[Footnote 130:  Plutarch does not say what the copper coins were; nor is it important.  The penalty was merely nominal, but it was accompanied by what the Romans called Infamia.  Fannia showed on this occasion that she was a better woman than Marius took her to be.  Tinnius is perhaps not a Roman name.  There are many errors in proper names in Plutarch’s text.  Perhaps the true reading is Titinius. (See the note of Sintenis).]

[Footnote 131:  All or nearly all of the Italian cities had a municipal constitution.  The chief magistrates were generally two, and called Duumviri.  The Council was called the Decuriones or Senate.]

[Footnote 132:  This is the island of Gerba in the regency of Tunis, close to the shore and to the town of Gabs or Cabes.  It is now a large and populous island inhabited by an industrious manufacturing population.  It is about 200 miles south of Tunis, which is near the site of Carthage.  Cercina is a group of smaller islands above 50 miles north of Meninx, now called the Karkenna islands.  These distances show that Marius must have been rambling about for some time this coast. (Penny Cyclopaedia, art.  “Tunis.")]

[Footnote 133:  Cn.  Octavius Nepos and L. Cornelius Cinna were consuls B.C. 87.  Cinna had sworn to maintain the interests of the Senate (Sulla, c. 10), but when Sulla had left Italy for the Mithridatic war, Cinna declared himself in favour of the new citizens, and attempted to carry the measure for incorporating them with the old tribes.  It is said that he received a considerable sum of money for undertaking this.  The parties of Cinna and Octavius armed for the contest which was expected to take place when this measure was proposed.  Octavius drove his opponents out of the Forum with great slaughter, and Cinna left the city.  He was joined by great numbers of the new citizens and then formed an army.  The Senate passed a decree that Cinna was neither consul nor a citizen, inasmuch as he had deserted the city, and offered freedom to the slaves if they would join him.  L. Cornelius Merula, who was elected consul in place of Cinna, was flamen dialis, or Priest of Jupiter.  He put himself to death by opening his veins, after Marius and Cinna entered Rome. (Appian, Civil Wars, i. 74).]

[Footnote 134:  Now Talamone, on the coast of Tuscany near Orbitello.]

[Footnote 135:  Rome had long before this derived supplies of corn from Sicily and other parts out of Italy.  Perhaps this may prove that the cultivation in the Campagna of Rome and the countries south of Terracina had not improved with the increase of Rome.  But other countries are better suited for grain than the low lands of this side of Italy, and so far as concerns the cost of transport, grain might be brought from Sardinia and Sicily as cheaply as from many parts of Italy, and cheaper than from the plains of Apulia, which is a good corn country.]

[Footnote 136:  Metellus Pius was now carrying on the war against the Samnites, who were still in arms.  He came to Rome at the invitation of the Senate. (Appian, Civil Wars, i. 68.)]