Title: Why did Rome become an empire? - Quora
Headings: Why did Rome become an empire?
Why did Rome become an empire?
Content: Gaius Marius
Some aristocrats saw in the popular discontent a chance to gain power. Those formed the Populares, the populist faction who campaigned the cause of the disaffected. Some of the Populares as well as some of the Optimates, the conservative faction, also saw in the new, professionalized army of Marius the means with which they could gain power since (as stated above) the soldiers were more loyal to their general than to the Roman state. Ambitious generals such as Sulla used the army in domestic conflicts; Sulla marched on Rome twice and became dictator thanks to the support of the soldiers. Julius Caesar was, though, by far the most successful of the generals who used the army to gain political power. After his success in Gaul (58 - 51 BC), his enemies tried to eliminate him and thus he moved his army against the Republic. By the end of the civil war and his victory over Pompey, he had become absolute ruler of the Roman state. Although he was assassinated in 44 BC, by this time the Republic could not be saved. Augustus completed what Caesar started.