Marcus Marius (quaestor 76 BC) facts for kids
Marcus Marius was a Roman official called a quaestor in 76 BC. He worked for Quintus Sertorius, a Roman general who led a separate government in Spain. Sertorius sent Marius to King Mithradates VI of Pontus. Marius went as an advisor and military commander during the Third Mithridatic War. Some old writings might have confused him with someone named Varius.
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Marius's Roman Connections
Marcus Marius was not related to the famous Roman general Gaius Marius. He likely arrived in Spain with Perperna, but they didn't stay close. Marcus Marius was one of the senators who ran away from Sulla, a powerful Roman leader. This shows Marius was against Sulla's ideas. He was considered a "fugitive" or "exile." This meant his life and property were in danger because he opposed Sulla's government.
Journey to the East
Sertorius sent Marcus Marius to King Mithradates to create an alliance. This was during long talks between the two leaders. By 75 BC, Mithradates agreed to see Sertorius as the true head of the Roman state. He sent 3,000 talents (a lot of money) and 40 ships to help Sertorius. In return, Mithradates wanted Sertorius to agree to his control over certain areas in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey).
Sertorius kept Rome's claim to the Roman province of Asia. But he said that other areas like Bithynia, Paphlagonia, Cappadocia, and Galatia "had nothing to do with the Romans."
Marius traveled East with Roman troops. He carried the fasces (symbols of Roman power). He entered several cities in Asia and gave them independence and tax breaks. This showed he was acting like a Roman governor. People in the province welcomed Marius. They had been treated badly by Roman tax collectors and soldiers. Marius's actions helped gain their support.
The alliance with King Mithradates was finalized in the summer of 74 BC. This happened just before the big Third Mithridatic War began in 73 BC. Other Romans who were against Sulla also joined Mithradates.
Battles and Marius's Death
The war between Sulla's supporters and Sertorius's side continued in the East. It became part of the Third Mithridatic War. In late 75 BC, King Nicomedes IV of Bithynia died. He left his kingdom to Rome, making Bithynia a new Roman province.
Marcus Aurelius Cotta became the first Roman governor of Bithynia. Another Roman general, Lucius Licinius Lucullus, also came to fight Mithradates.
Lucullus arrived in Anatolia in the fall of 74 BC. Mithradates saw his chance and attacked Cappadocia and Bithynia. During this time, Marcus Marius served as an advisor and co-commander for King Mithradates.
At Chalcedon, a city in Bithynia, Marius and Mithradates fought against Cotta. Cotta was defeated and had to retreat into the city. Marius shared command with Mithradates' general Eumachos in this battle.
Lucullus heard about Cotta's defeat. His soldiers wanted him to attack undefended Pontus. But Lucullus wanted to focus on Mithradates himself. He headed towards Chalcedon. Marius blocked his path near Nicaea (modern-day Iznik). Lucullus had a large army but was hesitant to fight.
According to the writer Plutarch, a strange event happened:
But presently, as they were on the point of joining battle, with no apparent change of weather, but all on a sudden, the sky burst asunder, and a huge, flame-like body was seen to fall between the two armies. In shape, it was most like a wine-jar (pithos), and in colour, like molten silver. Both sides were astonished at the sight, and separated. This marvel, as they say, occurred in Phrygia, at a place called Otryae.
No battle happened that day. Marius had a problem: he only had a few days of supplies for his troops. Lucullus found this out and decided to wait. Marius was forced to move his army without fighting. This delay allowed Mithradates to leave Chalcedon and go to Cyzicus.
Mithradates tried to capture Cyzicus, a strong city. He wanted its food supplies and good harbor. But Lucullus blocked his supply routes. Mithradates' army became weak from hunger and sickness. He was forced to leave by ship. He left 30,000 ground troops under the command of Marius and Hermaios. These troops helped the king escape, but they lost 11,000 men at the Aesepus and Granicus rivers.
Marius then went to sea. He commanded 50 ships and 10,000 chosen men, including many Roman exiles. They planned to sail into the Aegean Sea. But Lucullus attacked them. He captured 13 of their ships. The main force landed their ships on a small island called Neae. Lucullus sent soldiers by land to attack them from behind. Many were killed, and the rest were forced back to sea. Lucullus sank or captured 32 of Mithradates' ships.
Marius managed to escape at first. He was later found hiding in a cave on shore. Like Sertorius, Marius had lost an eye. Lucullus ordered his men not to kill any one-eyed survivors. He wanted to personally oversee Marius's death. The writer Orosius said that Marius paid the price for his rebellious actions.
Marius in Stories
Marcus Marius is a character in Michael Curtis Ford's historical novel The Last King: Rome's Greatest Enemy (2004). In the book, he is shown as a tough and proud Roman soldier. Ford imagines that this Marius was a nephew of the famous seven-time consul, Gaius Marius. His presence at Mithradates' court was meant to get support from Romans who agreed with Marius's political ideas.
See also
In Spanish: Marco Mario para niños
