Sulla's First Civil War
How it Began
This war was a ruthless power struggle between Gaius Marius and Sulla. The conflicts between them went back several years, it began when Marius took credit for one of Sulla's military achievements. The other start of the war was triggered by the attempt to strip Sulla of the command against Mithridates. Marius had already had an encounter with Mithridates, and he warned him not to fight against Rome. By this point Marius and Sulla were bitter rivals.
88 BC
The war began when Marius outdid Sulla to win command of the Roman legions. Sulla became furious, marshaled his forces and led them in a march on Rome. What Sulla did was very controversial, since no other general had ever done that before. Sulla soon swept aside Marius’ supporters and forced his rival to flee to Africa.
87 BC
In 87 BC Marius returned from his exile in Africa. Soon after his return, he had his group of military reforms, the Marians, cut off the food supply to Rome. The Marians and the Roman army at Capua faced off, and Gnaeus Octavius lost control of the Senate, which allowed negotiations with Cinna and Marius, allowing them into the city without further fighting. But, Octavius refused to flee and ended up getting beheaded.
The Fall of Rome
A massacre of Cinna's and Marius's opponents followed the fall of Rome. At least eleven known people either were killed or killed themselves. Soon after, Sulla was declared a public enemy, his house was burnt down and his property was confiscated. Sulla's laws were repealed, and Marius and Cinna made themselves consuls for 86 BC. Shortly after Marius entered his seventh consulship, he died of a 'fever'. He stained his reputation with the bloodbath that followed the fall of the city.