Origins and Early Career of Marius . Julius Caesar held the highest political rank of Consul in 59 BC. Following his father’s death, Marius the Younger took control of Rome with the support of the elder Marius’ allies. He helps maintain the triremes that have allowed the powerful Roman navy to conquer all challengers in the Mediterranean. Gaius Marius. 1: Gaius Marius was born in 157BC He was the only man in history to have attacked and kept both Athens and Rome.. Sulla unconstitutionally marched his armies into Rome and defeated his enemy Gaius Marius in battle. His progressive approach to warfare and his political changes paved the way for the likes of Julius Caesar and Augustus who came after him. At the time, eagles were considered to be sacred animals and as such, finding this was viewed as a prophecy for the rest of Marius’s life, an interesting fact about Gaius Marius. Marius was born in 157 BC to a family of supposed rustic origins. Marius was a highly successful Roman general and military reformer. In recruiting fresh troops, Marius broke with custom, because of a manpower shortage, by enrolling volunteers from outside the propertied classes, which alone had previously been liable for service. He was not an aristocrat (patrician); he … This was the apex of Mariusâ success. Because of that, Marius was considered a novus homo, or new man, during the early part of his career. He was certainly a nasty fellow (see Did Sulla commit murders? ) Let’s take a look at 10 interesting facts about Gaius Marius. Gaius Marius was born with a chip on his shoulder that eventually guided his entire career. The two married in 110 BC and it was this marriage that really established Gaius Marius as a significant mover in Roman society. in 102 and in 101 came to the support of the consul of 102, Quintus Lutatius Catulus, who had suffered a serious setback; together they defeated the Cimbri at the Vercellae, near modern Rovigo in the Po River valley, and the danger was over. Marius was successful in his plan and his forces captured Jugurtha and brought him to Rome, where he would late die in prison. Just days into his reign, he began to lose focus and was showing signs of illness. During this time, Marius allowed Romans of all classes to join the army, including the poor. Mariusâ family enjoyed the patronage of more than one noble family, in particular the distinguished and inordinately conceited Caecilii Metelli, then at the height of their political power. He had the further support of his veterans, for it was in their interest to stick closely to their general. The next year he governed Further Spain, campaigned successfully against bandits, and laid a foundation for great personal wealth through mining investments. During his long service as a military commander, Gaius Marius received a lot of recognition for his innovative approach to the military, especially its recruitment. Gaius Marius was born in 157BC in the Italian town of Aprinum, which is located in... 2: The Legend of the Eagle’s Nest Caesar's family was related to the revolt's leader, Gaius Marius, and joined his faction. When the two consuls tried to persuade the Senate to block the bill, Marius threatened them with imprisonment, and the bill was carried. I hope that this article on Gaius Marius facts was helpful. Around 157 BCE, Marius was born to a plebeian family in an Italian settlement called Ceraete, near Arpinum. 10 Major Accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln. Gaius Marius (c. 157-86 B.C.) Marius was the first "n… His family were most likely very important people in the city of Arpinum but they were not included in the elite class of Rome. Sulla had the incident engraved on his seal, provoking Mariusâ jealousy. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. As tribune, Marius proposed a bill affecting procedure in elections and legislative assemblies by narrowing the bridgesâthe gangway across which each voter passed to fill in and deposit his ballot tabletâas a result of which there was no longer room on the gangway for observers, normally aristocrats, who abused their position to influence an individualâs vote. His changes to the army altered the future of Rome. Fellow of Exeter College, University of Oxford, 1928â69. Our editors will review what youâve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He did this but only survived one campaign before retiring. He would then be elected five times in a row between 104BC and 100BC. Sulla raised and ably led a cavalry contingent during the Numidian campaign, during which he won great popularity within the ranks for sharing the common legionary’s hardships. The victory, however, was Mariusâ, and he was elected consul again for 104âat the start of which year he celebrated a triumph and Jugurtha was executedâin order to take command against an alarming invasion of the Cimbri and Teutones, who had defeated a succession of Roman armies in the north, the last in disgraceful circumstances in 105. With them, Marius defeated the Teutones at Aquae Sextiae (modern Aix-en-Provence, Fr.) eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'factsking_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_7',134,'0','0'])); After being successful in the army and making some good relationships with those in positions of power in Rome, Gaius Marius entered into politics for the first time in 