A revolt of the slaves in Italy suspended for awhile the animosities between the Plebeians and the Patri cians. The Licinian, or the Sempronian law, as it was now called, was soon brought forward by the people. Scipio Africanus, the younger, had not only opposed this law with all his influence, but he had gone so far as to declare that the murder of his bro ther-in-law, Tiberius Gracchus, was lawful. The po pularity which he had acquired by his valour was soon lost, and the people even went so far as to insult him in public. His election to the dictatorship was con sidered as necessary to the peace of Rome; but on the morning of the day on which this honour would have been conferred, he was found dead in his bed, with marks of having been slaughtered; and it has been supposed that this flagrant act was committed by the triumvirs Papirius Carbo, C. Gracchus, and Fulvius Flaccus, whom his own wife, Sempronia, had admit ted into his apartment. The Roman people attended his funeral with cries and lamentations, but no inqui ries were instituted concerning his death.
Caius Gracchus was not content with reviving the Sempronian law; he proposed the new one of granting the privileges of Roman citizens to all the Italian al lies to whom the grants of land could be given under the Sempronian law. The flame of discontent was thus spread through all Italy, and the enemies of Rome availed themselves of the distractions which it excited. The Senate, however, could not longer brook the attempts which Gracchus had made against their order. The Senate offered their weight in gold for the heads of Gracchus and Fulvius. Gracchus fled to the Temple of Diana, where he was murdered, and his body, along with that of Fulvius, thrown into the Tiber.
These intestine commotions, fermented by the am bition of demagogues, and in which no Roman patriot was concerned, were unexpectedly checked by a horde of barbarians from the north of Europe.
The Cimbri and Teutones, who inhabited the south ern shores of the Baltic, left their own country in search of more genial settlements. Being repulsed by the Boii, a tribe of Gauls who lived near the Her cynian forest, they were thus driven towards the Roman provinces. The consul, Papirius Carbo, ad vanced against them with a powerful army, but lie sus tained a signal defeat, and was obliged to seek for shelter in the neighbouring forests. The victorious Cimbri carried their devastations into Transalpine Gaul, and after remaining there five or six years, they defeated another Roman army under the Consul Sila nus. The Roman empire was now threatened with
total destruction, and a new army was sent out under the Consul Mallius, and the Proconsul S. Caepio. In consequence of a quarrel between these two generals, they divided their army, and thus exposed it to the most imminent danger. A detachment of Mallius' army was cut off' by the Cimbri; and as soon as the disunion between the two generals became known to their enemies, it was resolved that the camp of Caepio should be attacked by the Cimbri, and that of Mallius by the Gauls. In both these attacks the assailants were successful, and no fewer than 80,000 of the citi zens and allies of Rome, with 40,000 attendants, per ished in these unfortunate engagements; and it is said that only ten men and the two generals themselves were left to carry the sad intelligence to Rome. The Cimbri destroyed all their spoil, threw the gold and silver into the Rhone, drowned the horses of the Ro mans, and put to death all the prisoners. The con sternation which this terrible overthrow occasioned, called forth all the energies of Rome. Every citizen capable of bearing arms was called into the field, fencing-masters were introduced into the Roman camp, and a powerful army was quickly raised, and placed under the command of the celebrated Marius. The first object of the Roman general was to meet the Ambrones and Teutones, who were marching into Italy over the western Alps. Having fallen in with this immense army, he defeated them with great slaughter, and is said to have left dead on the field no fewer than 100,000, whose hones were used to fence the vineyards of the peasantry.
The Cimbri had by this time entered Italy. The troops of Catullus and Sylla, intimidated by their ter rible aspect, fled before them; and had the barbarians not waited for the arrival of the Teutones they might have easily taken possession of Rome. By this delay Marius had time to unite his forces with those of Ca tullus and Sylla, of which he received the chief com mand. This little army of 52,300 men, did not hesi tate to attack the Cimbri, who, when drawn up in a square, are said to have extended over thirty furlongs. The Cimbri had tied themselves together with cords fastened to their belts, to prevent them from flying. The Romans soon threw them into disorder, and, un able to quit one another, they were butchered in such crowds, that 120,000 were left on the field. Having taken 60,000 prisoners, the Romans had to contend with the Cimbrian women, who defended their camp with the utmost ferocity and valour.