It was taken without much difficulty and burned, while the inhabitants were either killed or sold into slavery.
City after city, fort after fort, fell into the hands of the untiring general, until at length he reached another of the king’s treasure forts.
The name of the fort is unknown. It was not a town, but a mere border citadel in the far west of Numidia, and was built on the top of a high rock, which looked impossible to scale. The one way of approach to the fort was by a steep and narrow path.
Marius besieged the fort, but it was strongly defended, and had a large store of arms, as well as of food and water.
It was here that a reinforcement of Italian cavalry joined him, under the command of Cornelius Sulla. As Marius had proved a thorn in the flesh to Metellus, so Sulla was to prove to his commander. In days to come he was his rival and his most bitter enemy.
Marius had at length decided to give up the siege of the border fort, when a way was found to take it.
A soldier from the Roman camp was one day looking at the steep rock which sloped down from the fort, when he noticed a ledge on which there were a number of snails.
As snails happened to be his favourite food, he climbed up to gather them, then clambered farther in search of more.
Higher and higher he mounted, until at length he found himself near the top of the cliff.
He now saw that he was close to an oak tree, the root of which was embedded deep in a crevice.