The Republic fell into crisis with the outbreak of the Social War in 91 BC, in which Marius fought with limited success. However, Marius suffered political setbacks during his sixth consulship in 100 BC and afterwards entered a period of semi-retirement from public life. For his victories he was hailed as 'the third founder of Rome' (the first two being Romulus and Camillus). Marius was consul every year from 104–100 BC, and he defeated the Teutones at Aqua Sextiae and the Cimbri at Vercellae. By 105 BC Rome faced an invasion by the Cimbri and Teutones, and the comitia centuriata elected Marius consul for a second time to face this new threat. Marius attained his first consulship in 107 BC and became the commander of Roman forces in Numidia, where he brought an end to the Jugurthine War. On his return from Spain he married Julia, the aunt of Julius Caesar.

Barely elected praetor in 115 BC, he next became the governor of Further Spain where he campaigned against bandits. He won election as tribune of the plebs in 119 BC and passed a law limiting aristocratic interference in elections.

Rising from a well-off provincial Italian family in Arpinum, Marius acquired his initial military experience serving with Scipio Aemilianus at the Siege of Numantia in 134 BC. He set the precedent for the shift from the militia levies of the middle Republic to the professional soldiery of the late Republic he also improved the pilum, a javelin, and made large-scale changes to the logistical structure of the Roman army. He was also noted for his important reforms of Roman armies. Victor of the Cimbric and Jugurthine wars, he held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times.

157 BC – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman.

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