1But Marius, having been made consul, as I said above, by the most eager wish of the commons, after the people had assigned him the province of Numidia, hostile to the nobility already before, now indeed pressed them hard, constantly and fiercely; 1he attacked them now singly, now all together; 1he kept saying that he had taken the consulship from them as spoils from the conquered, and other things besides, boastful for himself and wounding to them. 2Meanwhile he gave first place to what was needed for the war: he asked for reinforcements for the legions, summoned auxiliaries from peoples and kings, and besides called up the bravest men from Latium and the allies, most of them known to him through service, a few by reputation, and by canvassing induced men whose service was complete to set out with him.
3Nor did the senate, although it was hostile to him, dare to refuse him anything. 3Indeed it had even decreed the reinforcements gladly, because it was thought that military service was not to the liking of the commons and that Marius would lose either the resources for war or the devotion of the mob. 3But that hope proved vain: so great a desire to go with Marius had seized most men. 4Each pictured to himself that he would grow rich with plunder and return home a victor, and other things of this kind, and Marius had roused them not a little with his speech. 5For when all that he had demanded had been decreed and he wished to enlist soldiers, he called an assembly of the people, both to encourage them and, as was his habit, to attack the nobility.
5Then he spoke in this way: