Hello, and welcome back to the history of Rome.

It's been a while, I know.

So let's quickly recap where we're at.

In 85 BC, Sola won his war in the East against Mithridades and came to terms with the rebellious

King.

While the war in Asia unfolded, Sola had been too busy to worry about the fact that technically

he was an official exile from Rome, a consequence of his political struggle with the now dead

Marius and the soon-to-be dead Sina.

But having emerged victorious abroad, it was time to turn back to his domestic political

problems.

Sina, who had been in sole control of Rome since Marius' death three years earlier, knew

that Sola's imminent return did not bode well for him, his career, or his life.

So he organized an army to stand between Sola and Rome.

But in his haste to block Sola, Sina pushed his own troops too hard, and was murdered in

a mutiny in 84 BC.

So that's where we left off, with Sola preparing to march back to Rome, and, well, let's pick

it up there.

Inside Rome, news of Sola's imminent return was met with panic.

Please recall that during Marius and Sina's reign, most of the Sola's supporters had

been purged, so the state was staffed with fierce Marian partisans who dreaded the return

of their mortal enemy.

In anticipation of a coming battle, the consuls chosen for the year 83 BC were both fierce

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