Marius and Sulla
Gaius Marius erat novus homo de Arpino, quem Scipio Aemelianus (clarissimus Romanorum) admiratus erat. Scipio honores multos iuveni Mario dedit. Marius praetor Hispaniae Ulterioris erat et in matrimonium Iuliam duxit ubi Romam revenit. Marius erat dux fortissimus qui a militibus suis valde dilectus est. Sulla Felix, qui consul factus est ubi Marius erat in Hispania, erat inimicus Marii. Marius iratissimus erat — Sullam oderat. Exercitus Marii Sullae non fidelis erat, quod Marium malebat. Erant duo factiones, optimates et populares. Sulla dux a optimatibus appellatus est, sed populares Mario favebant. Ut multitudinem conprimeret, Sulla suum exercitum in urbem duxit; nemo talem rem ante hoc tempus fecerat. Romani territi sunt, et Marius cum suis militibus Roma celeriter discessit. Senatus imperavit Sullam ut festinaret ad Asiam, ut contra Mithridatem bellum gereret. Dum exercitus Sullae in Asia erat, Marius in exsilio mansit, cupiens Romam revenire. Multos menses miserrimus erat. Mox autem, eius amicus Cinna consul factus est. Cinna, qui Marium revocare volebat, in exilium a senatibus missus est. In exilio, Marius et Cinna consilum ceperunt quo Romam revenire poterant. Duo duces exercitum magnum fecerunt et perterritus senatus eis in urbem intrare permisit. Marius iratissimus crudelisque fuit; statim consulem omnes senatoresque qui eum in exsilium miserant necavit. Ubi Marius ipse mortuus est, Cinna in Roma imperium tenebat.
Eo tempore, multi senatores et optimates ex urbe fugerant et cum Sulla in Graecia in castris se iunxerunt. Post mortem Marii, breve tempus Roma in pace mansit, Cinna consule. Tamen, bellum civile Romam iterum minabatur. Sulla in Graecia potentior fiebat, et senatus Romanus territior fiebat. Cinna pacem cum Sulla desiderabat, sed Sulla nolebat. Ipse imperium omne in urbe volebat. Cinna exercitum ad Graeciam pro salute Romae ducere constituit. Exercitus Cinnae multos dies gressus est. Milites rebellaverunt Cinnamque interfecerunt. Sulla ipse Romam revenit bellum civile gessitque contra Marianos. Exercitus Sullae potentissimus erat et Mariani in proelio Collinae Portae victi sunt. Sulla tum leges ponere incepit, quae ei immunitatem dederunt. Eo tempore proscriptiones terribiles Sulla induxit. Omnis Roma perterrita erat. Si nomen civis in proscriptionis scriptum erat, civis statim necatus est a sectatoribus Sullae. Sulla omnes cives qui sectatores Marii fuerant interfecit, sed multi cives innocentes quoque interfecti sunt.
Gaius Marius, 7 times consul of Rome.
The Roman Republic as of 86BC. Notice the expansion due to the Punic Wars, but realize this is still far from Rome's largest size.
Many Romans accepted Marius's transgressions because his military reputation made them feel safe. Sulla's restoration of order seemed positive and Roman citizens feared the proscriptions, but did not speak out against them.
Gaius Marius, 7 times consul of Rome.
Vocabulary:
admiror - admire
dilectus - beloved
oderat - he hated
faveo - favor, prefer
conprimo - control
festino - hurry
exsilium - exile
consilium capio - to make a plan
permitto - permit
iunxerunt - joined
potentior - more powerful (comp. adj.)
rebello - rebel
leges pono - to make laws
immunitas - immunity
induco - introduce
perterritus - terrified
sectator - follower
Names and Terms in this Passage:
Gaius Marius - a self made man from the rural outskirts of Rome, an amazing general
novus homo - a term for a Roman who was first in his family to be successful in politics (specifically to become consul)
praetor - a political office, similar to being a governor
Hispania Ulterior - Further Spain, a province of Rome in Southern Spain (further from Rome than Northern Spain)
Scipio Aemilianus "Africanus" - adopted son of the Scipio who defeated Hannibal, consul of Rome who defeated and destroyed Carthage
Arpinum - an agricultural town South of Rome, recently granted Roman citizenship
Julia - Gaius Marius' wife, a noble woman from one of Rome's best families, Julius Caesar's aunt
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix - a noble man from a Patrician Roman family, also a great general
Mithridates VI - King of Pontus, who makes incursions into Roman territory and causes an uprising among Rome's Eastern tributaries
Lucius Cornelius Cinna - a consul of Rome, essentially a pawn of Gaius Marius
optimates - the political party of the aristocrats, made up of the "best men"
populares - the political party of the plebeians, made up of "people"
Mariani - supporters of Marius
Porta Collina - or Colline Gate, a landmark in Rome where a battle occurs
proscriptiones - the proscriptions, lists of Roman citizens declared enemies of the state, whom it was then legal to murder
Is this story true?
Yes! The information in this translation is
based on well documented and corroborated histories and memoirs told by the Romans themselves. For context, this saga takes place in the first century BC; the wars between Marius and Sulla all take place between 88 and 82 BC. This is only about fifty years after the end of the Third Punic War. Notice how much more organized Rome seems, how much more is at stake when leaders clash, now that Rome has grown so large and powerful from defeating Carthage and Greece.
For further context, Julius Caesar was born in 100BC. He is a young boy becoming a man during these Civil Wars - it no doubt shaped his personal development. Not only did he grow up at this time, he was intimately involved: Gaius Marius was his uncle, and he was briefly on Sulla's proscription list!
Your 3 Tasks:
First, make sure that you have read the story completely, listened to all the audio, and followed the available links to help you understand the text. I encourage you to re-read it one more time after looking at all your resources. Then:
1. Write an accurate and thorough summary of the text above. Make sure important details are included. Also be sure not to assume anything that isn't in the text.
2. Review some names and phrases from the passage by playing this game with a neighbor.
3. Take the reading quiz at this link. 17 graded questions, one attempt. Please do this on your own without consulting other groups. Don't worry, you've got this!