The Romans continued to send armies out to face the Teutones and Cimbri, but each was defeated in turn, one more disastrous than the other. Rome was fortunate in that, after a punishing defeat in 105BC, the tribes headed westwards into Gaul and northern Spain before heading back in the direction of the wealthy and fertile lands of northern Italy once more.
To solve the threat from the Northmen, an experienced general was needed. Breaking with traditional precedent, the senate re-elected their victorious commander in North Africa, Gaius Marius, as consul. This was normally a position to be held for a single year, but the senate allowed Marius to keep being re-elected until the threat was dealt with. Marius had just brought the Jugurthine Wars to a successful end, and he set about preparing his army for the confrontation with the tribes. He is traditionally credited with introducing a number of reforms to the army, such as accepting poor recruits who did not qualify. This idea has been challenged recently to such a degree that the ‘Marian Reforms’ are probably a modern mirage (see XV.4). Nonetheless, Marius energetically took to readying his troops. He was fortunate in having several years to prepare his army for their first big test. By 102 BC he seems to have raised and trained six legions and gathered allies and auxiliaries, including many Ligurian tribesmen, to swell his numbers.
