15,697
edits
Changes
no edit summary
__NOTOC__
[[File: 673px-Roman Legionaries-MGR Lyon-IMG 1050.jpg |thumbnail|300px|left|Roman legionaries 1st century BCE]]
Marius military reforms were undertaken during a period of crisis. They were in response to an invasion of Italy by German tribes. Marius created a standing army, permitted the poor's enlistment, and provided retirement benefits for veterans. He also reformed the organization of the army. These all allowed Marius to defeat the barbarian invasion. The army that he created drove the expansion of the Roman Empire for years to come.
The changes made to the Roman army had profound social and political consequences. It led to more citizens from outside the traditional elite, and the granting of lands to retired soldiers was crucial in securing conquered provinces and their Romanization. However, Marius' reforms had some unintended consequences as it they resulted in soldiers' more loyalty to their generals than to the state. This led to years of instability and plunged the Roman Republic into decades of civil wars. These were only ended with the fall of the Roman Republic and the emergence of Augustus as the first emperor. <youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIRS_PMeVVY</youtube>
<div class="portal" style="width:85%;">
