Interests of Italian capitalists and small farmers opposed--The Social War breaks out at Asculum--The insurgents choose Corfinium as their capital--In the first year they gain everywhere--Then the Lex Julia is passed and in the second year they lose everywhere--The star of Sulla rises, that of Marius declines--The Lex Plautia Papiria--First year of the war--The confederates defeat Perperna, Crassus, Caesar, Lupus, Caepio, and take town after town--The Umbrians and Etruscans Revolt--Second year--Pompeius triumphs in the north, Cosconius in the south-east, Sulla in the south-west--Revolution at Rome--The confederates courted by both parties--The rebellion smoulders on till finally quenched by Sulla after the Mithridatic War CHAPTER IX. SULPICIUS. Financial crisis at Rome--Sulpicius Rufus attempts to reform the government, and complete the enfranchisement of the Italians--His laws forcibly carried by the aid of Marius--Sulla driven from Rome flies to the army at Nola, and marches at their head against Marius--Sulpicius slain--Marius outlawed--Sulla leaves Italy after reorganizing the Senate and the comitia CHAPTER X. MARIUS AND CINNA. Flight of Marius--His romantic adventures at Circeii, Minturnae, Carthage--Cinna takes up the Italian cause--Driven from Rome by Octavius, he flies to the army in Campania and marches on Rome--Marius lands in Etruria--Octavius summons Pompeius from Etruria and their armies surround the city--Marius and Cinna enter Rome--The proscriptions--Seventh consulship and death of Marius--Cinna supreme CHAPTER XI. THE FIRST MITHRIDATIC WAR. Sertorius in Spain--Cyrene bequeathed to Rome--Previous history of Mithridates--His submission to Aquillius--Aquillius forces on a war--He is defeated and killed by Mithridates--Massacre of Romans in Asia--Mithridates repulsed at Rhodes CHAPTER XII. SULLA IN GREECE AND ASIA. Aristion induces Athens to revolt--Sulla lands in Epirus, and besieges Athens and the Piraeus--His difficulties--He takes Athens and the Piraeus, and defeats Archelaus at Chaeroneia and Orchomenus--Terms offered to Mithridates--Tyranny of the latter--Flaccus comes to Asia and is murdered by Fimbria, who is soon afterwards put to death by Sulla CHAPTER XIII. SULLA IN ITALY. Sulla lands at Brundisium and is joined by numerous adherents--Battle of Mount Tifata--Sertorius goes to Spain--Sulla in 83 is master of Picenum, Apulia, and Campania--Battle of Sacriportus--Sulla blockades young Marius in Praeneste--Indecisive war in Picenum between Carbo and Metellus--Repeated attempts to relieve Praeneste--Carbo flies to Africa--His lieutenants threaten Rome--Sulla comes to the rescue --Desperate attempt to take the city by Pontius--Battle of the Colline Gate--Sulla's danger--Death of Carbo, of Domitius Ahenobarbus--Exploits of Pompeius in Sicily and Africa--His vanity--Murena provokes the second Mithridatic War--Sertorius in Spain--His successes and ascendency over the natives CHAPTER XIV.