98. Neque in eo tam aspero negotio Marius territus aut magis quam antea demisso animo fuit, sed cum turma sua, quam ex fortissimis magis quam familiarissimis paraverat, vagari passim, ac modo laborantibus suis succurrere, modo hostes, ubi confertissimi obstiterant, invadere; manu consulere militibus, quoniam imperare, conturbatis omnibus, non poterat. Jamque dies consumptus erat, quum tamen barbari nihil remittere,[541] atque, uti reges praeceperant, noctem pro se rati, acrius instare. Tum Marius ex copia rerum consilium trahit, atque, uti suis receptui locus esset, colles duos propinquos inter se occupat, quorum in uno, castris parum amplo, fons aquae magnus erat, alter usui opportunus, quia magna parte editus et praeceps pauca munimenta quaerebat.[542] Ceterum apud aquam Sullam cum equitibus noctem agitare jubet; ipse paulatim dispersos milites, neque minus hostibus conturbatis,[543] in unum contrahit, dein cunctos pleno gradu[544] in collem subducit. Ita reges loci difficultate coacti proelio deterrentur, neque tamen suos longius abire sinunt, sed, utroque colle multitudine circumdato, effusi consedere. Dein crebris ignibus factis, plerumque noctis barbari more suo laetari, exultare, strepere vocibus, et ipsi duces feroces, quia non fugere, ut pro[545] victoribus egere. Sed ea cuncta Romanis ex tenebris et editioribus locis facilia visa magnoque hortamento erant. [541] _Quam tamen_--_nihil remittere_, 'while the barbarians nevertheless did not leave off.' For _quum_ with the historical infinitive, see Zumpt, S 582. _Pro se_, 'favourable to them.' [542] Marius occupies two hills close by each other, the one only to have the command of water, but the other to pitch his camp on, as it required only to be slightly fortified. _Quaerebat_ for _requirebat_, which is more common in this sense. [543] 'As the enemy also had fallen into no less confusion;' so that _neque_, being properly used for _et non_, must here be taken for _etiam non_ or _ne_--_quidem_. [544] _Pleno gradu_, 'at a quick pace,' which, however, is not running. This retreat up the hill is, after all, a proof that the Romans had been worsted in the attack. [545] _Fugere, ut pro_, is the reading of the manuscripts, 'as they did not flee, they acted as though they were the victors.' _Ut pro_ signifies 'both as victors and as if they were,' the _ut_ and _pro_ signifying nearly the same thing.