The Reform
Marius did not intend to destroy the Republic by changing recruitment. He answered a military need. The landless poor could serve, and Rome gained soldiers.
The Consequence
The change helped loosen the older bond between property, citizenship, and service. Soldiers increasingly looked to commanders for land, reward, and future security.
The Long Shadow
Sulla, Pompey, and Caesar all operated in a military world that Marius had helped make possible. The Republic’s armies remained Roman, but their loyalties became increasingly personal.