Marius and Sulla

Introduction

Background to Apollo in Roman Political Propaganda�Marians vs. Sullans*

Both were saviours of Roman citizens: one has been called the �third founder of Rome� [2] for defeating the invaders from the North, the other, famous for his conquest of foreign kings and �saviour and father� [3] of citizens who were exiled from Rome by �tyrants� [4]. Both were brilliant generals, both had celebrated triumphs. One had an unprecedented seven consulships, the other, a dictatorship to put the state in order. Both names were also associated with the fall of the Roman Republic; an appraisal of the latter might as well be the appraisal of the former: �a man to whom, up to the conclusion of his career of victory, sufficient praise can hardly be given, and for whom, after his victory, no condemnation can be adequate� [5]. They were Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix. And they did not get along.

• Introduction
• Conflict
• Age of Cinna
• Civil War

Gaius Marius was a novus homo (a "new man", i.e. without noble ancestry) from Arpinum in southern Latium. He served at the siege of Numantia in 133 BCE under Scipio Aemilianus, one of the most important men in Rome. Scipio was impressed by Marius and advanced him to many honours [6], including military tribune. Marius became quaestor in 123 and, with the help of the influential family of the Caecilii Metelli, was elected tribune of the plebs in 119.

During his tribunate, Marius proposed a law to make voting in the Comitia (assembly for the elections of magistrates) secret by forbidding the inspection of ballots. It would prevent intimidation of the voters by the powerful oligarchic families who controlled the Senate and Rome. This was vetoed by the Senate and Marius was summoned before one of the consuls to explain himself. Marius threatened to arrest the consul unless the senate's unlawful decree was withdrawn. The consul asked a Metellus for help [7]. Instead of respecting the fides (trust) between patron and client, Marius threatened to arrest Metellus as well. The Senate backed down. However, Marius failed to prevent the passage of a law which ended the programme of land distribution and instead offered distributions of cash to the people [8].

Marius was unsuccessful in his attempt for the positions of curule aedile and plebeian aedile, but became praetor for 115, barely securing acquittal on a charge of electoral corruption. He was then sent to govern Further Spain where apparently he showed aptitude at guerrilla warfare [9] and pacified some minor tribal revolts [10]. On his return from Spain, Marius married a patrician, Julia, Julius Caesar�s aunt. As a consequence, Marius gained entry into Roman circles that had been closed to him.

In 109 the consul, Quintus Metellus (later called Metellus Numidicus) chose Marius as his senior legate for the campaign against Jugurtha of Numidia, despite Marius' impertinence in putting his kin in prison [11]. While in Africa, Marius had decided to run for consul. Metellus told Marius not to �elevate his thoughts above his station� and suggested Marius waited until Metellus� own son could stand with him [12]. Marius went ahead anyway and won the election for 107 BCE.

Once he attained the consulship, Marius had Metellus' command in the Jugurthan war transferred to him, while Metellus was quietly retired, granted a triumph, and the honorific title of "Numidicus" for his contribution to the war in Numidia. In order to make up of the loss in manpower as a result of the continuous wars of the second century, Marius did away with the minimal requirements of the soldiers�now men without means and property could join and he enrolled a large volunteer army from the proletariat. In addition, he made practical changes in organisation of the army and weaponry.

Marius took with him a quaestor to Africa, Lucius Cornelius Sulla. The war continued for another two years until Jugurtha was betrayed by his relative [13] to Sulla, thus ending the war. Marius, as commanding general, received the credit but Sulla had been largely responsible for the victory through diplomacy and guile. This would eventually become a point of contention between the two of them, but for now, Marius kept Sulla, as his subordinate in the campaigns against German tribes [14]; later, Sulla transferred to Marius� consular colleague, Catulus.

The war with the German tribes arose because two tribes, the Cimbri and Teutones, in search of new homes moved into first southern France and then northern Italy. A series of consular commanders between 113 and 105 BCE was unable to halt the Germans, and now Rome's borders were open to the invaders. Based on his past record, Marius was chosen to save Rome. In spite of the law that laid down intervals between tenures of the same office (lex annalis), Marius was elected as consul for 104 BCE onwards until 100 BCE to deal with the invaders. He led the Roman armies, and in two significant battles (Aix-en-Provence in 102 BCE and Vercellae in 101 BCE) defeated the invading armies so thoroughly that it would be two generations before they again seriously troubled Rome. For that, Marius was called the third founder of Rome [15]. Sulla's contribution in the victory was also important. Among other things, Sulla captured a chieftain of the German tribes, persuaded another tribe to become allies of Rome, and led Catulus� army in the Battle of Vercellae [16]. Although Catulus, not Sulla, celebrated the triumph since Sulla was under the command of Catulus, �Sulla, at least, must have known that whoever said "Catulus" really said "Sulla." � So Catulus, that lazy versifier and art-collector, acquired one treasure that must have been the last he ever expected to collect�a Triumphal Car. It ought by rights to have been inscribed: "A present from Lucius Cornelius Sulla."� [17]

continue to Marius and Sulla: Conflict

*I am only giving context to the Apollonian propaganda of the Marian and Sullan factions, and as a result, may not pay much attention to important events and may concentrate on unimportant events. I am not analysing the civil wars, the fall of the Republic, the outcome of Marius� army reforms, assigning blame, second-guessing the motives of the people, etc.

When I say the Marian faction, I am including the adherents of Cinna and Carbo. Also, I am using the word �faction� loosely. The Romans did not have political parties in the modern sense. The Roman substitute for party is amicitia (friendship) [18].

I would like to thank Robert W.M. Greaves of Ancient Biographies for proof-reading these articles.

Text first published in Suite101.com.