The hypothesis of this report is that the military reforms instituted by Gaius Marius ultimately paved the way for the fall of the Roman Republic. The reforms instituted by Marius were intended as a means to strengthen the Republic by professionalizing the Roman army, but instead resulted in long-term political consequences that contributed to the decline of the Republic and the creation of the Empire. In this report, the decline of the republic refers specifically to the Senate's loss of authority over Roman generals. From 112 to 106 BC, a Numidian king called Jurgurtha was engaged in war with Rome due to an attempt to seize power from his half. -brother, Adherbal. The Romans arrived at the request of Adherbal and the potential for profit, a claim supported by the equites, with the aim of dividing the country between the brothers, and Marius found himself under the command of Quintus Caecilius Metellus, whose command he was under. orders. patronage of. When Mettelus contemptuously refused Marius's request to return to Rome to attempt to obtain the consulship in 108, Marius schemed to have African command transferred to him by stating that "Mettelus was voluntarily prolonging the war" (William G. Sinnigen, p. 131), after which Mettelus allowed him to return to Rome to obtain the consulship in 107. After becoming consul in 107, he was then given the African command the following year, and before leaving Rome he received the order of the Senate to raise a new army in an attempt to make him unpopular with the people due to the Senate's negative opinion of him. After receiving this order, he created the first of his reforms, described by Sallust as "meanwhile he himself enlisted soldiers." , not according to cl...... middle of paper...... intermediaries between the troops and the Senate, and were seen by their soldiers as looking out for their best interests. Soldiers relied on their general to give them what they needed, whether it was weapons and armor, pay or land to retreat to, and in return, generals wanted loyalty from their troops . As the legions firmly controlled their generals, they were content to become a threat to the Republic and were willing to become akin to private armies, following generals such as Sulla to march on Rome or other generals. Continuous fighting resulted from these connections between generals and armies, which used them as political tools, which ultimately weakened the republic. Marius set the stage for ambitious generals to use their soldiers to help advance their own political careers, but Marius did not use his soldiers to help him win. its seven consulates.