CAIUS MARTUS. 59

and their position on the earth is under that part of heaven, where the pole is so elevated, that by the decli- nation of the parallels, the zenith of the inhabitants seems to be but little distant from it ; and that their days and nights being almost of an equal length, they divide their year into one of each. This was Homer's occasion for the story of Ulysses calling up the dead,* and from this region the people, anciently called Cimmerii, and after- wards, by an easy change, Cimbri, came into Italy. All this, however, is rather conjecture than an authentic history. Their numbers, most writers agree, were not less, but rather greater than was reported. They were of invinci- ble strength and fierceness in their wars, and hurried into battle with the violence of a devouring flame ; none could withstand them ; all they assaulted became their prey. Several of the greatest Roman commanders with their whole armies, that advanced for the defence of Transalpine Gaul, were ingloriously overthrown, and, indeed, by their faint resistance, chiefly gave them the im- pulse of marching towards Rome. Having vanquished all they had met, and found abundance of plunder, they resolved to settle themselves nowhere till they should have razed the city, and wasted all Italy. The Romans, being from all parts alarmed with this news, sent for Marius to undertake the war, and nominated him the second time consul, though the law did not permit any

• When Ulysses bade Circe fulfil and she came to the ends of the

her promise, and send him on his deep-flowing ocean ; there is the way, she told him he must first visit people and town of the Cimmerians, the home of the dead and consult hidden in mist and cloud ; the shin- Tiresias ; crossing the ocean, he ing sun never looks on them with would come to a shore and to the his rays, either when he climbs the woods of Persephone. Accordingly, starry heaven, or when he turns " through the whole day the sails again from heaven to the earth ; of the ship, travelling through the darkness is spread over unhappy seas, were stretched ; and the sun mortals. There we brought our set and all ways were darkening, ship to shore."