WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN 149-78BC? ROME WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN 149-78BC?

THE TRIBUNATE The Office of Tribune of the Plebs became a much more significant office than it had been. It was used by politicians who wanted to address the problems created by the wars of expansion. These politicians were called populares (singular = popularis). They got this name because they took their legislation directly to the people. Tribune, Gaius Gracchus, addressing the people.

Tribunes had initiated legislation concerned with: Redistribution of land Composition of the jury courts Citizenship of allies (NB: Social War (91-89BC)settled matter of citizenship for all but Transpadane Gauls.) Command of armies in foreign wars Free grain  

TRIBUNES AS SACROSANCT? A number of tribunes were murdered or net violent ends as a result of their political agendas and methods. The death of Gaius Gracchus

OPTIMATES vs POPULARES KEY POLITICAL ISSUE OPTIMATES vs POPULARES The optimates (best men, boni) were senators who believed in the collective supremacy of the Senate and were determined to preserve this primacy. They therefore resented the objectives and tactics of popularis politicians. During this period, the optimates in the senate instituted the senatus consultum ulitmum (final decree of the senate) as a political weapon against their political opposition. The struggle between the optimates and the populares in the Senate became a significant issue that would continue to inform Roman political life in the historical period “The Fall of the Republic 78-31BC.”

IMPACT OF ROME’S WARS OF EXPANSION ARMY REFORMS As a result of Rome’s need to engage in foreign wars to protect its interest and the falling numbers of Romans eligible for military service, Marius reformed the army. He recruited from the “head count” and reformed the way the army was equipped and fought. This was important because the troops came to depend on their general to look after their interests when their service was complete. This essentially meant a grant of land. This was to cause great political tension in the historical period “The Fall of the Republic 78-31BC.” SUBVERSION OF POLITCAL RULES Rome’s need to engage in foreign wars had put pressure on the political system and some of the rules were discarded as necessity became more important that tradition. Marius had held the consulship seven times – four of them consecutively.  

CIVIL WAR During the 80s BC, Rome engaged in a bitter civil war between Marius – a new man and a popularis politician – and Sulla. The war started as a result of a dispute over who should command the army against Mithridates in the East in 88BC. The Senate had granted the command to Sulla (consul for that year). Marius wanted the command and had the tribune Suplicius Rufus, propose a law to the people that the command be transferred to him. It was successful. However, Sulla refused to give up the command and used his army to march on Rome, reversing the decision. This was the first time that the Roman army had been used as a political tool against Rome itself, and it set a dangerous precedent for the future. Image of Sulla marching on Rome

MORE ON MARIUS AND SULLA … Having taken control of Rome, Sulla went to the East to campaign against Mithridates. Following this, in 87BC, Marius (who had fled Rome in the wake of Sulla) and the Consul for that year, Cinna, violently marched on Rome installing themselves as consuls for the following year.(Marius died in January 86BC – Plutarch says from “drink and delirium” but probably from old age!) When Sulla returned from the East to Rome in 83BC, he once again marched on Rome, established a dictatorship, used proscriptions to eliminate political opposition and acquire their wealth, and reorganised the constitution in order to reinforce the senate at the expense of the tribunate.   From then on there was a constant fear – sometimes real and sometimes imagined – on the part of the senate that there would be another Sulla – the legacy of Sulla therefore cast a shadow on the historical period that followed his death in 78BC. Bust of Marius Bust of Sulla