Marius ANCIENTS IN ACTION Boudicca Marguerite Johnson Catiline Barbara Levick Catullus Amanda Hurley Cleopatra Susan Walker and Sally-Ann Ashton Hadrian James Morwood Hannibal Robert Garland Horace Philip D. Hills Lucretius John Godwin Martial Peter Howell Ovid: Love Songs Genevieve Lively Ovid: Myth and Metamorphosis Sarah Annes Brown Pindar Anne Pippin Burnett Sappho Marguerite Johnson Spartacus Theresa Urbainszyk Tacitus Rhiannon Ash Marius Federico Santangelo Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10018 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published 2016 © Federico Santangelo, 2016 Federico Santangelo has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the author. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: PB: 978-1-47421-471-1 ePDF: 978-1-47421-473-5 ePub: 978-1-47421-472-8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Santangelo, Federico. Marius / Federico Santangelo. pages cm. -- (Ancients in action) An introduction to Marius -- Why Marius matters -- Marius’ background -- The context -- Marius’ rise -- Marius’ early career -- The Jugurthine War -- The Germanic War -- Marius’ fall -- The wrong crowd -- Elder statesman -- Twists of fate -- The Social War -- Disruption and tradition : the first march on Rome --Marius’ flight -- The final comeback -- Marius’ legacy -- The Mariani -- Caesar and Cicero -- Marius under the Principate. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4742-1471-1 (pb) -- ISBN 978-1-4742-1472-8 (epub) -- ISBN 978-1-4742- 1473-5 (epdf) 1. Marius, Gaius, approximately 157 B.C.-86 B.C. 2. Statesmen- -Rome--Biography. 3. Rome--History--Republic, 265-30 B.C. 4. Rome--History, Military--265-30 B.C. I. Title. DG256.5.S46 2015 937.05092--dc23 [B] 2015019277 Series: Ancients in Action Typeset by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NN per Giovanni Geraci Contents Acknowledgements viii Chronology ix 1 An Introduction to Marius 1 Why Marius matters 1 Marius’ background 4 The context 9 2 Marius’ Rise 15 Marius’ early career 15 The Jugurthine War 25 The Germanic War 42 3 Marius’ Fall 57 The wrong crowd 57 Elder statesman 65 4 Twists of Fate 71 The Social War 71 Disruption and tradition: the first march on Rome 74 Marius’ flight 81 The final comeback 87 5 Marius’ Legacy 95 The Mariani 95 Caesar and Cicero 99 Marius under the Principate 101 Further Reading 105 References to the Ancient Sources 113 Index 121 Acknowledgements I am very grateful to Alan Beale and Roger Rees for inviting me to write this book, and am especially indebted to Roger for offering me some crucial advice on how to write it. I am also very grateful to the anonymous readers who commented on a proposal and an early draft. One of them also generously shared with me the stemma of the Marii that I am including in the text (p. 13). Fiona Noble, Antonio Pistellato, Lorna Rimell, and Alexander Thein offered invaluable advice on various drafts. Ryan Horne at the Ancient World Mapping Center (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) provided helpful cartographical guidance and support. I am grateful to the Center for permission to reproduce the map that is printed on p. xii. At Bloomsbury Charlotte Loveridge, Anna MacDiarmid and Alice Reid expertly guided me throughout the various stages of the project. Kim Storry at Fakenham Prepress Solutions oversaw the production of the volume. This book stems from teaching, and sets out to be used primarily (though by no means exclusively) in the classroom. My foremost debt is therefore to the several cohorts of Newcastle students with whom I have been discussing Marian matters over the years, and whose reactions to some of the arguments presented here have deeply informed my thinking on the period and my choices on how to frame this account. The dedication is a small token of gratitude and affection to a scholar and teacher from whom I have learned a great deal more than I could possibly say. Chronology (all dates bc) 188 Arpinum is granted Roman citizenship. 158/157 Marius is born at Arpinum. 146 Destruction of Carthage by Scipio Aemilianus. 133 C onquest of Numantia; tribunate of Tiberius Gracchus. 119 Marius holds the tribunate of the plebs. 118 Death of Micipsa, king of Numidia. 116 (?) Marius fails to be elected to the aedileship. 115 Marius is elected to the praetorship. 114 Governorship in Further Spain. 110 Defeat of Spurius Postumius Albinus in North Africa. 109 C onsulship of Metellus Numidicus. Marius joins him in Numidia as legatus. Birth of Marius the Younger. 108 M ilitary operations in Numidia. Marius returns to Rome to stand for the consulship. 107 F irst consulship; recruitment of capite censi into the army; return to Numidia. Sulla joins the campaign as quaestor. 106 C onquest of Moluccha and Cirta. Contacts between Marius, Sulla and Bocchus. 105 J ugurtha is betrayed by Bocchus and captured by Sulla. 6 October: Roman defeat at Arausio in Southern Gaul against the Cimbri. Marius is elected to the consulship for 104. 104 M arius celebrates his triumph over Jugurtha. Campaign to Southern Gaul.