What caused the Roman civil wars?

Answer 1

In the last years of the Roman Republic there were 12 civil wars . These were caused by the Roman state becoming dysfunctional and unable to cope with the transformations caused by imperial expansion.

The Roman Republic was brought down by the weight of imperial expansion. The central government had become dysfunctional, and lost control over the provinces (conquered territories). The governors of the provinces became unruly and treated their provinces as if they were their personal fiefs. Tax collection in the provinces was carried out by private collectors who 'farmed' the taxes to line their pockets. Corruption was rampant. A reform of military recruitment made the soldiers loyal to the commanders of their legions who could use them to obtain what they wanted through the threat of or the use of military violence. In 71 BC Crassus and Pompey encamped their troops outside Rome to have themselves elected as consuls (the two annually elected heads of the Republic). Pompey was not even eligible on the grounds of being below the required age and of not having served some public offices which were required before the consulship. In 88 BC Sulla entered the city of Rome with his troops during his first civil war against forces of Marius, even though Roman religion forbade the bearing of arms within the city walls.

Many of the civil wars were related to clashes between strong military leaders and the conflict between populares and optimates spilling into violence. The former was a political faction which championed the cause of the poor and wanted reforms aimed at helping them. The latter was a conservative political faction which favoured the aristocracy and was opposed to the reforms. In the Late Republic there was an increase in the number of dispossessed peasants who lost their land to the expanding large landed estates which used slaves, who were war captives. These people flocked to Rome to try to eke out a living, swelling the masses of the poor in the city. The plight of the poor became a political hot potato and a major driver behind the civil wars.

The Roman Republic was brought down by these civil wars and replaced by the period of rule by emperors. During this period civil wars were the result of power struggles between pretenders to the imperial title.

Answer 2

Which civil war are you referring to? The last three, Sulla and Marius, Caesar and Pompey, Octavian and Antonius, all had the struggle for power as their main cause.