Title: Why did Rome become an empire? - Quora
Headings: Why did Rome become an empire?
Why did Rome become an empire?
Content: This led to social unrest (such as the attempt of the Gracchi for reform and the violence that ensued). Gaius Marius, a Roman general, partially solved Rome’s problem with his reforms. He created a standing professional army which included landless Romans. While this new army performed very well on the field of battle, the soldiers gave their allegiance not to the state but rather to the general who led them to victory and provided them with the spoils of war. Also those reforms did not manage to alleviate social unrest. 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.