The first Roman civil war between Marius and Sylla took place in -88/-87. It opposed two generals, leaders of two political factions, for control of the Roman Republic.
The protagonists
Marius
Caïus Marius was born near Arpinum in -157; he was a plebeian, that is to say, he belonged to the category of citizens descended from the people of Rome. He married Julia Caesaris, aunt of Julius Caesar.
Rome was at war with Jugurtha the king of Numidia. Towards -105 Marius was appointed lieutenant to Metellus, a consul who was then fighting in Africa. Marius, who did not forget his origins, won the esteem of all his soldiers; only Metellus despised him because of his origins. And when in -107 he wanted to take a leave for the consulate elections, Metellus only let him go 12 days before the elections, reducing his chances of participating in them to nothing. But he succeeded thanks to the support of the plebs and was appointed consul. He then returned to Africa to win the war there. He defended the Populares faction. He has been described as a good military tactician, but a poor politician.
Sylla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla better known as Sylla was born in -138. He was a member of the gens Cornelii, one of the largest and wealthiest families in Rome. He was therefore a patrician and, logically, defended the faction of the optimates.
Sulla made a brilliant military debut alongside Marius, who was then consul. Sulla was a lieutenant and when Marius returned to Africa for the war against the Numidians, Sulla himself took the Numidian king Jugurtha prisoner. This victory gave him some credibility thereafter.
Their quarrels
You have to understand that everything opposed them:
* Marius was a staunch Republican of plebeian origin.
* Sylla was for the aristocratic party and he was one of the great patricians of Rome.
Moreover, Marius being endowed with great pride, he did not accept that Sylla be appointed to go and reorganize the Greek provinces of Asia Minor.
Political and civil war
In -88, Sylla, haloed by his undeserved victory in Numidia and his deserved victories during the social war supported by the aristocrats, will be elected to the consulate. Marius succeeded in having himself appointed to the command of the war against King Mithridates VI, hoping then to accomplish a brilliant action which would allow him to regain the reins of power. However, he thus injured the consul Sylla, to whom the command was to devolve.
The riots led by Marius will force him into exile for some time, but he will return to Rome with his troops. Thus began the first civil war. The unfailing support of the Caecilii Metelli to Sylla (who did not forgive Marius for his betrayal in Numidia) gave hope for a moment of the latter's victory. However, he was entrusted with the command of the war as consul and it was finally the old Marius, by a plebiscite (very supervised...) at the last minute organized by the tribune Rufus, who won his case.
Sulla, who had already recruited his army, pretended to accept. But it was to better join his troops based in Campania, who also expected a lot from the war, and march with them on Rome. The act was of an unprecedented illegality (since according to legend, no Roman since Remus had dared to cross in arms the limits drawn by Romulus), although Sulla's objective was precisely to restore legality.
After having eliminated the majority of the popular forces, he had a senatus-consulte passed (by terrified senators) outlawing all his adversaries. If Rufus was beheaded, Marius managed to flee with a handful of supporters on the island of Ischia (in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast of present-day Naples), then in Africa, at the end of incredible adventures (very romanticized by Plutarch ). Meanwhile, Sylla, satisfied, left with his men in the direction of Pont-Euxin.
Related article:First Mithridates War.
Consequences
In -87 Marius will take advantage of this absence to return to Rome and make an alliance with Lucius Cornelius Cinna; they will both lead the populares party, the people's party.
He will be elected to the consulate in -86. He exiled or killed most of Sulla's friends and followers and died suddenly. In -83, Sylla returned to Rome and massacred all his opponents, in particular those of the populares party led by Cinna on the death of Marius. The two irreconcilable parties will embark on a second civil war in -82