Gaius Marius

Gaius Marius was a Roman general and politician in the late Roman Republic, known for his military reforms around 107 BC. He transformed the Roman army from a volunteer force into a professional standing army by allowing the poor to enlist, which increased military loyalty to individual generals rather than the state. Marius served as consul multiple times and played a key role in the Jugurthine War and the Social War. His rivalry with Lucius Cornelius Sulla marked a significant period of political turmoil, leading to conflicts that foreshadowed the end of the Roman Republic.