control of the battlefield. Bomilcar engaged the troops of Rufus, thus preventing him from aiding Metellus' troops. At this point Gaius Marius, an officer who had risen from the ranks, re-organized a few detachments, and led a column of 2,000 soldiers through the Numidians to free his commander Metellus. Marius then led the Roman column up the hill against the Numidian infantry, which retreated, leaving the Romans with control of the hill. From this position, Marius led his men against the rear of the Numidian cavalry, uniting the separated Roman detachments into a single army. At the same time, Rufus had held the Numidian force on the river, and succeeded in killing or routing the Numidian elephants. At evening, the two armies met and rejoined. Despite the retreat of the Numidians, the retreat was well-timed by the quick-thinking Jugurtha. As a result, Jugurtha's forces suffered light casualties compared with the battered Romans. Therefore, the result was somewhat indecisive. The Romans primarily survived the battle thanks to the luck of the Roman scouts prior to the battle, and the inspirational leadership of Marius against the odds. Aftermath Jugurtha disbanded most of his troops and skilfully and successfully reverted to guerilla warfare. Hearing of the Battle of the Muthul and Metellus' subsequent manoeuvres against Numidian cities, Romans back home applauded Metellus' performance: Metellus and Marius drove two columns against the Numidian cities, but Metellus' defeat at Zama forced the Romans to return to Carthage. Marius returned to Rome, where he was elected consul with the support of the people and over the objections of the Senate. Since the Senate did not give him an army, he called for volunteers. He allowed citizen classes that were usually not used for military service, the capite censi (Romans without property), into the army. Marius thus reformed the Roman army, and went on to defeat and capture Jugurtha (106 BC). The Senate disliked Marius (because he was a novus homo ("new man") and not part of the elite) and gave the title of Numidicus to Metellus, and recognized Marius' lieutenant Lucius Cornelius Sulla as the conqueror of Numidia. However, Marius retained the support of the people of Rome, and became consul six more times in the following years. Notes References Sallust, Jugurthine War, 48–55. Theodor Mommsen, History of Rome, book 4 "The Revolution". External links "The Battle of the Muthul River", by M. Moravius Horatius Piscinus