The final decades of the second century BC, and the first decades of the first century BC, were an incredibly tumultuous time in Roman history. Besides wars against Rome’s allies on the Italian peninsula, Rome waged war against King Jugurtha of Numidia and King Mithridates VI of Pontus. A lengthy period of instability culminated in the two civil wars, which broke out after the rogue ex-consul Gaius Marius usurped power while the standing consul was commanding a military expedition. This standing consul was Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

He revived Rome’s office of dictator, which had been inactive for over a century… yet although oftentimes dictators enjoy their position for life, Sulla voluntarily stepped down after he passed his reforms.

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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:59 Decades of Instability (112-91 BC)
4:01 The Social Wars (91-88 BC)
6:33 Sulla's Civil Wars (88-81 BC)
10:53 Dictator Sulla (81-79 BC)

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The content of this video covers events, people or concepts via a lecture-style presentation that is educational and historical in nature. Every video is original content by House of History. The events relating to conflict in this video are portrayed in their historical context without either value judgment or an ideological message attached to it. There is no intent to shock, upset or disgust. The goal of my channel is to make interesting lecture-style videos, no more, no less.

During the last half of the second century BC, several socio-economic problems rose to the surface of the Roman Republic. Among them was the ever-increasing social and legal divide between Roman citizens and non-Romans living within their sphere of influence, often long-term allies. The so-called Optimates, an aristocratic political faction, were opposed to granting citizenship rights to these peoples, even to those living on the peninsula.

Already in 133 BC, Tribune Tiberius Gracchus, part of the reformist Populares, attempted to issue reforms regarding both the disgruntled non-Romans within the Republic and the decrease of smallholding farmers who were the backbone of the army.

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Music: Autumn - Rome Total War Original Soundtrack - Jeff van Dyck

Sources:

Fox, Robin Lane. The classical world: An epic history of Greece and Rome. Penguin UK, 2006.
Levick, Barbara M. "Sulla's March on Rome in 88 BC." Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte H. 4 (1982): 503-508.
Kershaw, Stephen P. A Brief History of the Roman Empire. Hachette UK, 2013.
Matyszak, Philip. The Enemies of Rome: From Hannibal to Attila the Hun. Thames & Hudson, 2013.
Matyszak, Philip. The Roman Empire. Oneworld Publications, 2014.
Singor, H. W., and F. G. Naerebout. Oudheid. Ambo| Anthos, 2011.

Written by House of History

Photos, paintings and imagery: Public Domain, Wikicommons

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