Fall of the Roman Republic
By Ryan Anderson
Arguably the greatest contribution to the eventual downfall of the Roman Republic was the institution of Gaius Marius' popular, yet dangerous reforms, and his repeated usage of questionable political tactics to achieve his underlying personal goals. By undermining the power of the senate through illegal political conduct, and by introducing reforms that created the open potential for abuse of military power, Marius paved the way for future military monarchies, civil conflict and the eventual downfall and segregation of the Roman Republic.
In the decade before Marius, the senatorial oligarchy, having been undermined by the various reforms posed by the tribunates of the Gracchi, was reasserting control. Talk of revolution amongst the Roman people had settled. During this time the Caecilii/Matelli family was in political control and the senate had shifted its concerns from an uprising of the proletariat class, to foreign affairs and......
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Approximate Word Count: 2596
Approximate Pages: 10 (260 words per double-spaced page) |