One town after another surrendered, Metellus occupied the Celtiberian towns of Segobriga (between Toledo and Cuenca) and Bilbilis (near Calatayud).

Pompeius besieged Pallantia (Palencia above Valladolid), but Sertorius relieved it, and compelled Pompeius to fall back upon Metellus; in front of Calagurris (Calahorra, on the upper Ebro), into which Sertorius had thrown himself, they both suffered severe losses.

Nevertheless, when they went into winter-quarters--Pompeius to Gaul, Metellus to his own province--they were able to look back on considerable results; a great portion of the insurgents had submitted or had been subdued by arms.
In a similar way the campaign of the following year (681) ran its course; in this case it was especially Pompeius who slowly but steadily restricted the field of the insurrection.
Internal Dissension among the Sertorians The discomfiture sustained by the arms of the insurgents failed not to react on the tone of feeling in their camp.

The military successes of Sertorius became like those of Hannibal, of necessity less and less considerable; people began to call in question his military talent: he was no longer, it was alleged, what he had been; he spent the day in feasting or over his cups, and squandered money as well as time.

The number of the deserters, and of communities falling away, increased.