preview

Gaius Marius Was Roman General That Lived From 157-86 Bc

Good Essays

Gaius Marius was Roman general that lived from 157-86 BC in Rome. Not only was he a general but he also was a statesman. He was from Arpinum, located in central Italy. Unlike other statesmen, instead of coming from the Patrician class he was from the Equestrian order. Marius climbed the roman social ladder despite the difficulty he faced, marking his achievements as incredible. His considerable success, early on in the military, aided his success in climbing the cursus honorum, and eventually reaching the top political position in Rome when he was elected Consul for the first time in 107 BC. Multiple consulships, successful general, and his defeated of the German invaders saw Marius celebrated as the third founder of Rome by the people. …show more content…

The idea behind this rule was that these people were considered to be well-behave and that they had reason to fight in the army. However, with the changing times the number of property owners was diminishing due to the land being bought out by wealthy individuals, and the farmers having to move to the city. As the category of eligible people to join the army became even more limited, the category of those who weren’t grew along with unemployment and social issues in the city. Marius opened up recruitment for the military to the poor. This saw great changes to the army because it introduced greater numbers within the army itself, increasing overall strength, as well as offering a form of profession to those individuals who were previously excluded. On the other hand, political this reform had a different impact. Although the reform offered answers to the rising social issues, such as unemployment and overcrowding, the roman nobility did not approve. The inclusion of the lower classes was seen as change, which the nobility disapproved of because changing the rule could lead to the people wishing to change more of the rules that benefitted the nobility. Furthermore, it was disapproved by the nobility as it gave more power to the majority, which could have been seen as a threat. The reforming the recruitment of the army by the Marian reforms reflected the qualities of Marius that made him a good general. It

Get Access