Changes

==Conclusion==

Marius military reforms were undertaken during a period of crisis. They were in response to an invasion of Italy by German tribes. Marius created a standing army, permitted the enlistment of the poor and provide retirement benefits for veterans. He also reformed the organization of the army. These all allowed Marius to defeat the barbarian invasion and the army that he helped to create was to drive the expansion of the Roman Empire for years to come. The changes made to the Roman army had profound social and political consequences as it led to more citizens from outside the traditional elite and the granting of lands to retired soldiers was crucial in securing conquered provinces and in their Romanization. However, Marius reforms had some unintended consequences as it resulted in soldiers owing more loyalty to their general than to the state. This led to years of instability and plunged the Roman Republic into decades of civil wars. These were only ended with the fall of the Roman Republic and the emergence of Augustus as the first emperor.