25 - Marius 1: Ambition Cost of Glory

A controversial figure, Gaius Marius was a ‘new man’ (novus homo), who rose from a zero to the greatest Roman of his generation, unifying the equestrians and plebs against the senatorial nobles. Even more remarkably, Marius’ career only really took off around age 50.


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Thanks to guest narrator GritCult (@gritcult on twitter)!

Key takeaways:
Learning the populist game from Scipio Africanus and the Gracchi
Fitting in but staying different
Acquiring a fortune and a reputation
Entering Roman politics as an outsider
Conciliating Rivals
From Tribune, to Praetor, to Consul
War with Jugurtha