A little later he married into the family of the illustrious Cæsars, and this improved his position, and added to his growing influence in the State. His wife Julia was the aunt of the great Roman, Julius Cæsar. This was the lieutenant Metellus took with him to the war against Jugurtha. CHAPTER LXXXV GAIUS MARIUS BECOMES COMMANDER OF THE ARMY When Metellus reached Africa, he found that the discipline of the army was so lax that it was unfitted to fight with any hope of success. So he drilled and trained his men with great strictness and persistency, until he believed that they were again worthy to fight for their country. Meanwhile Jugurtha found that here at length was a Roman who scorned to touch his gold. This same Roman, too, had so disciplined his troops that Jugurtha now distrusted his power to meet them. He therefore offered to submit, if Metellus would promise to spare his life and the lives of his children. But the general paid no attention to this offer, and led his army into Numidia. Gaius Marius was with the Consul, in command of the cavalry. Now Marius did not love his general, and he cared less that Metellus should be successful in battle than that he himself should win glory by his deeds. But already the soldiers adored Marius, for he shared their life, giving up his own comfortable quarters to sleep, as did they, on a rough camp bed; often, too, eating their hard bread. When they found him even digging in the trenches their enthusiasm knew no bounds. Jugurtha, meanwhile, had encamped in a strong position, but Metellus dislodged him, and at length defeated him, so that he was forced to flee. The king determined that he would not risk another battle, so for a time he took refuge among the hills of his native land. But even as he had bribed the Romans, so now he found that Metellus had won some of his officers from their allegiance, either with gold or with promises. This made him gradually suspicious of all who surrounded him. Growing more and more uneasy, Jugurtha at length marched across the desert to a town named Thala. Metellus, however, hastened after him and besieged the town, which after forty days was in his hands. But the Roman general was not satisfied, for it was Jugurtha himself whom he wished to capture, and the king and his children had escaped from the town by night. Jugurtha knew that Metellus was more than a match for him alone, but if he could secure a powerful ally the Romans might yet be driven from his land. So, in 108 B.C., Jugurtha persuaded his father-in-law, Bocchus, King of Upper Numidia, to join him, and together they marched upon Cirta, near which town the Romans were encamped. It was here that Metellus learned that he had not been elected Consul for the following year. Meanwhile, Marius had begun to show his dislike of his commander. The general had entrusted the care of an important town in Numidia to a friend of his own named Turpulius.