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refused to enter the city, but not because of events; the cousin of Marius, he had realized that Marius was mad, his brain eroded by that second stroke.
    Understanding that every soldier would if pushed serve Marius ahead of himself, Cinna had no choice other than to see himself and Marius “elected” consuls for the year 86 B.C., now only days away. And on New Year's Day Marius entered Rome as consul for the seventh time; the prophecy was fulfilled. With him he brought five thousand ex-slaves fanatically devoted to his cause.
    A bloodbath ensued, the like of which Rome had never seen. Quite demented, Marius ordered his ex-slaves to slaughter all his enemies and many of his friends; the rostra bristled with heads, including those of Catulus Caesar, Lucius Caesar, Caesar Strabo, Publius Crassus, and Gnaeus Octavius Ruso.
    Gaius Julius Caesar, father of Young Caesar, returned to Rome in the midst of the carnage to find himself summoned to see Marius in the Forum Romanum. There he was informed by Marius that his thirteen-year-old son was to be made the flamen Dialis, the special priest of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, principal deity of Rome. For the crazed old man had found the perfect way to prevent Young Caesar from enjoying a political or military career. Young Caesar would never now surpass Gaius Marius in the annals of Rome. The flamen Dialis was forbidden to touch iron, ride a horse, handle a weapon or see the moment of death (as well as a host of other taboos); he could never fight on a battlefield or stand for election to curule executive office. Because at the moment of inauguration and consecration the flamen Dialis had to be married to another patrician, Marius ordered Cinna (a patrician) to give his seven-year-old younger daughter, Cinnilla, to Young Caesar as his wife. The two children were immediately married, after which Young Caesar was formally made flamen Dialis, and his wife Cinnilla flaminica Dialis.
    Scant days into his seventh consulship, Gaius Marius was felled by a third and terminal stroke. He died on the thirteenth day of January. His cousin Sertorius then killed the huge band of ex-slaves, and the bloodbath was over. Cinna took a Valerius Flaccus as his consular colleague to replace Marius, and began the process of soothing a shaken Rome. Now flamen Dialis and a married boy, Young Caesar contemplated a dreary and disappointing future as the lifelong servant of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

Fortunes's Favorites
    A CHRONICLE OF EVENTS BETWEEN 86 B.C. AND 83 B.C.
    Finding his feet, Cinna took control of a much-reduced Senate; while he repealed some of Sulla's laws, he did not repeal all, and the Senate was allowed to continue to exist. Under his aegis, the Senate formally stripped the absent Sulla of his command against King Mithridates and authorized the other consul, Flaccus, to take four legions to the east and relieve Sulla. Flaccus's senior legate in this enterprise was Fimbria, a savage and undisciplined man who yet inspired affection in his soldiers.
    But when Flaccus and Fimbria reached central Macedonia they decided not to turn south into Greece (where Sulla was lying with his army); instead they continued to march across Macedonia toward the Hellespont and Asia Minor. Quite unable to control Fimbria, Flaccus found himself subordinate to his subordinate. Quarreling and disaffected, they reached Byzantium, where the final and fatal falling-out took place. Flaccus was murdered and Fimbria assumed the command. He crossed into Asia Minor and commenced-very successfully-to war against King Mithridates.
    Sulla had become bogged down in Greece, which had welcomed the generals and armies of Mithridates and now hosted a huge Mithridatic force. The city of Athens had defected, so Sulla besieged it; after bitter resistance it fell. Sulla then won two stunning victories around Lake Orchomenus in Boeotia.
    His legate Lucullus had assembled a fleet and also inflicted defeats upon Pontus. Then Fimbria trapped