Caius Marius: Setting the Stage for the Roman Revolution

1
Caius Marius Setting the Stage for the
Roman Revolution
2
Marius Overview

• Served as model for Julius Caesar
• Career embodied rising popular hostility toward
  senatorial aristocracy
• Military reforms changed structure of Roman
  society

3
From the Gracchito Marius

• Punic Wars created empire and problems
• Urgent need for land reform/rise of latifundia
• Unrest in city states
• Dispossessed including veterans flood Rome
• New political equation
• Nobiles
• Equites
• Plebs
• Optimates vs. Populares

4
From the Gracchito Marius

• Optimates vs. Populares
• Represent temporary coalitions, not political
  parties
• Distinguished by methods Authority of Senate vs.
  popular assemblies
• But boils down into struggle between
  conservatives and reformers

5
From the Gracchito Marius

• The Gracchi
• Family connections strongly Optimate
• Father was twice consul and censor
• Mother was daughter of Scipio Africanus
• Sister was wife of Scipio Aemilianus
• Tiberius recognized urgency of issues
• Aim revitalize citizen arm
• Key Break hold of nobiles over land
• Issue Senate action unlikely

6
From the Gracchito Marius

• Tiberius employed tribunate to take on senate
  directly
• Introduced bill to concilium plebis bill limiting
  amount of public land individuals could hold (500
  iugera)
• Bill not radical/method highly disturbing new
  use of concilium plebis
• Senate co-opts tribune M. Octavius to veto bill
• Ti. Gracchus (1) ousts Octavius (2) passes bill
  (3) sets up land commission (note presence of Ap.
  Claudius Pulcher)
• Senate blocks financing
• Ti. appropriates bequest of Attalus III/seeks
  second tribuneship
• Ti. assassinated in 133 BCE

7
From the Gracchito Marius

• Tiberiuss short career illustrates
• Divisions in Roman society
• Weaknesses in constitutional system risks when
  traditional approaches infringed
• No method for resolving issues/only recourse
  violence

8
From the Gracchito Marius

• Land commission continues to operate
• Immigration, franchise issues set stage for
  Social Wars/Revolt of Fregellae
• G. Gracchus elected tribune 123 and 122
• Expanded on brothers plans (roads/colonies/grain
  subsidies/legal reforms favoring
  equites/assignment of provinces before elections
• Downfall came when tried to extend franchise to
  cities of Italy dilute everyone's position
• M. Livius Drusus wins election
• Riots follows Senate attempt to cancel colony in
  Carthage
• Caius killed in rioting or subsequent executions

9
The Rise of Marius

• The career of Gaius Marius did more than any
  other single factor to make possible that series
  of civil wars which only ended in the
  establishment of the Principate.
• The Cambridge Ancient History, vol. IX, p. 133.)

10
Marius Early Career

• Born in 157 BCE in Arpinum
• Plutarch says that father was a laborer this is
  highly unlikely (connections with nobility local
  and at Rome suggest that came from equestrian
  family of some prominence)
• 134 BCE Serves at Numantia (Spain) under Scipio
  Aemilianus elected military tribune
• Runs for quaestorship after losing election in
  Arpinum
• 120 Elected tribune for 119 with support of
  Metellus takes popular line
• Runs for aedileship (curule and plebian)
• 116 BCE Elected (barely) praetor
• 114 Governor of Lusitania
• C. 110 BCE Marries Julia Caesaris, Caesars aunt

11
Marius Legate to Metellus

• Caecilii Metelli were inherited patrons
• 109 BCE Accompanies Metellus in Jugurthine War
  (111-104 BCE) as Legate
• Metellus leverages Mariuss military experience
  Marius gains experience for next steps in
  political career

12
Marius Consul and Commander the Jugurthine War

• C. 108 BCE Decides to run for consulship
• Wins favor with troops and Italian traders
• Elected consul in for 107 BCE has comitia
  tributa override Senate decision and is named to
  head war against Jugurtha
• In recruiting, changes structure and ultimately
  loyalty of army (no property qualification)
• 104 BCE Uses Sulla to capture Jugurtha

13
Marius Consul and Commander The Cimbri,
Teutones and Saturninus

• Germans were grave threat Marius elected consul
  for five straight years (104-100)
• While in field, names Ap. Saturninus to look out
  for interests at Rome (cp. Caesar/Antony)
• Saturninus pushes violently popular measures
  (expansion of dole/military pensions/court
  reform)
• 100 BCE Marius returns to Rome Saturninus
  proposal concerning land distributions leads to
  rioting C. Memmius assassinated Marius puts
  down revolt Saturninus killed by mob.
• Marius goes into retirement in the East.

14
Marius An Unfortunate End

• 100 to 95 BCE Years of relative peace
• 95 BCE Move to expel all non-Roman citizens
• 91-88 BCE Social Wars/Marius and Sulla in
  command
• 87 BCE Competes with Sulla for military command
  against Mithradates/Sulla assaults Rome,
  defeating Marius/Marius exiled to Africa/Sulla
  heads to East
• 86 BCE Marius returns from exile leading a new
  army/successfully assaults Rome/elected to
  seventh consulship/reign of terror against
  conservatives
• Dies January 13, 86 BCE

15
Marius Chronology

• 157 BC - Birth in Arpinum
• 134 BC - Military Tribune
• 122 BC - Quaestor in Transalpine Gaul
• 120 BC - Plebeian Tribune
• 116 BC - Praetor
• 114 BC - Sent to govern Lusitania
• 110 BC - Marriage to Julia Caesar
• 109 BC - Returned to army service as Legate to
  Caecilius Metellus
• 108 BC - First Consulship
• 107 BC - Abolished land ownership qualification
  for military service (Marian reforms)
• 104 BC/100 BC - Elected as Consul for five
  consecutive years.
• 101 BC - Led successful Roman defence during the
  Germanic Invasions
• 100 BC - Retires from political life
• 91 BC/88 BC - Returns to lead Roman army in the
  Social War
• 87 BC
• Competes with Sulla for military command against
  Mithradates
• Sulla assaults Rome, defeating Marius
• Marius exiled to Africa
• Returns from exile leading a new army,
  successfully assaulting Rome