Editing Quintus Sertorius (section)

==Conspiracy and death==
Metellus, seeing that the key to victory was removing Sertorius, had made his pitch toward the Romans still with Sertorius sometime between 79 and 74&nbsp;BC, likely later rather than earlier: "Should any Roman kill Sertorius he would be given a hundred [[Talent (measurement)|talents]] of silver and twenty-thousand ''[[iugera]]'' of land. If he was an exile he would be free to return to Rome".{{sfn|Plut. ''Sert.''||loc=22.1}}{{sfn|Konrad|1988|p=253}} This "exorbitant" proposed payment for Sertorius' assassination equated to about fifty times the sum granted for the murder of a regular proscribed Roman.{{sfn|Konrad|1988|pp=261, 259}} Metellus' proclamation eventually turned Sertorius paranoid, and he started distrusting his Roman retinue, including his Roman bodyguard, which he exchanged for an Iberian one.{{sfn|Leach|1978|p=51}} This was deeply unpopular among his Roman followers. 

From late 74&nbsp;BC onward, sources report that the once mild and just Sertorius had become paranoid, irritable, and cruel to his subordinates, descending into alcoholism and debauchery.{{sfn|App. ''BCiv.''||loc=1.113}} Plutarch writes that "as his cause grew hopeless, he became harsh toward those who did him wrong".{{sfn|Plut. ''Sert.''|loc=10}} It is generally agreed that Sertorius became cruel in his later years. Konrad, for example, argues that the accounts of Sertorius' tyranny "fit the pattern of the charismatic leader forsaken by good luck", and that many factors support the idea.{{sfn|Konrad|1994|pp=206–7. Konrad notes that Sertorius' tyranny is present across nearly all ancient sources, and also argues that some of Sertorius' staff, particularly the distinguished officers Octavius Graecinus and Tarquitius Priscus, who had probably served under him since 82&nbsp;BC, would not have joined in such a conspiracy to remove a relatively successful leader such as Sertorius unless his behaviour had become intolerable}} A few scholars disagree, however; Spann writes that claims of Sertorius' tyranny may be exaggerated or wholly false (driven by bias in ancient sources), while Bennett believes that unconsidered repetition of said claims is "bad history".<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Bennett |first=William H. |date=1961 |title=The Death of Sertorius and the Coin |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4434715 |journal=Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte |volume=10 |issue=4 |page=467 |issn=0018-2311}}</ref> 

By 73&nbsp;BC, the Roman aristocrats who comprised the higher classes of his domain were discontent with Sertorius. They had grown jealous of his power, and could now see that victory was growing impossible. Sertorius' return to guerrilla warfare in 74&nbsp;BC had worsened this jealousy by placing the Iberians in his retinue in more prominent positions than his Roman staff.{{sfn|Konrad|1994|p=205}} Perperna, aspiring to take Sertorius' place and perhaps resentful from serving as the subordinate of a "new man" like Sertorius for so long,<ref name=":0" /> encouraged the discontent of Sertorius' top Roman staff for his own ends, leading the conspiracy against him.{{sfn|Plut. ''Pomp.''|loc=20}} The conspirators began oppressing the local Iberian tribes in Sertorius' name.{{sfn|Plut. ''Sert.''|loc=25}} This stirred discontent and revolt in the tribes, resulting in a cycle of oppression, with Sertorius uncertain as to the cause. Sertorius executed and sold many of the Oscan schoolchildren into slavery as a result of these native revolts.   

=== Assassination ===
[[File:Vicente Cutanda La muerte de Sertorio.jpg|thumb|The Death of Sertorius, by [[Vicente Cutanda]]. ]]Perperna chose to assassinate Sertorius due to his belief that Sertorius may learn of his conspiracy from the other members.{{sfn|Plut. ''Sert.''|loc=26}} Perperna told Sertorius of a supposed victory over the Roman generals and suggested a banquet. Perperna, with effort, persuaded Sertorius to attend to separate him from his bodyguards. 

The banquet took place at Osca, Sertorius' capital, sometime in 73 or 72&nbsp;BC. The conspirators included many of Sertorius' top staff, such as [[Antonia gens|Marcus Antonius]], Lucius Fabius Hispaniensis, Gaius [[Octavia gens|Octavius]] Graecinus, Gaius [[Tarquitia gens|Tarquitius]] Priscus (all proscribed senators), Aufidius, Manlius, and Perperna himself. Sertorius' scribes, Versius and Maecenas, may have been involved since they were in perfect positions to forge evidence of Perperna's supposed victory.{{sfn|Konrad|1987|p=522}} Sertorius' loyal Spanish bodyguards were made drunk and kept outside of the banquet hall.{{sfn|Konrad|1994|p=215}} 

Although Appian's description of Sertorius' debauchery may be exaggerated, some sources believe Sertorius was drunk at the banquet.{{sfnm|Konrad|1994|1p=211–212, 214|App. ''BCiv.''||2loc=1.113}} Plutarch reports that any festivities Sertorius was invited to were apparently very proper, but this banquet was purposely indecent, "with the hope of angering Sertorius".{{sfn|Plut. ''Sert.''||loc=26}} Why the assassins wanted to goad Sertorius is unclear, given an agitated man would be harder to kill than an unsuspecting one. Sertorius, either out of disgust or due to his inebriation, threw himself back on the couch he was resting on.{{sfn|Konrad|1994|p=214}} Perperna then gave the signal to the conspirators by dropping his goblet on the floor, and they attacked. Antonius slashed at Sertorius, but he turned away from the blow and would have risen if Antonius did not hold him down.{{sfn|Plut. ''Sert.''||loc=26}} The others stabbed him until he was dead.