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In the meantime, Sertorius was assassinated by his friends, of whom Perpenna was the chief leader, and he attempted to do what Sertorius had done, having indeed the same troops and means, but not equal judgment for the management of them.
And when they afterwards received tidings that Pompey was passing the Pyrenees, they took up their arms, laid hold on their ensigns, called upon Perpenna to lead them to Sertorius, and threatened him that if he refused they would go without him, and place themselves under a commander who was able to defend himself and those that served him.
Now communications were entered into with the proscribed; Marcus Perpenna, governor of Sicily in the days of Cinna, arrived in the capital. The sons of those whom Sulla had declared guilty of treason on whom the laws of the restoration bore with intolerable severity and generally the more noted men of Marian views were invited to give their accession.
Perpenna yielded, and led them to join the troops of Sertorius, to the number of fifty-three cohorts. XVI. All the nations within the Iber river were now joining Sertorius at once, and he was powerful in numbers; for they were continually flocking and crowding to him from all quarters.
For five years the struggle continued, and seemed little likely to come to an end, when Sertorius was assassinated by his second in command, Perpenna. Perpenna was unable to wield the power which he had thus acquired, and was defeated and taken prisoner by Pompey. He endeavored to save his life by producing the correspondence of Sertorius.
Accordingly, at the first encounter with Pompeius, the wretchedly led and despondent ranks of the insurgents were utterly broken, and Perpenna, among other officers, was taken prisoner.
The army submitted, but with mistrust and reluctance. However men had murmured against Sertorius in his lifetime, death reinstated the hero in his rights, and vehement was the indignation of the soldiers when, on the publication of his testament, the name of Perpenna was read forth among the heirs.
But meanwhile Metellus had come up, had overthrown the corps of Perpenna ranged against him, and taken his camp: it was not possible to resume the battle against the two armies united.
The consul Lupus impatiently pressed for a decision, and did not listen to the disagreeable advice of Marius that he should exercise his men unaccustomed to service in the first instance in petty warfare. At the very outset the division of Gaius Perpenna, 10,000 strong, was totally defeated.
With him, as it would seem, fell Ariarathes king of Cappadocia. But not long after this victory Aristonicus was attacked by Marcus Perpenna, the successor of Crassus; his army was dispersed, he himself was besieged and taken prisoner in Stratonicea, and was soon afterwards executed in Rome.
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