History knows several civil wars in Rome. The situation was especially tense during the period of the late Republic.
How many years did the civil wars in Rome last?
The period during which the battles were fought is characterized by a number of historians as one of the largest systemic crises in the history of the Empire. The most famous civil war in Rome took place in the 40s BC. e. During it, Julius Caesar opposed the senatorial elite, headed by Pompey the Great. How many years civil wars continued in Rome, as many constant internal reforms took place in the state. In total, the battles lasted more than 100 years - from 133 to 31 BC. e.
Background
What are the causes of civil wars in Rome? By the end of the 2nd century BC. e. Gaius Marius reformed the army. The peasantry was ruined, in connection with which recruitment into the troops on the property qualification was impossible. Thus, beggars aspired to the army. And the soldiers began to serve exclusively for a salary and had no other sources of income.
After the victory over the Teutons and Cimbri, Rome did nothad serious enemies for several decades. At the same time, contradictions intensified within the Republic itself. They are the causes of civil wars in Rome. They ended with the establishment of a monarchy with the preservation of some republican institutions.
The beginning of the civil wars in Rome falls on the end of the 90s. The first of them was called Allied. This civil war in Rome was fought by the Italian allies against the authorities. To end the confrontation, the government was forced to meet the rebels halfway. As a result, the Italian allies received Roman citizenship. However, after this battle, the next one almost immediately followed. A new civil war broke out in Rome between the aristocratic party, led by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, and the democrats, led by Gaius Marius.
Late Republic
Many civil wars in Rome were accompanied by special bloodshed and ended in repression. Such was, for example, the confrontation between the aristocracy and the Gracchi brothers. In 133 there was a skirmish on the Capitol. During it, the people's tribune Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, as well as 300 Gracchians fell right during the comitia at the hands of senators and accomplices who supported them.
The next collision occurred in 121. The people's tribune Gaius Sempronius Gracchus and about 3,000 Gracchians were defeated during the assault on the Aventine by troops called by the Senate. A follower of the Gracchi, Lucius Appuleius Saturninus, in the year 100 fell at the hands of the optimates during the storming of the Capitol. Followingthe collision occurred in 91-88 BC. e. It was an Allied war, which was not formally considered a civil war, since the Italians did not have citizenship.
Marians and Sullans
The civil war in Rome between the supporters of Gaius Marius and Sulla took place in 88-87. As a result of the battles, the first fled. However, some time later, new civil wars took place in Rome with the participation of the Marians. So, in 87-83 there was a coup. The Marians, having recovered from the previous defeat, seized power. In 87, an attempted coup was made by the consul Lucius Cornelius Cinna. However, the rebellion was put down by Gnaeus Octavius. As a result, Cinna was forced to flee.
In the same year 87, Marius returns and besieges Rome. Quintus Sertorius and Cinna immediately connect with him. At this time, an epidemic broke out in Rome. The army of the Senate, Pompey's father perish, and the body of power itself capitulates. After that, Octavius is executed, and Maria and Cinna are elected consuls for the 86th year. The second tried to bring the war with Sulla closer, but died during the rebellion in Ancona. Nevertheless, a new war was inevitable.
Events of 83-77 years
The next battle took place between the Sullans and the Marians in 83. Marius died, and Sulla was able to take Rome. So in 82 a dictatorship was established.
After the resignation and death of Sulla, a rather unstable period began. In the course of it there were several conflicts. So, in 80-72 there was a protracted war betweenSullans and Quintus Sertorius (Marian). The victory was for the Senate (Sullans). In the year 77 there was a short-term war - the rebellion of Lepidus. It must be said that he was not formally a Marian. The clash again ended in victory for the Sullans.
Rise of Spartacus
It happened in 74/73-71. This conflict has become one of the largest in the era of internal contradictions. The uprising was attended by slaves, whose leader was Spartacus. The army of Rome won. In 74 or 73 in Capua, in the school of gladiators, a conspiracy arose. Of the 200 rebels, only 78 were able to escape, including Spartak.
Gladiators were, in fact, professional soldiers. They fought to the death in front of the audience in the arenas. Experienced gladiators were a very valuable asset. The owners took care of them and tried their best to prevent the death of their slaves. Many such gladiators received freedom. However, they did not leave the schools, but remained in them as rudiary teachers. Many experienced gladiators were in the protection of noble persons and participated in the struggle between factions and parties not only in Rome, but also in other Italian cities.
Spartacus with his comrades, of which Enomai and Crixus stood out in particular, decided to form a powerful army. They wanted to fight on equal terms with the Roman legions. There is no exact answer in history to the question of whether Spartacus planned to withdraw the rebels outside the territory of Italy, where he, along with the army, could be hired by some hostile state to serve. Maybe he was going to take overpower in Rome itself, relying on the support of the Italian peasantry and freed slaves, thus achieving goals that the Italians could not achieve during the Allied War. In 63-62 there was a rebellion of Catiline. The plot was uncovered and quickly pushed through by forces supporting the Senate and the Republic.
Caesarians and Pompeians: table
Civil wars in Rome during the reign of Caesar and after his assassination were very fierce. Here are the main battles.
| Date (BC) | Event |
| 49-45 | War between Pompey and Caesar. The second one won |
| 44-42 | A series of wars after the death of Caesar |
| 44-43 | Battle between the Senate and Mark Antony. The war ended with the reconciliation of the participants and the formation of the Second Triumvirate |
| 43-42 | Battle of Philippi. This short-term battle involved the assassins of Caesar and the second triumvirate, who won |
| 44-36 | War between the army of Sextus Pompey and the Caesarians. The last ones won |
Battles between Caesarians
In the years 41-40, the Perusin War took place. It was attended by Mark Antony and Octavian. The battle ended with the reconciliation of the opposing sides. Last war in the Roman Republicwas conducted in 32-30 years. Octavian and Mark Antony again participated in it. In this battle, the second was defeated.