119BC. Updates? Roy Lichtenstein | 10 Interesting Facts About The Pop Artist. Of equestrian but outside roots, Marius would find his early attempts to climb the Roman social and political ladder difficult at best. Only in 188 BC did the town receive full citizenship. Gaius Marius was a Roman general, politician, and military reformer, who had played an important role in the transformation of Rome. He was elected an unprecedented 7 times as a consul, with the first coming in 107 BC. Marius was a very successful general, who had defeated the Cimbri, reformed the army, and held the consulship an unprecedented six times. In Africa he kept Jugurtha on the run, and in 105 Jugurtha was captured, betrayed by his ally, King Bocchus of Mauretaniaânot to Marius himself but to Sulla, considered a rather disreputable young aristocrat, who had joined Mariusâ staff as quaestor in 107. Over Metellus's objections he returned to Rome to run for the consulship for 107. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? Gaius Marius. It is said that this predicted his election to consul 7 times. His widow survived until 69 and received the unusual honour, for a woman, of a public funeral oration by her nephew Julius Caesar, who later won great popularity by restoring to the Capitol … In ancient sources, he is repeatedly characterised as having unending ambition and opportunism. Gaius Marius the Younger was born on date, at birth place, to Gaius Marius and Julia Marius (born Caesar). Marius was born in 157 BC in the town of Arpinum in southern Latium. After spending his life engaged in a conflict of one kind or another, Marius’s final years were to be no different. Julius Caesar was born on July 13, 100 B.C. Professional soldiers were … This led to his death just seventeen days after his election at the age of 70. Plutarch says of him: A clutch of eagle’s eggs would commonly only have two or three eggs in it so to make such a discovery was incredibly rare. When something was a little out of his grasp, he was willing to d… The story behind this retirement is that he was struggling with health issues but many scholars believe it to have been a political move, with Marius facing a lot of pressure from political opponents during this time period. As the use of violence, riots, and mob tactics were quickly to become the mainstay throughout the perilous era in Roman history, the Gracchi brothers quickly rose and fell from power. Trending Now. Their actions set the stage for the rise of Marius, Sulla, and Pompey. Using the Legion as his route to fame, fortune and power, he would become among the most influential men of his day, an… Gaius Julius Caesar, known by his cognomen Julius Caesar was born 12 or 13 July 100 B.C. He was born in Arpinum in 157 B.C.E., only 33 years after the city was given full citizenship by the Roman Republic. It was during this time period that Marius began to earn the respect of those in positions of power within the military and in Rome itself. Roman general and politician, consul seven times (107, 104-100, 86 BC), who was the first Roman to illustrate the political support that a successful general could derive from the votes of his old army veterans. Marius was elected on the equestrian and popular vote and, to Metellusâ bitter chagrin, appointed by a popular bill to succeed Metellus at once in the African command. Once he retired from power he was appalled to see his long time rival, Sulla rise to a position of great power. His final election, thus fulfilling the supposed prophecy from his teenage years, took place just before his death following his return to Rome in 86BC. Once he had achieved this, he set about making changes to the military structure and returned to Numidia to defeat Jugurtha. The town had been conquered by the Romans in the late 4th century BC and was given Roman citizenship without voting rights. He was first elected to the consul in 107BC and in this period he abolished land ownership qualifications for military service, this was one of his most significant political moves. Marius was a commoner who found his way up the political ladder in Rome through his exceptional military expertise. eval(ez_write_tag([[320,50],'factsking_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_4',127,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[320,50],'factsking_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',127,'0','1'])); Gaius Marius was born in 157BC in the Italian town of Aprinum, which is located in Southern Latium. He was a Roman politician and military general who played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic. Caesar married Cornelia, the daughter of Cinna, one of the leading Marians, and was nominated for the priesthood of flamen dialis. 