Title: Impact of Gaius Marius’ Reforms
Headings: Impact of Gaius Marius’ Reforms
Impact of Gaius Marius’ Reforms
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Content: This quote means that Plutarch is restricted to the various statesmen that do not operate the same views and perceptions of the plebeian class (Matthew, 2010). Having Plutarch being the only major primary source is problematic as the use of the sources he used as well as deriving from nobility provide modern researchers with an abundance of questions that also paint Marius negatively. This potential bias of Plutarch on Marius affects the role Marius played in the eventual downfall of the Roman Republic (Bartram, 2018). Marius’s motivations behind the implementation of the reforms were forced upon as Rome had suffered four straight significant defeats to the Celtic and Germanic tribes. Marius faced a major issue as he needed more soldiers to combat the invading tribes. For Marius to have enough soldiers, he eliminated the land requirement that was present that only allowed the wealthier classes to represent the Roman army (Nofi, 2019). This opportunity opened the military to any Roman male citizen, including the Plebeian classes. Marius improved Roman military training by using various techniques developed by ancient gladiators. These military reforms also replaced the original three soldier classes to many cohorts of men who were all armed with a gladius (short sword) and used the eagle to formalise the standard of all legions in the army. Marius’s motivations behind the reforms did exactly what was wished, to professionalise and revolutionise Rome’s military (Matthew, 2006).