Cataclysm 90 BC: The Forgotten War that Almost Destroyed Rome

by Philip Matyszak

The systemic problem with the republic was that it no longer represented its citizens. When every male Roman citizen was also a practising Roman voter, the needs of the people found a voice in the legislature. Likewise when almost every Roman soldier was also a practising Roman voter, the will of the people and the will of the army were pretty much the same thing. However, as the Roman state expanded, an increasing number of ‘Romans’ lived their lives without even seeing the city of which they were technically citizens. And since all voting by Romans had to be done personally in Rome, this meant that an ever-increasing number of citizens were effectively disenfranchised. This problem resulted in very literal class warfare.