1When he learned of this, Bocchus asked Marius by letter to send Sulla to him, so that their common affairs might be settled by his judgement; he was sent with a guard of cavalry and Balearic slingers. 2Besides, there went archers and a Paelignian cohort with the arms of light skirmishers, for the sake of speed on the march, and with these they were no less protected than with other arms against the enemy's missiles, since those are light. 3But on the march, on the fifth day at last, Volux, the son of Bocchus, suddenly appears on the open plains with not more than a thousand horsemen, who, riding at random and in loose order, gave Sulla and all the others the impression of a greater number than the truth and the fear of an enemy.
4So each man got himself ready, tried and bent his arms and weapons; 4there was considerable fear, but greater hope, since they were victors and facing those whom they had often defeated. 5Meanwhile horsemen sent ahead to reconnoitre report that the situation, as indeed it was, was peaceful.