▁Unfortunately ▁his ▁fa ction ▁lost ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁Italy ▁right ▁after ▁his ▁departure ▁and ▁in ▁ 8 1 ▁BC ▁Sul la ▁sent ▁G ai us ▁An nius ▁L us cus ▁with ▁several ▁leg ions ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁Spanish ▁provinces ▁from ▁S ert or ius . ▁After ▁a ▁brief ▁resistance ▁S ert or ius ▁and ▁his ▁men ▁are ▁exp elled ▁form ▁His p ania . ▁They ▁end ▁up ▁in ▁Ma ure t ania ▁in ▁north - western ▁Africa ▁where ▁they ▁conquer ed ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁T ing is . ▁Here ▁the ▁L us it ani ans , ▁a ▁fier ce ▁I ber ian ▁tribe ▁who ▁were ▁about ▁to ▁be ▁inv aded ▁by ▁a ▁S ull an ▁governor , ▁approached ▁him . ▁They ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁become ▁their ▁war ▁leader ▁in ▁the ▁fight ▁against ▁the ▁S ull ans . ▁In ▁ 8 0 ▁BC ▁S ert or ius ▁land ed ▁at ▁the ▁little ▁fish ing ▁town ▁of ▁B ael o ▁near ▁the ▁P ill ars ▁of ▁Her cules ▁( G ib ral tar ) ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁His p ania . ▁So on ▁after ▁his ▁landing ▁he ▁fought ▁and ▁defeated ▁the ▁S ull an ▁general ▁F uf id ius ▁( the ▁a for ement ioned ▁S ull an ▁governor ) ▁at ▁the ▁Ba et is ▁river . ▁After ▁this ▁he ▁defeated ▁several ▁S ull an ▁arm ies ▁and ▁drove ▁his ▁oppon ents ▁from ▁Spain . ▁Th re aten ed ▁by ▁S ert or ius ' ▁success es , ▁the ▁Senate ▁in ▁Rome ▁upgrad ed ▁His