What transformations did Gauis Marius enact and why?

Was he trying to save the Roman

Republic?

One of the biggest reforms Gaius Marius made throughout his time as a general and

leader of the Roman Republic was to change the land requirement when it came to recruitment of

individuals for the military. Gaius did this to bolster his army and address the underlying issue of

middle- and high-class Roman citizens not wanting to volunteer for military service and be away

from their family and lands. Although he made this reform with thought toward furthering the

Roman Republic, strengthening its’ army, and saving the Republic, this reform actually ended up

doing the opposite. Gaius’s reform was detrimental to the Roman Republic as other ambitious

generals in the Republic used this reform to further their own ambitious gains.

Gaius Marius was born around 157 BC into an equestrian family which was very

influential in their area and had important political connections, especially with the Scipio family

(Impact of Military Reforms). Gaius joined the military at a young age and served under Scipio

before joining the Senate as a military tribune and moving up the Cursus Honorum as the years

went by. He later married Julia, an aunt of Julius Caesar, further bolstering his political prowess

and clout, leading to his eventual command of the army fighting in the war against Jugurtha.

Throughout his time as a general of the army, Gaius became concerned about the lack of citizens

enrolment in the military and the inability to have enough individuals to fight, which led to his

biggest, and technically illegal, reform of the military.

Prior to reforms implemented by Gaius Marius, only individuals who owned property or

had previous wealth were allowed to join the military. This meant the people who served in the
army had land to tend and the requirement to leave home to fight wars for the Republic presented

numerous issues for them. These military members relied on their family members to maintain

the land while they were away (usually farming duties such as harvesting and re-planting). Not

all of the individuals who owned land and joined the military had family members who were

ready or capable of looking after these duties, and often their land went into disarray. In certain

circumstances, it was even purchased away from them by neighbouring families to ‘help’ the

struggling family members that remained at home. As these soldiers did not receive help from

the Senate in terms of compensation for their time in the military, many of these land-owning

individuals stopped volunteering for military service resulting in the military lacking individuals

to fill the ranks.

Gaius Marius resolved this problem when he opened up the military to all Roman

individuals that were able to serve, including those individuals who were without property or

wealth. Gaius promised the individuals who joined his army they would be victorious, gain

spoils from war, and also the glory that goes along with it. Gaius also promised that he would

suffer alongside them and not take any special reward for himself. This opening of the military to

individuals who did not currently have their own land or wealth incentivized many of the lower

class to join the military and have loyalty towards their general. Serving in the legions with the

promise of gaining the ability to support their families and eventually settle in lands that were

conquered was an immensely persuasive incentive to those that had no way to accomplish this

otherwise.

This is not the only change Gaius Marius made to the military during his time as a

general. He also made the Roman army more mobile and effective, by “rid[ding] his army of as

many of its slow-moving pack animals as possible” (Hyden). By doing this, Gaius removed the

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need to have “bulky, slow and cumbersome baggage trains” (Gaius Marius) and made his army

carry all of their necessary supplies themselves. This allowed Gaius’s legion to be quicker, more

mobile, and more adept to respond to any resistance they faced while on the march. Although

this change to the legion did not come without complaint from the soldiers that now carried their

own supplies, it is a change that was adopted by other generals and eventually became

commonplace among the Roman Republic’s military. Soldiers under Gaius’s command after this

reform was made became known as “Marius’s mules” as a result of them carrying their own

supplies and equipment.

A less prominent reform that Gaius Marius made was to create a legionary standard to be

used by all Roman legions. Previously Roman legions used a standard that consisted of one or a

combination of five animals, the eagle, wolf, minotaur, horse, and boar; however, Gaius reduced

this to be a single, uniform standard across the Roman military. Gaius made his legion use the

eagle as their standard which was a symbol of “loyalty, duty and pride” (Gaius Marius) in order

for the Roman military to be a more cohesive and connected entity.

Gaius Marius also felt the Roman military needed to be a more effective, standardized,

professional army, so he made changes to how they conducted themselves on the battlefield. One

of the ways he implemented this was to standardize the training all military members received to

ensure the legion fought as a more cohesive unit. One of the additional aspects of this was to

include the use of gladiators to their training as the gladiators “had imported a cast number of

different fighting styles from their homelands and the weapons to go with those styles” (Webb).

This training allowed the Roman military individuals the means to train against individuals that

fight similar to the armies they may meet later on the battlefield, which had the potential to lead

to victories that may otherwise have been unattainable. This standardization of training ensured

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the whole of the Roman legion would know exactly what their counterparts beside them would

do during the course of a battle. If a soldier is uncertain of what their comrade next to them will

do in terms of their fighting style or what kind of weapon they may use, this could cause

confusion on the battlefield and may lead to defeat. This change to training style also included

modifications to when the Roman military would train. Previously, the army would only drill and

conduct marching practices during times of war or threatened war, but Gaius Marius decided all

military individuals should constantly train, even during times of peace. This meant that the

Roman military would continually be prepared for anything that came up while increasing

morale and building a sense of brotherhood among the legion, as they would regularly interact

with their peers and constantly improve their skills together.

