Title: Impact of Gaius Marius’ Reforms
Headings: Impact of Gaius Marius’ Reforms
Impact of Gaius Marius’ Reforms
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Content: An opportunity arose in 108 BCE, where Marius had the possibility to run for consul, but unfortunately, Metellus refused to support Marius during his run for the Consulship. This resulted in Marius being furious with Mettelus, which was followed by Marius gaining the support of the Equestrian businessmen as well as the military by persuading them into believing that he could end the ongoing war against Jugurtha in a few days (Huennekens, 2016). Marius then gained the full support of the plebeians, who contributed largely to Marius’ election to Consulship in 107 BCE along with full command of the war against Jugurtha (Taylor, 2017). During the Jugurtha war, the Roman army was forced into a stalemate. During these critical periods, Plutarch mentions an account of Marius’s actions “It is the most obliging sight in the world to the Roman soldier to see a commander eat the same bread as himself, or lie upon an ordinary bed, to assist the work in the drawing a trench and raising a bulwark” – (Plutarch, The Life of Marius). This primary quote from Plutarch is essentially showing how letting Marius experience the war in person allowed him to make the necessary military reforms to defeat the enemy (Norris, 2015). Marius’ life has been well documented by many historians but most significantly by the great ancient historian, Plutarch. Plutarch wrote his accounts of Marius’ life based on sources of three men, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Quintus Latatius Catulus and Rutilius Rufus. These men were present during the time of Gaius Marius’ rise to power and had extreme motives against him (Lyes, 1998). Quintus Lutatius Catulus wrote angrily of Gaius Marius as Marius attempted to steal the credit of victory from Quintus at the battle of Vercellae.