Caius Marius

Gaius Marius was a Roman general and politician in the late 2nd and early 1st centuries BCE. He is known for reforms that transformed the Roman army, allowing even non-landowning men to join, which increased military size and loyalty to their general. Marius also played a key role in shifting Roman politics through a series of military successes and political alliances. His career contributed to the end of the Roman Republic's traditional power structures and set the stage for future conflicts leading to the rise of imperial rule.