Along with this standard of constantly being prepared for battle, even during peace, it

meant the Roman army was no longer a citizen militia, they were instead a standing, professional

army. This shift was beneficial for generals like Gaius but it was not as advantageous for the

Senate, as a citizen militia would hold the State and the Senate as their top priority; however, in a

professional, standing army, their independent generals and the general’s respective ambitions

would be the army’s priority. Theoretically, this shift was good for the Roman Republic, as it

provided individuals with a means of making a living and also provided Rome with a consistent

ability to repel enemy forces, but it did lead to other, possibly unintended, consequences.

Generals such as Gaius recognized the loyalty their armies held towards them and used it for

personal advancement in the Roman Republic. This was one of the key examples of how Gaius’s

reforms ultimately harmed the Roman Republic; however, if this was actually the intention of the

reform is debateable.

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 This standardization of training was also directly tied to the changes that Gaius Marius

made to equipment. Prior to Gaius’s reform, each individual soldier was responsible to provide

their own equipment, the quality of which was determined by their wealth and thus not equal in

terms of quality or even in a soldier being fully equipped. Regardless of the fact that all these

individuals belonged to the same legion and fought side-by-side, wealthier individuals were

often better equipped and prepared for battle than their counterparts from less affluent familes.

This was especially problematic for citizens who joined the military from the capite censi who

lacked any wealth or land, and thus they were less likely to be able to properly equip themselves

for battle. Gaius used his power in the Senate and also some of his own vast wealth to ensure his

legion had standardized, uniform equipment to make sure his legion was as effective as possible.

Although this was not the standard at the time, the reform made by Gaius would be adopted by

generals in the future and most new recruits were “uniformly equipped through the state treasury,

or their recruiting general” (Gaius Marius). This change in the Roman Republic’s military was

important for many of their future battles as it allowed members of their respective legions to

know the soldiers who were fighting alongside them had the same equipment as them and thus

would be able to fight effectively. The knowledge that your comrades have the means to be

proficient in battle is extremely important for morale, comradery, and the belief that victory

would be achieved.

Along with the introduction of military requirements to include those who did not possess

land or wealth, there was an addition by Gaius Marius to have a retirement plan implemented for

those individuals that volunteered for military service. This was unprecedented and not required

from the Senate previously as the members of the military were already somewhat wealthy.

Gaius promised land grants to veterans which was that “after the soldier had finished their 16

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years of service they were guaranteed a pension from their general as well as, a plot of land in

the conquered regions where they could retire” (Marian Army Reforms). Being guaranteed a plot

of land inspired these individuals who would likely never have attained property otherwise. It

was this reform that was instrumental in motivating individuals from the capite censi eager to

sign up for military service. It provided them with a professional job, spoils from war, the glory

that came with it, and a means of retirement once they completed their 16 years. Undoubtedly,

this reform was one of the most beneficial improvements to address the soldier’s morale and

welfare that Gauis implemented.

Arguably, the second most important reform that Gaius Marius made to the Roman

Republic’s military was to alter how the legion was formed and also how it conducted itself on

the battlefield. Prior to Gaius’s reforms, a Roman legion consisted of “20 maniples of hastati and

20 of principes, approximately 120 men each, and 20 half-strength maniples of triarii, making a

total of 6,000 men” (Roman Legion). The hastati generally consisted of younger men, “typically

[ranging] in age from their early to mid twenties” (Armies of the Roman Republic), that were not

very experienced in the ways of battle and these were the ones that were the first to confront the

enemy. This inexperience of the front lines, combined with being the first to engage the enemy,

resulted in many of the hastati being killed in battle. The second group, the principes, were those

Roman military members that were more experienced in battle and wore heavier armour to

protect themselves. They were similar in terms of battle equipment to the hastati but would be

better rested and battle side by side with them if they were having trouble dispatching the enemy.

The final group, the triarii, consisted of the most battle tested and wealthiest members of the

Roman army. They fought using the hastae and a smaller gladii but were not often actually

engaged on the battlefield. The triarii also adorned themselves with extra protection than the

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other two groups if they were able to afford it and “their helmets also displayed more plumage

and feathers than the other infantry giving off the illusion of them being significantly taller than

their enemies, [which inspired] fear” (Armies of the Roman Republic). The only instances when

the triarii were required to come into contact with the enemy forces was if the hastati and

principes were unable to dispatch them, meaning the Roman army was being met with

significant resistance.

