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Gaius Marius was a consul (the consuls were two annually elected heads of the city and the army) six times, and a military commander. He fought a war in Africa and one against the Cimbri, a Germanic people which attacked the northern parts of the empire. He also fought two civil wars against Sulla, another military commander. The first war was a fight between the two men over who would be consul for that year.

The second civil war was the result of conflict between optimates and populares (plural of popularis) becoming violent. The former was a conservative faction which supported the interests of the aristocracy. The latter was a faction which supported reforms in favour of the plight of the poor. Marius was a popularis and Sulla was an optimante. Sulla won the war and started a big political repression, executing or ordering the murder thousands of his political opponents.

Julius Caesar's family were patricians who had fallen on hard times. They were populares. Marius was also Caesar's uncle. His aunt married Marius. During Sulla's repression Caesar was in danger both because he was related to Marius and he because was a popularis. Sullla stripped him of his inheritance, his wife's dowry and his priesthood. He also wanted to force him to divorce, but Caesar refused and had to go into hiding.

Marius had been an inspiration for the cause of the populares and thus for Caesar. When he fought his civil war, Caesar was lenient with his enemies and pardoned them. It is thought that this was because of the horrors of the repression of the supporters of Marius by Sulla he witnessed as a young man.

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