that passage: the Teutones and Ambrones were to march through
the Ligurian country along the sea to meet Marius. Now on the part of
the Cimbri there was some loss of time and delay; but the Teutones and
Ambrones set out forthwith, and speedily traversing the space which
separated them from the Romans, they made their appearance in numbers
countless, hideous in aspect, and in language and the cries they
uttered unlike any other people. They covered a large part of the
plain, where they pitched their tents and challenged Marius to battle.

XVI. Marius cared not for all this, but he kept his soldiers within
their entrenchments and severely rebuked those who made a display of
their courage, calling such as through passion were eager to break out
and fight, traitors to their country; he said it was not triumphs or
trophies which should now be the object of their ambition, but how
they should ward off so great a cloud and tempest of war, and secure
the safety of Italy. This was the way in which he addressed the
commanders in particular and the officers. The soldiers he used to
station on the rampart in turns, and bid them look at the enemy, and
thus he accustomed them to the aspect of the barbarians and their
strange and savage shouts, and to make themselves acquainted with
their armour and movements, so that in course of time what appeared
formidable to their imagination would become familiar by being often
seen. For it was the opinion of Marius that mere strangeness adds many
imaginary dangers to real danger; but that through familiarity even
real dangers lose their terrors. Now the daily sight of the enemy not
only took away somewhat of the first alarm, but the threats of the
barbarians and their intolerable arrogance roused the courage of the
Roman soldiers and inflamed their passions, for the enemy plundered
and devastated all the country around, and often attacked the
ramparts with much insolence and temerity, so that the words and
indignant expressions of the soldiers were repeated to Marius. The
soldiers asked, "If Marius had discovered any cowardice in them, that
he kept them from battle, like women under lock and key? Why should we
not, like free men, ask him whether he is waiting for others to fight
for Italy, and intends to employ us always as labourers when there may
be occasion to dig canals, to clear out mud, and to divert the course
of rivers? It was for this, as it seems, that he disciplined us in so
many to