Gaius Marius also changed the composition of the legion, maintaining the number of men

at 6000, but changed the breakdown of those 6000 individuals. Of these 6000 men, 4800 of them

would be legionarii, with the remaining 1200 men becoming support troops, generally servants.

The legion was further divided into centuries that consisted of 80 soldiers and 20 support staff,

which was further broken down into 10 contubernia of 8 legionarii and 2 support individuals.

This model of composition is even employed by modern militaries to organize their forces. The

centuries were considered to be a well-polished machine that fought as a unit, camped as a unit,

and marched as a single unit. This adjustment into centuries allowed for each century to become

more familiar with each other, continuously fight together, and increase moral and build esprit de

corps among each other, making for a more formidable and fearsome Roman army. Combined

with the reduction of the baggage trains that Roman armies previously relied upon, the

reconfiguration of the Roman legion also increased effectiveness, efficiency, and mobility for the

Roman forces.

Gaius Marius’s reforms to the Roman army had positive impacts on saving the Roman

Republic and made it a more professional entity, but some of these reforms resulted in issues that

would later arise. Equipping his legion with standardized equipment and training enabled his

army to have more success on the battlefield, but this could have also been connected to how

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much loyalty the soldiers felt towards Gaius himself. Before Gaius, the individuals who were

part of the military were required to equip themselves with armour and weapons, leaving many

of them to be poorly equipped for the battlefield. Being equipped with standardized and superior

weapons and armour that was provided free of charge, meant the legion was better situated to

deal with enemy forces and more likely to have success in those battles. In conjunction with the

training they received from the gladiators the legion knew what kind of attacks their enemy

would use; this increased the likelihood of success and more spoils were to be had. Gaius set his

army up for success and this was reciprocated by the members of his legion in the form of

loyalty to him.

This success that Gaius had with his standing army, although favourable for himself, had

a direct impact on the fall of the Roman Republic. It was this standing army which made it

possible for any individual with the wealth available to create their own army and do whatever

they pleased with them. With the demise of the citizen militia and individual generals providing

their soldiers with equipment and clothing based on their own wealth, this created armies that

were loyal to their generals over the state. It was this lack of loyalty to the state and the Senate

that made it possible for members of the different legions to follow their general’s orders without

question, whatever they may be, up to and including marching on the capital of the Roman

Republic. The problem that arose out of Gaius’s reform to the Roman army of using an army for

personal gains, continued until the reign of Augustus.

The reforms that Gaius Marius made were made during a time of crisis for the Romans,

and thus should be considered at in that context; however, this does not change the actual

outcomes of the reforms. The majority of the changes Gaius made to the Roman military did not

have a negative impact on the Roman Republic; however, the change to the land requirement,

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and the loyalty from the lower-class, eventually resulted in issues for the Republic. Upon

learning of the loyalty that Gaius’s men had towards him, influenced some future generals in the

Roman Republic to exploit this loyalty from the soldiers in order to further their political and

personal ambitions. It was this shift in power that had unintended consequences for the Roman

Republic when generals like Sulla and Caesar exploited their soldier’s loyalty for their own gain

and marched their armies upon the Senate in Rome. This resulted in a long period of civil war,

with those wealthy individuals who were displeased with the state of the Senate, having the

means and capabilities to march upon Rome and declare themselves the ruler. At first glance, the

reforms that Gaius Marius made to the Roman Republic appear to have been made in the best

interest of the Roman Republic; however, looking at the big picture of the outcomes from these

reforms, it cannot be ignored that it was these reforms which ultimately played a role in the

demise of the Roman Republic.

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 Works Cited

Dillon, Matthew and Lynda Garland. Ancient Rome: Social and Historical Documents from

the Early Republic to the Death of Augustus. New York, Routledge, 2015.

Gaius Marius. www.unrv.com/empire/gaius-marius.php.

Hyden, Marc. Gaius Marius. www.ancient.eu/Gaius_Marius/

Roman Legion: The Reforms of Marius. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/10/18/the-

reforms-of-marius/

The Armies of the Roman Republic. sites.psu.edu/successoftheromans/organization-of-the-

roman-army/the-armies-of-the-roman-republic/

The Marian Army Reforms, What Did Gaius Marius do to Change Rome?. about-

history.com/the-marian-army-reforms-what-did-gaius-marius-do-to-change-rome/

Webb, Jefferson. Roman Consul Gaius Marius and the Marian Reforms.

steelfighting.com/2011/07/07/roman-consul-gaius-marius-and-the-marian-reforms/

What Were the Impact of the Military Reforms of Marius on Rome?

dailyhistory.org/What_were_the_impact_of_the_military_reforms_of_Marius_on_Rome%3F.

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