The political career of gaius Marius

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The Roman general and politician Gaius Marius is remembered as one of the most influential figures of Roman history. Starting in 134 B.C. as a military tribune, Marius, through years of war and political strife, became the first Roman to be elected as consul seven times throughout his life. He reformed the Roman army, defeated Germanic tribes that invaded from the north, fought against the Numidians, marched on Rome, and became one of the main individuals who were responsible for the fall of the Roman Republic. In this short essay, I’ll chronicle Marius’ political career from the time he served in the army at Numantia to his death in 86 B.C. Then I’ll answer three questions about why Marius did what he did and what impact his actions had on Rome. ​​

When he was an officer-cadet in 134 B.C. Marius served on Scipio Aemilianus’ staff in the Numantine War in Spain (Balsdon, 2006). Plutarch writes that because Marius excelled other men in bravery, Aemilianus, when asked who would succeed him, gently tapped Marius on the shoulder and told his questioners that Marius would probably be the one to lead after him (Plutarch, 1920). The speech Aemilianus gave about him inspired Marius to enter politics and, with the help of Caecilius Metellus, became quaestor in the late 120s and tribune of the plebs in 119. 

As a tribune, Marius showed his contempt for the upper classes of Rome by recommending a bill that narrowed the gangway across which voters passed to fill and deposit their ballot tablets (2006). Thus, there was no longer any room for aristocrats, who abused their position to influence people’s votes on the gangway. But Marius also showed that he didn’t always try to find favor with the people when he vetoed a popular grain bill.

He then failed to become aedile and was only just elected as praetor in 115 (Boatwright, Garcola, and Talbert, 2006). The next year he served as governor of Further Spain and then married Julia, from the Julii Caesar family, who was the aunt of Julius Caesar.

When the consul Quintus Metellus was made commander in the war against Jugurtha, a Numidian king, Metellus made Marius his legate and they both went to North Africa to face Jugurtha’s forces there (1920). After Metellus defeated Jugurtha in a battle, Marius returned to Rome in 108 to become consul. And to the disappointment of Metellus, Marius was appointed as commander in Numidia by equestrians and plebeians.

Marius then began to draft men into the army. Because of a shortage in manpower, Marius called on volunteers, many from the lowest social classes. In 105 Marius captured Jugurtha when Jugurtha’s ally, King Bocchus of Mauretania, switched his allegiance to Sulla (2006). Because of his victory against Jugurtha, Marius was elected as consul again in 104. When the Germanic tribes of the Cimbri and Teutones invaded from the north and defeated several Roman armies, Marius used troops from consul Rutillius Rufus and defeated the Teutones in Aquae Sextiae in 102. In 101 he went to help consul Quintus Lutatius Catulus and together they defeated the Cimbri at the Vercellae.

This was the peak of Marius’ political career. He had had the unique opportunity to serve as consul every year since 104 and he was elected again in 100. Marius was always supported by the equestrians because he came from that class. And the common people of Rome liked him because he wasn’t an aristocrat. He also had support from his veterans who were loyal to their general.

Yet in the next several years, Marius’ political career began to crumble (2006). To become consul a sixth time Marius bribed voters and became an ally of tribune Saturninus, who had created a bill for the settlement of veterans in Africa. Saturninus and senators opposed each other over this law because senators were required to uphold it within five days of its passing. In fact, Marius’ rival Metellus left Rome and retired to Greece because he objected to the way the bill was carried.

Conflict then arose between Saturninus and Marius. In this conflict both Saturninus, and his colleague Glaucia, seized the capital. Marius convinced the senate to pass a “last decree” to protect the senate from Saturninus, Glaucia, and their supporters, and both Saturninus and Glaucia were captured and detained in the Senate house. But a mob striped off the roof and stoned them to death in 100. Even though Marius wasn’t exactly responsible for their deaths, he was now viewed as a man who betrayed his friends.

In Italy, discontent, taxation, and poverty led to a rebellion called the Social War that occurred from 90 to 88 B.C. In 88, there was violent opposition in Rome when tribune Sulpicius Rufus planned to transfer the Asian command from Consul Sulla to Marius (1920). In response, Sulla marched with his army from Campania on Rome and Marius was exiled.

Marius escaped to Africa. But while Sulla fought in Greece, chaos in Rome caused the then ruling consul, Cinna, to be driven out of the city. Cinna then went to Campania, took over Sulla’s legion, and led it towards Rome. As this happened, Marius went to Etruria and raised an army. He destroyed Ostia and, after joining with Cinna, retook Rome. Marius then took revenge by ordering the execution of a number of different senators whom he believed were treacherous and ungrateful to him. Both Cinna and Marius were elected as consul in 86. This was Marius’ seventh and final time as consul, but on January 13 of that same year,  Marius died.

Why motivated Marius? Throughout his career, Marius was motivated by ambition and a hatred of the Roman aristocracy (2006). His constant efforts to get reelected as consul reveal a strong desire to be on top. But his disdain for the Roman nobility frequently put him in conflict with the senate. And his murderous attack on Rome with Cinna shows that his hatred was passionate.
    
What was the immediate impact of his decisions? Marius was an excellent military commander. His reorganization of the Roman army’s structure made it a more effective war machine (1920). During Marius’ time, troops became more loyal to their generals than to Rome. Loyal troops are what men like him, Sulla, and eventually Julius Caesar needed to attain the power they wanted over Rome. 
 
Was he good or bad for Rome? Marius was both good and bad for Rome for different reasons. He was good for Rome because he made Rome’s army stronger. But he was bad for Rome because his conflict with the senate and the civil strife he started foreshadowed the dark years that would occur in the future as the Roman Republic slowly fell.   ​

 Sources ​

​​Balsdon, J. P. D. (2006). Gaius Marius. Retrieved February 14, 2014, from Encyclopedia Britannica website: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/365552/Gaius-Marius
Boatwright, M. T., Garcola, D. J., & Talbert, R. J.A. (2006). A Brief History of the Romans. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Plutarch. (1920). The Life of Marius. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from The Parallel Lives by Plutarch website: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Marius*.html