1Nor in so grave a situation was Marius frightened or more downcast than before, but with his own squadron, which he had formed of the bravest rather than of his closest friends, he ranged everywhere, now going to the help of his men in difficulty, now charging the enemy where they had made their thickest stand; 1he looked after his soldiers with his own hand, since he could not command them when all was in confusion. 2And now the day was spent, when still the barbarians did not slacken at all and, thinking the night was on their side, as the kings had instructed them, pressed on more fiercely. 3Then Marius takes counsel from the circumstances and, so that his men might have a place of retreat, seizes two hills near each other, on one of which, too small for a camp, there was a large spring of water, while the other was convenient for use, because, being for the most part high and steep, it needed few fortifications.
4He orders Sulla to spend the night with the cavalry by the water, while he himself gradually gathers together the scattered soldiers, the enemy being no less disordered, and then leads them all at full pace up on to the hill. 5So the kings, compelled by the difficulty of the position, are deterred from battle, but they do not let their men go farther away; instead, surrounding both hills with their host, they encamped in loose order. 6Then, having lit many fires, for most of the night the barbarians, after their custom, rejoiced, leapt about and made a din with their shouting; 6and the leaders themselves, emboldened because they had not fled, behaved like victors.
7But all this was easily seen by the Romans from the darkness and from higher ground, and was a great encouragement to them.