The Fall of the Republic
Do not confuse the Fall of the Republic (in the first
century BC) with the Fall of Rome to the barbarians (in the 5th
century AD).
Here are some events that give shape to the complex events
of the last century BC:
|
Date BC
|
People
|
Significance
|
|
133 & 123
|
Gracchi brothers
|
·
Use of tribune’s power for political purposes
·
Use of violence by senate to remove a problem
|
|
111-107
|
Marius.
equites + populares force senate to make Marius
consul & leader against Jugurtha
|
·
In the war against Jugurtha the senate was
paralysed by bribery.
·
This shows the increasing power of
non-senatorial Romans.
|
|
104-100
|
Marius
|
·
Consecutive consulships (a challenge to the
senate).
|
|
102-101
|
Marius
|
·
Teutoni and Cimbri threaten to invade
·
Marius’ army reforms: allegiance transferred
from Senate to the general.
|
|
88
|
Sulla
|
·
Roman armies invade Rome
|
|
87
|
Marius
|
·
Proscriptions
|
|
81
|
Sulla
|
·
Proscriptions, Constitution
|
|
70
|
Cicero
|
·
Trial of Verres shows up senatorial
misgovernment
|
|
63
|
Catiline
|
·
Armed revolution seen as a means to power
|
|
59
|
First triumvirate
|
·
Armies used to secure power
|
|
48
|
Caesar, Pompey
|
·
Battle of Pharsalus; death of Pompey
|
|
44
|
Murder of Caesar
|
·
Violence used to preserve Republic
|
|
42
|
Antony,
Brutus and Cassius
|
·
Battle of Philippi
|
|
31
|
Octavian, Antony
|
·
Battle of Actium
|
Marius looked to the populares
for support; Sulla to the optimates.
The equites also
support Marius.
Marius was married to the aunt of Julius Caesar, so Caesar also
got support from the populares.
After Caesar’s murder, Antony
is the populares’ leader.
How far are the civil
wars a struggle between optimates and
populares?
How far was the Roman
elite responsible for the end of the republic?
How far was the
acquisition of empire responsible for the end of the republic?
What opportunities
were there for elite Romans to achieve and maintain status?
Sulla and Marius
You probably won’t need details in the exam, but just in
case, here they are:
(a)
Sulla
is appointed general against Mithridates;
(b) There
was a threat to replace him by Marius; so Sulla invades Rome.
(c)
Sulla
then goes off to the east to fight Mithridates;
(d) With
Sulla away, Marius takes Rome; Marius dies 86;
(e)
Sulla
retakes Rome
from Marius’ colleague, Cinna, in 83-82.
