How did the military + political career of Gaius Marius contribute to the Fall of the Republic

political
1. consulships
  1. not first to hold consecutive consulships e.g. Publius Cornelius Scipio
  2. 107 b.c.
  3. 104 b.c. - 100 b.c.
  4. 86 b.c.
2. supports Saturnius
  1. fails to prevent lynching of Saturnius + Glaucia o loses political credit
    1. but never loses the love of the people
    2. "He sponsored one measure that the Senate liked and the People disliked, and another that appealed to the People and not to the Senate suggests that he has sought political support wherever he could find it" - Scullard 1959
3. eastern command
  1. given to Sulla, elected consul in 88
  2. "bribes" tribune P. Sulpicius Rufus to introduce bill to transfer command to Marius
  3. pushes bill through with help of the veterans
  4. sparks Sulla's first march on Rome 88-87 b.c.
4. Marian Massacres
  1. after Marian returns
    1. "outmaneuvered in Rome by the Senatorial leaders whom he had antagonised"
  2. five days of massacring Sulla's allies
    1. "the gates of teh city were closed, and the massacres began" - the Times of M + S
    2. "The city was a scene of murder, plunder and outrage. After this spasm of slaughter, a reign of terror continued for several month. No man's life was safe if he was suspected by Marius" - the Times of M + S
5. Sulla's first march on Rome
  1. Mairus is exiled
  2. Bitter enmity developed between Marius and Sulla"
6. 119 b.c. as pleb tribune, carries bill limiting the power of nobility in elections
7. "the Third Founder of Rome
9. "...seeds of rivalry were down between Marius and Sulla, champions of teh Populares and Optimares, and teh influence of teh army in the political life was foreshadowed" - Scullard 1959
10. "the People's Hero"
11. "...whether he could rival his military achievements when he turned to the battleground of politics..." - Scullard 1959
12. "Marius's own lack of political ability or ambition, combined with his innate sense of law and order, limited the possible development of evil" - Scullard 1959
military
1. Jugurthine war
  1. chosen as member of staff for Metellus to placate Equite + Italian intrests
  2. opnely critices Metellus
  3. against Metellus's wishes, returns to Rome to run for consulship 107 b.c.
  4. the People vote to transfer command in Africa to him
  5. beats Jugurtha within 2yrs
  6. takes unprecedented step in employing prolaterii men
  7. "The shadow of Jugurtha lengthened, and at times, supersitious fears seemd to sweep over the masses" - Scullard
  8. "urbem venalem et maturae perituram, si emptorem invenerit" - Jugurtha's partin remark
  9. "...pressure from the Equites and the People at last forced teh Senate to more decisive action against the wily Jugurtha who would probably have been only too glad to avoid war if eh could have secured Numidia without it" - Scullard 1959
2. First Barbaric War
  1. first victory
    1. builds camp not near water
      1. only water (the Rhone) is next to the barbarian camp
      2. "...there is some water for you...but you have to pay for it with blood"
      3. small but desperate contingent creep up on barbarians, followed later by reinforcements
  2. barbarian women fight - better to die than be alves
  3. Marius is alwaya able to choose the right time and palce
  4. final battle:
    1. sets a trap for the Cimibir
    2. makes animal sacrifice, gods in favour
    3. Romans outnumbered 2:1
    4. poistioned so the sun rises behind them, sun at midday shines off their armour
    5. wipe out 100,020 Cimbiri
  5. rambling movements of tribes gave Romans time to prepare
  6. eturns as a saviour, never loses the love of the people
  7. "as the people's consul, he attended to win the war with a people's army"
  8. "slaughters the Teutons and Ambrose at Aquae Sextiae in 102 b.c., and the Cimbiri at Vercellae in 101 b.c., to save Italy"
  9. but the man of the hour was Gaius Marius, defender of Rome, its leading citizen. He had won his victories partly on his own skill and partly on the strength of his reforms of teh army..."
3. military reforms
  1. recruits from proletarii class
  2. makes the cohort the chief tactical unit, instead of maniple
  3. Marius's Mules
    1. because made to carry all their own geasr, tools etc, which makes them more flexible
    2. forces men to look + learn
  4. state supple + train as professional soldier based off gladatorial schools
  5. elimited manipular (strict + rigid) military formations
  6. special relationship with general
    1. general provides land + booty + protection
    2. veterans politically support their generals
  7. use of silver eagel as standard
    1. legend
      1. came across an eagle's nest with 7 eggs - an omen that he would have consulship 7 times
  8. most flexible, fit and best-outfitted ancient army
  9. infantry armed aliike
  10. revolutionised the pilum
  11. "...became one of the finest fighting machines of antiquity" - Scullard 1959
  12. "a general of great ability, if not genius" - Scullard 1959
4. first military service under Scipio Amelianus at Numantia
legacy
1. first "novo homo" in 35 yrs to be consul
2. military reforms allow the creation of warlord dynsats
3. increases seperation of senatorial class from other classes
  1. "The People...ready to use any stick with which to beat the Senate" - Scullard 1959
  2. rumors of senatorial corruption with Jugurtha
  3. "Byprovoking suspicions of Senatorial corruption, it had exacerbated the relations of the Senate with the People and the Equites, already aggravated by teh Gracchi. It had increased interference by the last two groups in foreign policy and had elected a "popular" general to potentially dangerous heights" - Scullard 1959
4. enthusiastic military with intense loyalty to their general over the state
  1. now generals expected to provide + be generous to their troops
    1. "took to their commanders to provide spoils and help the, after demobilisation" - Scullard 1959
  2. "These semi-professionalised soldiers, bound to their commanders by ties of personal intrest, made possible the rise of a series of military dictators who in the end, overthrow the Republic" - Scullard 1959
5. power to the militaruy
6. legacy of people support for one warlod in power
7. under Marius, violence, not diplomacy, used to settle debates
8. assasination of competitors
9. "the army began to domainte the state" (From Marius to Caesar)
10. "saved Rom only to cut the heart out of the Repblic" - History Channel
11. "marius officially opened the army to them as a career" - Scullard 1959
12. Danger to the State would arise only when military need elevated men of greater political insight who were prepared to use the army for their own personal advancement" - Scullard 1959
13. "...to displace a commander legally appointed by the Senate was an act unhear of"
"...a self-made man with no artistocratic background. He came from humble origins and made a spectacular career for himself through the Roman army..."
Marius's speech on his common birth
1. "For to coerce your troops with severity, while you yourself live at ease, is to ba a tyrant, not a general"
2. "...the scars of wounds on my chest. These are my statues; this is my nobility; honours, not left like theirs, by inheritance, but acquired amid innumerable toils and dangers"
3. "What they have but hear or read, I have witnessed or performed"
4. "they despise my humbleness of birth; I condem their imbecility. My condition is made an object to me; theyr misconduct is a reproach to them"
5. "...to fear nothing but dishonour"
"he was hailed as the saviour of his Country, the second Cornellius, and the third Romulus" - the Times of Marius + Sulla
"a great man who had crumbled into ruins" - the Times of M + S

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How did the military + political career of Gaius Marius contribute to the Fall of the Republic

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	Created by Marta Cortada over 9 years ago