict justice in
all matters that came before him for judgment pleased the soldiers
most of all; and of this the following instance is mentioned, Caius
Lusius, who was a nephew of Marius, and was an officer in the army,
was in other respects a man of no bad character, but fond of beautiful
youths. This Caius conceived a passion for one of the young men who
served under him, by name Trebonius, and had often ineffectually
attempted to seduce him. At last Caius one night sent a servant with
orders to bring Trebonius; the young man came, for he could not refuse
to obey the summons, and was introduced into the tent; but when Caius
attempted to use violence towards him, he drew his sword and killed
him. Marius was not present when this happened, but on his arrival he
brought Trebonius to trial. There were many to join in supporting the
accusation, and not one to speak in his favour, but Trebouius boldly
came forward and told the whole story; and he produced witnesses who
proved that he had often resisted the importunities of Lusius, and
that though great offers had been made, he had never prostituted
himself; on which Marius, admiring his conduct, ordered a crown to be
brought, such as was conferred for noble deeds according to an old
Roman fashion, and he took it and put it on the head of Trebonius as a
fit reward for so noble an act at a time when good examples were much
needed. The news of this, reaching Rome, contributed in no small
degree to the consulship being conferred on Marius for the third time;
the barbarians also were expected about the spring of the year, and
the Romans did not