Marian Reforms

  • The Marian Reforms of 107-101 BCE were a series of Laws that reformed the organisation and tactics of the Roman Army.
  • The Army dropped the Maniple System and adopted the Cohort System.

Marius

The Urgency for reforming the Roman Army

  • The Two Main Reasons:
    • The crushing Roman Defeat at the Battle of Arausio (105 BCE) inflicted by the Cimbri, proved the existing Army Organisation was deficient.
    • It became necessary to defend the growing number of overseas Provinces Rome had acquired with a standing army.

The Main Changes of the Marian Reforms

  • A Standing Army:
    • Rome could now respond to any attack instantly, and the Roman Army became the most effective Army of the Ancient World. It was no longer hastily recruited, inexperienced and undisciplined.
  • Mobility:
    • The Roman Army was now able to move very quickly. It was no longer slowed down by a huge Baggage Train, as the soldiers carried most of their equipment.

The Four Main Reforms (107-101 BCE)

  1. The creation of a Standing Army:
    • The Legions were no longer disbanded after a war. The size of the Legion grew from 3,000 men to over 5,200 men. A permanent Cavalry Force of 300 men was attached to each Legion.
    • In 107 BCE The Legionaries were now recruited with no requirements to own property, for terms of 16 years on a fixed salary. This was later extended to 20 years.
    • By doing this, Gaius Marius created a standing army for the first time, where units no longer disbanded and went home to tend to their lands at the end of each campaigning season.
  2.  The Cohort System replaced the Maniple System.
    • After 105 BCE, Drilling and Training now took place all year round, the soldiers were in top physical condition and extremely disciplined, by comparison with their enemies.
    • Each legionary now had to carry his own Weapons and armour and 15 days of supplies, weighing 25-30 kgs in a rucksack suspended from a crossstick on his shoulders. This reduced the size of the Baggage Train, and if necessary, allowed the soldiers to be separated from it, creating an extremely mobile Army.
    • A clear chain of Command was introduced. Orders were read out in advance of the battle. Soldiers and Officers were then free to make their own decisions in the heat of battle, without having to wait for orders.
  3. The Veterans:
    • Soldiers who retired after Service were rewarded with a Plot of Land and a Pension.
  4. Roman Citizenship
    • This was offered to the Italian Allies that had fought for Rome.
    • After 101 BCE, all Italian Allied soldiers were granted full Roman Citizenship.
    • Their Role was replaced by the Roman Auxiliaries.

The Political consequences of the Reforms

  • The loyalty of the standing army moved from the Roman Senate, to the Proconsul of the overseas Province who paid the Legionary wages. This gave the Proconsuls political power and weakened the authority of the Roman Senate.
  • This quickly lead to civil wars between these Proconsuls or Generals (Imperatores) as they competed with each other to dominate the Roman Senate.

The Downfall of the Roman Republic

The Problems persist under the Roman Empire

  • The problem continued under the Roman Empire as ambitious Generals were able to take their loyal standing armies to Italy and battle with their rivals or the encumbant Emperor to become Emperor themselves.
  • This led to regular takeover bids, sometimes several times in one year:
  • Crisis of the Third Century (235-284 CE)
    • This was a fifty year period (235-284 CE) when there were 26 claimants or Generals who simply broke away from Rome and ruled independently.

Timeline of Roman Civil Wars (88 BCE-394 CE)

  • Civil Wars erupted in every century, which encouraged the Germanic Invasions and led to the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
  • Rome’s enemies found it much easier to invade a Roman State weakened by Civil Wars, and would conspire with one side against the other.

 

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