[3] His faction lost the war in Italy right after his departure and in 81 BC Sulla sent Gaius Annius Luscus with several legions to take the Iberian provinces from Sertorius.

Threatened by Sertorius' success the Senate in Rome upgraded Hispania Ulterior to a proconsular province and sent the proconsul Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius with a large army to fight him.

[5] Sertorius used guerrilla tactics so effectively he wore down Metellus to the point of exhaustion while his legate Lucius Hirtuleius defeated the governor of Hispania Citerior Marcus Domitius Calvinus.

[8] In 75 BC Sertorius decided to take on Metellus and leave the battered Pompey to his legates Perpenna and Gaius Herennius (probably a Samnite noble).

The battlefield gave no distinct tactical advantage to either side, so what developed was a conventional clash of strength, morale and endurance.

While Sertorius was en route Hirtuleius made things worse in the south by getting himself drawn into a pitched battle with Metellus near the Roman colony of Italica.

[13] Sertorius failed to destroy Pompey at the Battle of Sucro, and with Metellus on the way he had no other choice than to march inland and revert to guerrilla warfare.