Sertorius decided that Italy was likely lost—and if the cause was to survive, a prudent withdrawal was in order. Having been elected praetor for the year and given Spain as his province, Sertorius abandoned Italy and made his way overland toward Spain to raise new armies. After Sulla won the Civil War and liquidated all his enemies in Italy, Sertorius’s Spanish legions would be the only force left in the world opposing him. Sertorius would emerge as principal leader of the opposition to the coming Sullan regime.
