Gaius Marius - 157 - 86 BCE - Despite being an outsider, Marius
became consul in 107 BCE. Marius' focus was on ending the
Roman war in North Africa against Jugurtha and the Numidians. The
plebian assembly voted to give Marius command of the army in Africa
usurping the right of the Senate to control the army and creating a
separation of power between the army and the central government.
Marius won the Jugurthine war and then proceeded to deal with the
Gauls who were encroaching on Rome from the North. Marius was made
consul again, from 104 - 100 BCE, and used the power to raise
an army and defeat the Gauls. After Marius defeated the Gauls, he used his
tremendous power to reform some Roman military policies. He allowed
conscription of non-landowners, and urged allegiance of soldiers to the
generals and not to the state. This reform ultimately had disastrous
consequences for the Roman Republic. Since, Marius later used his
army to depose Sulla and gain control of the Roman government.
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