The next figure in the story of the fall of the republic is Gaius Marius.
Marius was unlike the aristocratic Gracchus brothers a humble man that made himself an exstraordinary career.
In 112 Rome went to war with King Jugurtha of Numidia.
The leader of the Roman army was Metellus, who gave Marius a lot of power.
However when Marius had won some victories, he went to Rome and was elected consul.
Marius raised a new army, crushed Jugurtha’s forces and delivered him to Rome for execution.
During the war Marius right-hand-man was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, of whom more later.
The moment Marius had won the Numidian war he had to go north.
A great army German tribes were threatening to invade Rome.
Marius crushed the Germans at two battles, but as well as in the Numi-dian war Sulla was the first officer, actually Sulla
was beginning to gain his own followers.
Marius had hired an advocate to help him with politics in Rome. His name was Saturninus.
Saturninus was unscrupulous and he used violence to stop the Marius’ enemies. Saturninus was also the main reasonwhy
Marius was elected consul seven times.
However Saturninus went too far, and Marius returned to Rome and crushed him in 99.
Marius now had an enormous army just outside Rome and a city with no defense. Now Marius could decidehimself
whether he would take Rome or not.
Surprisingly he didn’t.
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