3: Gaius Marius completed his first military service in 134BC, 4: Gaius Marius was elected to the Tribune of the Plebians, 5: Gaius Marius’s victory in the Jugurthan War, 6: He was elected to the consul a record 7 times, 7: He was responsible for a lot of military reforms, 9: Gaius Marius was married to Julius Caesar’s Aunt. – 15 March 44 B.C. Cooperating with equestrians in Africa and popular agitators in Rome, he openly criticized Metellus's conduct of the war. The command in the war against Jugurtha (who was now Numidian king) was given to Quintus Metellus, and Marius was invited to join Metellusâ staff. Gaius Marius would go on to become of the most influential leaders in the history of Rome, and he had his first taste of the military in 134BC when he joined Scipio Aemilianus’s personal legion for an expedition to Numantia. Bust of Gaius Marius, Caesar’s uncle. Julia was born on Circa 130 B.C., in Rome, Italy, Roman Republic. Marius was the first "n… After a peaceful few years, chaos broke out in Rome in 91 BC when the tribune, Marcus Livius Drusus was assassinated. One of the most popular legends surrounding the life of Gaius Marius is that of the... 3: Gaius Marius … Marius claimed the whole credit for the victory; Catulus and Sulla gave very different accounts of the event in their memoirs. He was an important politician and military leader who oversaw several huge changes during his lifetime. Gaius Marius was married to Julia, who was the daughter of Gaius Julius Caesar II, the sister of Gaius Julius Caesar III and subsequently, the aunty of Julius Caesar. As Mariusgradually captured Jugurthine strongholds and routed his armies, he tasked Sulla with negotiating with the vacillating King Bocchus of Mauretania whose allegiance was subject to change. They backed his candidacy for tribune (defender) of the plebs (common people) in 119. Marius died on 13 January, just 17 days into his seventh consulship. As it was needed at that time, Marius increased the number of army personnel by using an unorthodox means. He was even elected to the state’s highest post, the consulship, in 107 BC. An interesting fact about Gaius Marius is that this was seen as one of the most important victories of Marius’s life. The two would be happily married for many years and they had one son together, Gaius Marius the Younger, who himself was elected to the consul in 82BC, though, he committed suicide the same year. As a young officer-cadet, along with Jugurtha (later king of Numidia), on Scipio Aemilianusâ staff in the Numantine War in Spain (134 bce), he, like Jugurtha, made an excellent impression on his commanding officer. While there is no conclusive proof, it is speculated, given the path that Gaius Marius’s life would later take, that he was born into a family who was well-connected, at least locally. Sulla captured Athens, sacked the city and slaughtered most of the citizens supporting Mithridates. He failed to secure the aedileship (control of markets and police) and was only just elected praetor (judicial magistrate) for the year 115 after bribing heavily, for which he was lucky to escape condemnation in court. It's an interesting definitional question, both for evaluating Sulla and for how you use the word tryant. Gaius married Licinia Marius (born Crassi) on … Timeline ImageSize = width:1000 height:1000 PlotArea = left:40 right:0 top:10 bottom:10 DateFormat = yyyy TimeAxis = orientation:vertical format:yyyy order:reverse Period = from:-160 till:-80 AlignBars = early ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 … https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gaius-Marius, Vassar College - Biography of Gaius Marius. Patrician is a … And my neighbor Marcus is a plostrarius, a maker of the wagons and wagon wheels used to transport merchandise throughout the city and beyond. The ongoing conflict with Jugurtha, king of Numidia was a frustrating one for the Romans and it led to one of Gaius Marius’s greatest victories. The town had been given Roman Citizenship not long before his birth in 188BC. Marius perhaps did not realize the potency of their force, one that Sulla, Caesar, and Octavian employed with overpowering effect later. If you read Julius Caesar … The Marian reforms were reforms of the ancient Roman army implemented in 107 BC by the statesman Gaius Marius, for whom they were later named.The reforms originated as a reaction to the military and logistical stagnation of the Roman Republic in the late 2nd century BC. They were instituted by Gaius Marius in 107 BC and can be broken down into three major reforms: First, Marius established Rome’s first ever standing army (up until the Marian Reforms, Rome had simply enlisted its soldiers on a season-by-season basis and dissolved its army after every campaign). Youth and the First Civil War. Gaius Marius, (born c. 157 bce, Cereatae, near Arpinum [Arpino], Latium [now in Italy]—died January 13, 86 bce, Rome), Roman general and politician, consul seven times (107, 104–100, 86 bce), who was the first Roman to illustrate the political support that a successful general could derive from the votes of his old army veterans. Navigate parenthood with the help of the Raising Curious Learners podcast. He would later become assigned to govern the province of Spain thanks to his excellent performance in the role. Over Metellus's objections he returned to Rome to run for the consulship for 107. Eventually, Bocchus agreed to surrender Jugurtha personally to Sulla, which essentially marked the end of th… Even his early days, Marius was seen as innovative and an astute politician, and while some of his earlier moves may have angered certain parts of the population, the changes that he made have all generally been seen as good ones. It is said that during one famous dinner, Scipio Aemilianus highlighted Gaius Marius as a future leader and this recognition was an early sign of what was to come for Marius. 10 Major Accomplishments of Nelson Mandela. 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