want of food, he turned from the road, and plunging into a deep forest, passed the night in great suffering.  The next day, compelled by hunger and wishing to make use of his remaining strength before he was completely exhausted, he went along the shore, encouraging his followers, and entreating them not to abandon the last hope, for which he reserved himself on the faith of an old prediction.  For when he was quite a youth and living in the country, he caught in his garment an eagle’s nest as it was falling down, with seven young ones in it; which his parents wondering at, consulted the soothsayers, who told them that their son would become the most illustrious of men, and that it was the will of fate that he should receive the supreme command and magistracy seven times.  Some affirm that this really happened to Marius; but others say that those who were with Marius at this time and in the rest of his flight heard the story from him, and believing it, recorded an event which is altogether fabulous.  For an eagle has not more than two young ones at a time, and they say that Musaeus[125] was mistaken when he wrote of the eagle thus:—­

Lays three, two hatches, and one tends with care.

But that Marius frequently during his flight, and when he was in the extremest difficulties, said that he should survive to enjoy a seventh consulship, is universally admitted.

XXXVII.  They were now about twenty stadia from Minturnae,[126] an Italian city, when they saw at a distance a troop of horse riding towards them, and as it chanced two merchant vessels sailing along the coast.  Running down to the sea as fast as they could and as their strength would allow, and throwing themselves into the water, they swam to the vessels.  Granius having got into one of the vessels, passed over to the island of AEnaria,[127] which is off that coast.  But Marius, who was heavy and unwieldy, was with difficulty held above the water by two slaves and placed in the other vessel, the horsemen being now close to them and calling from the shore to the sailors either to bring the vessel to land or to throw Marius overboard, and to set sail wherever they pleased.  But as Marius entreated them with tears in his eyes, those who had the command of the vessel, after changing their minds as to what they should do as often as was possible in so short a time, at last told the horsemen that they would not surrender Marius.  The horsemen rode off in anger, and the sailors again changing their minds, came to land, and casting anchor at the mouth of the Liris, which spreads out like a lake, they advised Marius to disembark and take some food on land and to rest himself from his fatigues till a wind should rise:  they added, that it was the usual time for the sea-breeze to decline, and for a fresh breeze to spring up from the marshes.  Marius did as they advised, and the sailors carried him out of the vessel and laid him on the grass, little expecting what was to follow.  The sailors immediately