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? Gaius Marius was the Janus-faced savior of Rome. On one hand his sweeping military reforms intensified Rome's might at a crucial time, during the Jugurthine war, saving Rome from the steady advance of their Italian enemies. On the other, his no-frills military ....

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.... accepting army volunteers from the capita censi, while saving Rome in the short run, ultimately led to the downfall of the Republic. Born into an unimpressive equestrian family, Marius found himself better suited to the life of a warrior than that of a philosopher. He had little tolerance for the aesthetic, finding more use with the sword than the pen. He cut his military teeth under Scipio Aemilianus in the Numantine war In Spain c.134, making an excellent impression on his commander as did another up-and-coming young officer, Jugurtha, who would later become king of Numidia and a hated enemy of Rome. After serving in this campaign with distincti ....