The Jugurthine War was fought between Rome and Jugurtha, a Numidian prince who seized power in North Africa after killing his rival relatives, including Italian merchants at Cirta. Roman politicians were accused of accepting his bribes, and the early campaigns went badly, which fuelled a bitter political struggle in Rome between the aristocratic faction and reformers. The consul Metellus restored discipline, but Gaius Marius, his former officer, won the command and enlisted poor citizens into his army. Marius's quaestor Sulla secured Jugurtha's capture through the king of Mauretania, Bocchus. Jugurtha was displayed in Marius's triumph in 104 BCE and died in prison. The historian Sallust wrote the main surviving account of the war.
Before and after
- 2nd century BCEVenus de Milo
- 139 BCEZhang Qian's mission opens the Silk Road
- 134 BCETiberius Gracchus is murdered and the Republic enters its crisis
- c. 131 BCEHipparchus discovers the precession of the equinoxes
- from 111 BCE to 105 BCEJugurthine War
- 3 January 106 BCEBirth of Cicero
- 104 BCEEstablishment of Qumran
- 2nd century BCEOrigins of Vienna
- c. 100 BCEEruption of Okmok
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The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 2nd century BCE.