If you know anything about Ancient Rome, you probably know that Julius Caesar used his army to overthrow the government and established himself as dictator for life before being assassinated in a vain attempt to restore the Republic. But before we can talk about Caesar, we have to talk about Gaius Marius. Because while the Gracchi had been put to rest, the pool of eligible soldiers was still shrinking at an alarming rate.
The Marian Reforms
Marius was a gifted commander from comparatively humble beginnings who married into a prominent patrician family known as the Julii. Marius distinguished himself in various campaigns in North Africa alongside a gifted young lieutenant of his named Cornelius Sulla. His lasting impact on the Roman military, however, would be established in 104 BC after Germanic tribes, the Cimbri and Teutones, routed several Roman legions and menaced Italy itself.
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