The was a Roman

agrarian law Agrarian laws (from the Latin ''ager'', meaning "land") were Roman law, laws among the Ancient Rome, Romans regulating the division of the public real property, lands, or ''ager publicus''. In its broader definition, it can also refer to the agric ...

introduced by the plebeian tribune

Lucius Appuleius Saturninus Lucius Appuleius Saturninus (died late 100 BC) was a Roman populist and tribune. He is most notable for introducing a series of legislative reforms, alongside his associate Gaius Servilius Glaucia and with the consent of Gaius Marius, during t ...

during his second tribunate in 100 BC. The law concerned the distribution of land to poor Romans and to

Gaius Marius Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbrian War, Cimbric and Jugurthine War, Jugurthine wars, he held the office of Roman consul, consul an unprecedented seven times. Rising from a fami ...

' veterans. According to

Appian Appian of Alexandria (; ; ; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who prospered during the reigns of the Roman Emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius. He was born c. 95 in Alexandria. After holding the senior offices in the pr ...

, this was to be provided from land that had been seized by the Cimbri in

Transalpine Gaul Gallia Narbonensis (Latin for "Gaul of Narbonne", from its chief settlement) was a Roman province located in Occitania (administrative region) , Occitania and Provence, in Southern France. It was also known as Provincia Nostra ("Our Prov ...

. A separate but related law also established colonies

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek language, Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaḯa'', ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwest ...

, Macedonia, and possibly

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. The law also required the swearing of an oath to follow it. Some senators, including

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus () was an ancient Roman statesman and general. He was a leader of the Optimates, the conservative faction of the Roman Senate. He was a bitter political opponent of Gaius Marius. He was Roman consul, consul in 1 ...

, refused to take the oath and therefore departed into exile. Although Saturninus was an ally of Marius, his activities during the elections of 100 BC – including a murder of a hostile candidate – triggered a which saw him apprehended and his death to a mob in the senate house. Despite Saturninus' death, his land reforms were not overturned.

Provisions

According to

, the law provided for the distribution of land which had been seized by the invading Cimbri in

Cisalpine Gaul Cisalpine Gaul (, also called ''Gallia Citerior'' or ''Gallia Togata'') was the name given, especially during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, to a region of land inhabited by Celts (Gauls), corresponding to what is now most of northern Italy. Afte ...

prior to their defeat by

at the

Battle of Vercellae The Battle of Vercellae or Battle of the Raudine Plain was fought on 30 July 101 BC on a plain near Vercellae in Gallia Cisalpina (modern-day Northern Italy). A Celto-Germanic confederation under the command of the Cimbric king Boiorix was de ...

(101 BC). This land was to be allocated to poor citizens, especially Marius' veterans. According to Pseudo- Aurelius Victor, Saturninus sent colonists to the

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

s of

, and Macedonia. Velleius Paterculus stated that the colony of Epodeia was founded in northwestern Italy by Marius during his sixth consulship (100 BC). Lucius Annaeus Seneca and

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

write that Marius founded a colony in

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

; Pliny adds that its name was Mariana. The two writers did not specify when this occurred, but it is likely that this was also a result of the law. Appian wrote that the law assigned the larger share to the Italian allies. Presumably these were to be mainly allied veterans who had served under Marius. The law provided that Marius should have authority to make three Roman citizens in every colony. Another provision required that the senators should take an oath to obey the law within five days and anyone who refused to do so should be expelled from the Senate and pay a fine of twenty talents for the benefit of the people.

Political conflict

The provision that the Italian allies were to be assigned the larger share of the land angered Rome's urban poor, who caused a disturbance at the meeting of the assembly which was to vote on the bill in an attempt to prevent the passage of the law. Saturninus had called in people from the rural districts, many of whom were Marius' veterans, to support him. They dispersed the urban people with clubs. The latter claimed that a thunder was heard during the assembly. According to Roman tradition, this was a bad omen which would require the business of the day to be brought to a close. Saturninus ignored this. Marius wanted to use the provision regarding the oath against

, his enemy. He declared that he would not take the oath. Metellus agreed and the other senators approved. On the fifth day Marius hastily convoked the Senate late in the day. He claimed that he was afraid of the reaction of the people if they did not take the oath and proposed a stratagem. He said if they took the oath to obey the law insofar at it was a law, the country people would disperse. Afterwards they could show that this law was not really a law because it had been enacted by violence and after thunder had been reported. While the senators were confused and silent, Marius took quick action before they had time to think: He gave his oath publicly. The other senators followed suit, fearing for their safety. However, Metellus refused. The next day Apuleius' officers tried to drag him out of the senate-house, but the other tribunes defended him. The country people were brought back into town. They were told that the law would not be executed, and they would not get their land, unless Metellus were banished. A banishment decree was proposed. On ratification day the urban people carried knives and escorted Metellus to protect him. Metellus decided to leave the city rather than risk a conflict. Apuleius had the decree ratified. Later in the same year, Saturninus got into political trouble and was lynched by an angry crowd. The Senate and the people called for the recall of Metellus. , another plebeian tribune, opposed this. However, he, too, was lynched and Metellus was allowed to return.

References

Bibliography

Modern sources

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Ancient sources