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Sertorius was able to rule most of Iberia for over six years. During that time, he won the support of the various Spanish tribes by his moderate government. He was able to persuade them that he could protect them against the brutality of the Republican governors who were imposed on them by the Senate. His own policy of mercy was a contrast with previous administrations and this won him the loyalty of many tribes. The various tribes came to genuinely believe that Sertorius would protect their interests against Rome. Much of this was because he was a brilliant politician and something of a showman. Sertorius used a white faun which he claimed was an oracle of the Goddess Diana to win the support of the more credulous among the tribal leaders <ref> Plutarch, Life of Sertorius, 7, 1</ref>. The rebellious general was able to create a nascent state which was based on an alliance between Iberians and Roman exiles. According to Plutarch Sertorius established a Senate in Iberia. This was composed of both locals and exiles from Rome and numbered 300 strong and there were also offices such as Quaestor <ref> Plutarch, Life of Sertorius, 7. 8</ref>. Sertorius also established a school at Osca for the children of Spanish nobles where they were instructed in Latin and Greek culture. Sertorius The general had hoped to establish an independent Iberian state that and if he succeed it had survived would have potentially even been a rival to Rome itself. However, the assassination of Sertorius ended thispossibility. It could be argued that the idea of an independent and united state in Iberia was unlikely. After all, before his the general's assassination the alliance between the Latins and the Iberians was breaking down and Sertorius had even executed some of the noble Iberian children that had attended the school at Osca, when their fathers had rebelled. However, he had a lasting influence on the provinces of Iberia as his polices were crucial in the eventual Romanization of the region <ref> Matyzak, p 119</ref>.