p ania ▁Ul terior ▁to ▁a ▁pro cons ular ▁province ▁and ▁sent ▁the ▁pro cons ul ▁Quint us ▁Ca ec il ius ▁Met ell us ▁P ius ▁with ▁a ▁large ▁army ▁to ▁fight ▁him . ▁S ert or ius ▁used ▁gu err illa ▁tact ics ▁so ▁effectively ▁he ▁wore ▁down ▁Met ell us ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁exhaust ion ▁while ▁S ert or ius ' ▁leg ate ▁Lu cius ▁H irt ule ius ▁defeated ▁the ▁governor ▁of ▁His p ania ▁C iter ior , ▁Marcus ▁Dom it ius ▁Cal vin us . ▁In ▁ 7 6 ▁BC ▁the ▁government ▁in ▁Rome ▁decided ▁to ▁send ▁Pom pe y ▁and ▁an ▁even ▁larger ▁army ▁to ▁help ▁Met ell us . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁S ert or ius ▁was ▁joined ▁by ▁Marcus ▁Per pen na , ▁who ▁brought ▁with ▁him ▁the ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁the ▁army ▁of ▁Marcus ▁A em il ius ▁Le pid us , ▁the ▁re bel ▁cons ul ▁of ▁ 7 8 ▁BC . ▁Thus ▁rein for ced , ▁S ert or ius ▁decided ▁to ▁try ▁and ▁take ▁the ▁Spanish ▁east ▁coast ▁( because ▁the ▁cities ▁there ▁supported ▁his ▁enemies ). ▁His ▁first ▁target ▁was ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Laur on ▁where ▁he ▁out gener aled ▁Pom pe y ▁and ▁mass ac red ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁army ▁( see : ▁the ▁battle ▁of ▁Laur on ). ▁In ▁ 7 5 ▁BC ▁S ert or ius ▁decided ▁to ▁take ▁on ▁Met ell us ▁and ▁leave ▁the ▁batter ed ▁Pom pe y