Historians from the time of the Roman Empire up to modern times have held strong opinions on the life and character of Gaius Marius. Best known for being the uncle of the famed Julius Caesar, he has also been regarded as barbaric, displaying unbridled ambition and by some accounts as having an evil influence on the Roman Empire. At the same time however, he also achieved high ranks in both politics and the military in ancient Rome, despite being an outsider and hailing from a family with no political ties. He is also credited with revolutionizing Rome’s army, with the changes he instituted being widely regarded as the greatest contribution to the organisation of Roman legions.
Born to an equestrian family in the Italian countryside, his family is known to have been locally influential, but had no ties to anyone in high ranks in Rome - neither in the military or in the political arena. Despite this start in life, Marius was determined from the beginning to break into the high ranks of the republic. From his beginnings in the Roman army, he quickly moved up through the ranks; due most likely to having caught the […]

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