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
A member of Roman political elite born in Gallia, Gnaeus Julius Agricola pursued several positions and a political career in Rome and other provinces of the country. He held a high office and had a lengthy public service, but he is mostly known because of his son-in-law, Tacitus writings, who wrote about his great leadership on every front.
One of these generals was Marius. He won great popularity among the Romans while fighting in Africa against Jugurtha. As a result of this newfound popularity, Marius left Africa to go back to Rome where he was elected consul. He left the armies in control of his
Gaius Julius Caesar was regarded as one of the most significant and important person in Roman History. He was born in a Patrician (a rich Roman) family on 12th or 13th of July 100 BCE in Rome. During this time, Rome was a Republic (which meant a “matter of the people”) and was governed by the Senate, the assembly and the two Consuls. Roman citizens were divided in two groups the wealthy Patricians and the working class Plebeians. Plebeians were not happy the way they were treated and governed by the patricians. More over, as the wealth and opportunities increased among the Patricians, the competition also increased for the power. There was lot of trouble and unrest among the society.
Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, notoriously known as the Roman Emperor Trajan was born September 18, most likely in the year 52 AD of Spanish origin. He was an educated man with a powerful, masculine figure. A bronze sculpture at Harvard University showcases his physique in ceremonial armor standing as if addressing his troops. He possessed a true sense of dignity and humbleness which to the Romans made him an emperor of true virtue. He was an emperor who truly enjoyed war; his passion for war came from the fact that he was very good at it. He was a brilliant general, as shown by his military achievements. He was naturally very popular with the troops, especially due to his willingness to share in the hardships alongside his soldiers.
Before Marius left for Jugurtha, he decided a total reform of the military system was necessary. The military recruitment system in place before Marius involved recruiting the army from the landowning masses of Rome. A.J Koutsoukis, author of History of the ancient world; Ancient Rome describes recruitment as an "unwelcome obligation" as it meant "a long time away from the family farm, and possible economic ruin."6 In an effort to dramatically increase the size of the army and overcome the shortage of soldiers, Marius welcomed landless, unemployed recruits into the army. This transformed the service from a reluctant obligation to a paid profession. The landless soldiers were given weapons and payment by their general, and for this reason were unconcerned with the Republics' motives behind their fighting, and more concerned with pleasing the individuals responsible for their payment and weapons, in this case being the generals. Many soldiers sought guidance and advice from their generals
The gap between the wealthy and the impoverished grew larger, causing the majority of the population to be routinely ostracized from political responsibility; including serving in the army. [Doc.1] Also, due to the introduction of Christianity, the active virtues of society were discouraged, and the remains of military spirit were buried in the cloister. [Doc.2] According to; Strayer, Gatzke, and Harbison; the authors of ‘The Course of Civilization;’, Rome’s inability to protect themselves, serve in the army; because of the majority of the population being
Julius Caesar was and still is considered to be one of the greatest military generals in history. His combination of leadership skills, military genius, and speaking ability propelled him to the forefront of Roman society. Born on June 12/13 100 B.C., Caesar was born into an ancient aristocratic family. Around the age of 16 after his father had died, Caesar had joined the military. It was apparent from this time onward that Caesar was especially gifted in the arts of strategy and warfare. By the age of 30 Caesar had begun making political strides in his perpetual quest for glory and prominence. During this time he would work closely with his friend and future mortal enemy, Pompey. In the next ten years, Caesar would become governor of Spain and ascend to the position of consul. His partnership with Marcus Licinius Crassus further increased Caesar’s rise to power, as Crassus himself was a powerful politician and general, who was arguably the wealthiest man in all of Rome. Along with Pompey, the three men formed what came to be known as the First Triumvirate. Although Caesar was aligned with Pompey, he never ceased to find ways outmaneuver him, qualities that would eventually precipitate Rome’s civil war. Continuing his military conquests, Caesar would become the governor of Gaul, which is now modern day Belgium and France. After ascending to this position, he’d engage in a near decade-long conquest of Gaul known as the Gallic War. Probably his most successful battle and
Gaius Octavius Thurinus is a adopted son of Julius Caesar, He is the first true emperor of the Roman Empire, he was believed to be one of the most important emperor of Roma. In 43 EBC, Octavian gathered his army to kill the senate who planned the assassinate targeting Julius Caesar, his adoptive father. Then, he defeat Mark Antony and Cleopatra who was his allies but later betrayed him. Thus , he ended the war continued for decades and brought the great peace to Rome, In 29 EBC Octavian declared the pax romana, also know as the Roman peace. In 27 BCE, he was bestowed the title of Augustus by the Roman senate which was actually reestablished by Augustus himself. In order to remind the Romans the emperor’s power, Augustus ordered sculptor to sculpt the idealized form of him and send those sculptures to every provinces (Module 5 Session 6). The Augustus of Prima Porta is a great example of them.
enlistment, the poor, weak class of the empire were drawn to the army because of
Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, better known as Trajan, was a Roman emperor from 98 AD until his death on August 9, 117 AD. He was born on September 18, 53 AD in Italica Spain, where he lived with his mother, Marcia and his father, also named Marcus Ulpius Trajanus. Trajan was the first emperor to be born outside of Italy, in Italica. He was a successful soldier and general; he was very passionate about war. Nerva the emperor before him adopted him as his “son” because he had no children. Nerva died a natural death and after Trajan became emperor.
As Roman generals, Marius and Sulla were able to alter laws of the senate to increase their power in the position. Throughout his military career Marius reformed the army improving its efficiency. He demonstrated his power by developing the capite sensi, enrolling soldiers through volunteers. He manipulated those of the lower class, craftsmen and farmers whose prosperity relied entirely on the work, to join the army. Marius managed to take the people away from the belief that their necessities of life were less important than his success. The need to reassert his power in the senate is evident as Marius reintroduced veterans who had already finished their military
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, a Roman historian, had a large number of works specialising in the early imperial era of the Roman Empire. He was born around 69 AD and whilst his original birthing place is uncertain, some historians claim that he was born in a small North African town, Hippo Regius, which is now called Algeria. Despite supposedly being born in Africa, Suetonius was still educated in Rome, his family having a high social status in the Roman society. His views on the first triumvirate would have been affected by the context surrounding him, due to the era he began his works, such as "The twelve Caesar's" being written in 121 AD, over 150 years after the beginning of the first Triumvirate's formation. The purpose in the writings
leader in the Roman Empire. He made Rome what think of it as and what we study today.
Gaius Julius Caesar was born on July 13th, 100 B.C. to a poor, Patrician family in Rome (“Julius Caesar”; Gruen 12). For most of his young life, Caesar lived in an apartment type house in one of the poorest districts in Rome. He was a strong student and studied such subjects as oratory, philosophy, and even martial arts. Coming from a family that is believed to have a long
Julius Caesar, a man born in around 12 to 13, 100 BC, was considered the start of a new legacy in the history of Rome. Participating in several wars, becoming dictator after forming multiple military alliances, to being assassinated on the Ides of March, Julius Caesar was a politically-flexible, popular leader of the Roman Empire. (Julius Caesar Biography, April 23, 2014) Although Caesar’s birth was never confirmed on the exact date, he was born and raised by his mother, Aurelia, and by his father, Gaius Julius Caesar. (Julius Caesar: Historical Background, April 23, 2014)