Gaius Marius

Marius is the son of a rural farmer in Arpinum, outside of Rome, who has become a notable Roman senator through hard work and military prowess. Because Marius's family is undistinguished, the older Roman families consider Marius to be a "new man", that is, an upstart. They slander him by saying he is uneducated and that he doesn't speak Greek, both of which claims are untrue. He is rich from the booty of his military campaigns and because of his mine and other commercial enterprises. At the beginning of the novel he is married to Grania, though he divorces her to marry Julia Caesar. He desires to be consul and "First Man in Rome." His alliance with the Caesar family will help him overcome the lack of noble blood. Their marriage is a fruitful one and they have a son together.

Although Marius has held the post...