Gaius Marius: Savior.. or Destroyer? Gaius Marius was the Janus-faced savior of Rome. On one hand his sweeping military reforms intensified Rome's might at a crucial time, during the Jugurthine war, saving Rome from the steady advance of their Italian enemies. On the other, his no-frills military-minded personality drove him to push those away who could not socially accept this lower-upper class equestrian novus homo. He proved himself a most capable military leader, inspiring his troops by sharing their toils and personally leading them into battle; he vanquished Rome's enemies time and time again yet was unable to gra