First Roman Civil War

The First Roman Civil War broke out due to lack of leadership: Gaius Marius and Sulla They were fighting for power. Sulla was the one who ended up winning and being dictator. We'll tell you in a Teacher!

The history of Ancient Rome is full of war conflicts, both internal and external, since they were a very bellicose people and preferred to solve problems through war. Their conflicts reached their own city, causing civil wars to arise in which the Romans faced each other for power. One of these wars was the first civil war of the Roman Republic, which pitted the Roman factions of the optimates, led by Sulla, and the popular ones, led by Gaius Marius. To learn more about this event, in this lesson from a Teacher we offer you a Summary First Roman Civil War.

Index

1. Causes of the First Roman Civil War
2. Summary of the First Roman Civil War
3. End of the First Roman Civil War and consequences

We will start by talking about the background and causes of the First Roman Civil War.

At that time, the Roman Senate split into two factions:

• The populars. The popular ones were reformists, they wanted to increase the power of the assemblies and expand the concept of citizens.
• The Optimates. On the other hand, some of the optimates were conservatives who wanted to maintain the status until that moment, and for the Senate to continue being the center of power.

In this situation, the figures of Gaius Marius and Sulla, two Romans recognized as great generals and who disputed the power of Rome. The two had very different ways of understanding Rome, but they also had similar characteristics, such as their military strategy or being great politicians.

While power was disputed in Rome, King Mithridates VI of Pontus decided to expand his territory, attacking Rome and her allies. The Greek towns in the area joined Mithridates, since they considered that they were freeing him from Roman hands.

Seeing that the situation was beginning to be a problem, the Senate met to choose the leader of the Roman troops. The optimates voted for Sulla, while the popular ones supported Gaius Marius, with Sulla finally winning. But as Sulla marched toward war, Gaius Marius changed the law so that new Roman citizens could vote, making Gaius Marius was appointed general in Sulla's place., and causing a clash between both military leaders.

Here we leave you a summary of the history of Ancient Rome.

At the beginning of the First Roman Civil War, both Roman generals had been chosen to lead the troops, but neither could enter combat until it was decided. Which of the two was really the true genus?l. At that point, Sulla turned around and marched on Rome, marking the first time a Roman general attacked his own city. With only five legions, Sulla was able to take Rome, causing Gaius Marius to flee from the city.

Gaius Marius was pursued by Sulla's troops, but he was able to escape to North Africa, taking refuge on an island near Carthage. While this was happening Sulla summoned the Senate, causing Marius to be named as an enemy of Rome and the Senate to once again have greater power.

Shortly after, consular elections were held, in which neither Sulla nor his allies received support, Gnaeus Octavius ​​and Lucius Cornelius Cinna winning. They both swore to Sulla that he would not revoke Sulla's laws while he left for Greece to fight in Pontus, but shortly after Cinna recovered the laws of Marius and granted them amnesty. Octavian expelled Cinna, and he fled to join Marius and ask him to return to Rome.

For a time in the First Roman Civil War, eMario and Cinna's side was recruiting soldiers for his campaign. And in the year 87 BC. c. They launched a huge offensive, attacking Marius from the north and Cinna from the south. Mario was able to conquer Rome with only two legions, appointing himself and Cinna as consuls. After that he began a revenge against all his enemies, murdering a large part of the senators.

At more than 70 years old, Mario was once again appointed consul, in part because the Senate was small and intimidated. This was the seventh time that he was appointed consul, but it was the last since eighteen days later Marius died due to his advanced age.

Cinna, became dictator of Rome, He sent Roman troops against Sulla and Pontus, who realized that they now had common interests. 85 BC C., Sulla and Mithridates signed the peace treaty of Dardano, which ended the conflict between Romans and Greeks, and with which Sulla could return to Rome.

Upon learning of Sulla's return, Cinna's troops began a mutiny that ended with the death of the Roman dictator. The popular ones still tried to negotiate and fight against Sulla, but they were annihilated by military power. Sulla executed all the popular senators, thus ending the civil war.

To conclude this summary of the First Roman Civil War, we must talk about the main consequences that this conflict brought about, in order to understand the traces that he left in the Roman Republic.

After the victory, Sulla appointed himself dictator in 81 BC. c. and for an indefinite period. His first years as dictator were marked by thousands of executions of political enemies, and also by expropriate wealth of his enemies to favor his allies. One of the greatest cases was that of Crassus, whose fortune increased due to the amount of property he achieved thanks to this policy of Crassus.

Besides, Sulla increased the power of the Senate, reducing the influence of tribunes and censors, and making justice a matter for the Senate. He increased the number of senators, and gave positions of power to merchants who had been loyal to him, as well as creating crimes against treason.

His foreign policy was marked by repression of Mario's allied regions, and especially against the Etruscans and the Samnites. His lands were occupied by the military loyal to Sulla, who received support depending on his relevance in the wars.

After the death of Sulla, in 78 BC. c. many of his changes disappeared, but the consequences of his management would be key to the appearance of Crassus, Pompey and Julius Caesar, and also for the disappearance of the republic and the arrival of the empire.

If you want to read more articles similar to First Roman Civil War: summary, we recommend that you enter our category of History.

• Matías, P. V. (2011). The Roman Republic between Gaius Marius and Julius Caesar. Desperta Ferro: Ancient and medieval, (5), 6-9.
• Franco Crespo, J. M. (2019). The blood of Rome. The civil wars and the end of the Republic. Language, 15, 95.
• Callo, A. R. TO. (2023). The Optimates: In defense of freedom. PRIUS-Journal of Law and Political Science, 1(1), 22-31.