father's adherents and clients, although overall control of the Marian faction was held by Cinna, who was elected consul on consecutive years until his death in 84 BC. Marius minor was elected consul for 82 BC and deployed on the frontiers of Latium to oppose Sulla, who had conquered the southern part of Italy after landing in Brundisium the prior year. This was a political move by Gnaeus Papirius Carbo, his consular colleague and the new leader of the Marians after Cinna died, to drum up popular support and enthusiasm for the war against Sulla; Marius was much too young and had not held the prerequisite magistracies to be a legally elected consul. Two talented and better-qualified men among the Marian faction, his cousin Marius Gratidianus and Quintus Sertorius, were passed over in favor of the younger Marius "in the interest of unity". Many of the old veterans from the elder Marius's former armies came out of retirement and flocked to the younger Marius's side, and, by the battle of Sacriportus, his army numbered eighty-five cohorts. At the Battle of Sacriportus, in 82 BC, Sulla and his army defeated the army of Marius. Marius with around 7,000 surviving troops retreated to the fortress city of Praeneste, along with the treasury of the Capitoline temple. Sulla's lieutenant Quintus Lucretius Afella, conducted the siege, After his defeat, Marius gave orders to allies in Rome to kill a number of Sullan supporters before Rome was captured by Sulla, including , the ex-consul Lucius Domitius, Publius Antistius and Gaius Carbo. Although both Gnaeus Papirius Carbo and Lucius Junius Brutus Damasippus attempted to break the siege, they were unsuccessful, with relief forces being intercepted and destroyed en route. After receiving news of Sulla's victory at the Battle of the Colline Gate, Marius made one final attempt to escape, this time by digging a tunnel under the walls, but the attempt was uncovered. Marius committed suicide so as not to fall into enemy hands. In 45 BC, a man referred to as Pseudo-Marius appeared in Rome, claiming to be the son of the younger Marius. Notes References Sources 1st-century BC births 82 BC deaths 1st-century BC Roman consuls Ancient Roman generals Ancient Roman outlaws Ancient Romans who committed suicide Gaius the Younger Populares Year of birth uncertain