Caius Marius

The rise of Marius

Humble origins “ ”

The young man of Arpinum

One insisted much on the origins Plébéien born from Marius, “man uncultivated” (according to Cicéron) that “nobody knew”. Itself liked to be praised to be born out of the circles of the aristocracy, gangrenée according to him by the arrogance, corruption and the hellenism, thus fitting in the tradition inaugurated by Caton Old the, preaching a return to Rome of the origins, considered to be more “pure”.

It had indeed been born with Arpinum in 157 av. J. - C., in the country Volsque, which, even if it offered the Roman Citoyenneté complete to its inhabitants, remained nevertheless a small town second-rate, although it is also the birthplace of Cicéron. He is the son of Caius Marius and Fulcinie, “parents obscure and poor, reduced to earn their living of the work of their hands”.

The family of Marius did not have a Cognomen (third name from which the children profit from the aristocracy in Rome) and its education was more soldier than intellectual. Nevertheless, it was an equestrian family of row, and it was sufficiently important to enter the customers of the Caecilii Metelli , one of largest the family Patricien of Rome.

The war of Numance

It thus could thus, to almost twenty-five years, to be made elect with the military tribunat, allot to this anecdote the origin of the ambition without terminals of the character.

Difficult beginnings

First magistratures

Extremely of his service with Numance and of the employers of the Metelli , Marius managed to be made elect Questeur in 121 av. J. - C. in Gaulle Transalpine, at the time of the senatorial coup d'etat against Caius Gracchus.

One can think that these events inspired Marius, who was made elect Tribun of the plebs in 119 av. J. - C. thanks to the support of the Metelli .

Préture

Its popularity and its supports in the movement of the Populares enabled him all the same to be elected of accuracy Préteur in 115 av. J. - C., the last of the six elected Magistrat S, Marius left in Africa to fight Jugurtha at the sides of sound owner Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus, the Consul of 109 av. J. - C. (fact which disputes the thesis of the estrangement). In addition to its military successes with Muthul, Sicca and Zama, Marius illustrated itself by his attitude towards its men. Severe but just, not hesitating to achieve itself the drudgeries to give the example, it developed privileged relations with them, developing its “humble” origins regularly. These soldiers being the independent sources of information in Rome on the unfolding of the war, it acquired a strong popularity quickly there, initially refused, and to aspire to a Consul At which it obtained, in 106 av. J. - C., becoming one of the first Homo novus (non-member of the Nobilitas , not having ancestors Magistrat) of the République elected at this station. Being pressed on its allies with the tribunat, it was made allot the proconsulat in Africa and the command of the Guerre of Jugurtha, in Numidie, with the detriment of Metellus. This one due to undergo the affront to see its old customer adapting his troops and gaining a war which it already itself had almost gained (the Numidie corresponding to the current Algérie and the Maurétanie with the Morocco).

But Marius could not draw full glory from this victory, because it is its Questeur, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, which, after diplomatic negociations, captured Jugurtha. From there was born an inalterable hatred between the two men. The year of the victory of Marius, 105 av. J. - C., was also that of its re-election at the station of Consul, without it needing, against any tradition, to present itself to Rome. Its popularity is then with its roof.

The demolished of Jugurtha provides two Triomphe S: the first with Metellus, which accepted the nickname of Numidicus , the second with Marius. However, it was in front of the tank of Marius that went Jugurtha charged with irons, before being strangled with the Tullianum , on order of the Consul,

It was the occasion for Marius definitively to affirm his superiority on the Nobilitas . With the assistance of the Populares , which formed from now on in Rome a true party “marianist”, it obtained the command against the two people, then crushed the Cimbres in Gaulle cisalpine with the Bataille of Vercellae, close to Verceil in 101 av. J. - C. whereas they tried to cross the the Alps

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