History

The Republic of Rome had a decline very gradually starting from the March of Sulla upon Rome in 88.  The soldiers of the Roman legions were from the middle class landowners in Rome and the numbers of small-scale landowners were declining very fast, due to various reasons. It was not easy for these farmers to revert once they were soldiers. As a result they depended on their commanders for their future, and the commander received their loyalty as long as they showed these veterans a way for livelihood. At a time when attackers and defenders wrote the history of the world, and all the roads led to Rome, commanders who could effectively manage such comrades-in-arms held the future in their arms.  Let us watch the few leaders who achieved this.

Sulla and his soldiers  Sulla fought King Mithridates of Asia Minor in Greece.  While he was defending Rome, the Senate under Marius was busy declaring him an outlaw. Even though the army of Archelaus, the general of Mithridates, had an army thrice the size of Sullas, the Roman defeated them completely, with the help of his soldiers. After his march on Rome and the defeat of Marius, Sulla rewarded his fellow soldiers by settling them in the suburbs of Rome.  Many of the villagers in the suburbs of Rome were ousted and replaced by the veterans in the army. But he lost his public support with the stoppage of subsidies for grain, thereby disrupting the food supply to more than 300, 00 inhabitants in the city of Rome. His own experience behind him, he decided that he would not favor soldiers who would move in on him and Rome, under any commander who felt so.  So he limited the term of Commander to a short period.  Such was the threat of these armies, which could caution even an iron handed, cold-blooded ruler like Sulla.

Pompey and his rise to power The reforms of Sulla had caused an uprising immediately after his death.  Pompey defeated the Etrurian people, under the leadership of Lepidus. Pompey, after Lepidus death did not agree to disband his army.  He went to Spain, to help Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius against Quintus Sertorius.  The war would have turned in the favor of Sertorius had it not been for the reinforcements that reached Pompey and Pius army from Italy, under the directions of the Senate.  Sertorius was defeated and eliminated.  Pompey and his faithful legions defeated the army that held Spain in rebellion, against the Senate in Rome. Sertorius was defeated because of the disloyalty of his legions especially that of Peperna.   The slave rebellion under Spartacus too gives proof of the loyalty of legions, and the discontent of the masses.

Pompey used this army to buy himself a consulship in 70 along with Crassus.  Even though he was only thirty-five, the Senate gave consulship to Pompey when they saw that they could not face the army that was commanded by Pompey. We find that after he returns from his campaign against King Mithridates, he rewarded his soldiers with 6,000 sesterces when the annual basic pay of a soldier was just 450 sesterces.  He rewarded his officers more handsomely.  He understood their importance and relevance for his position in Rome 1.
1. Mary, Boatwright,  Daniel, Gargola Richard, Talbert The Romans From village to empire. New York Oxford university press. P 220-221.

Under Caesar  The immortal words Veni Vidi Vici, could be claimed to have been made by Caesar due to his faithful legions. Caesar himself paid the money, though not wholly, to raise the legions which amounted to about 50,000 men.  This army aided him in breaking the advance of the Helvetians against the Roman army in Gaul and the German attack on Gaul itself.  The same army with its iron discipline was used to conquer Gaul completely and subjugate it under Roman rule.  While in Rome, he had actually made the Senate swear an oath to respect the land distribution, which had a direct impact on the legions, which were the most affected. After the wars abroad, he took steps to settle his veterans.  Unlike Sulla, he did not take away much land by force and only 15,000 men were settled in Rome.  Others were given lands overseas, or confiscated lands that were taken from enemies who had joined in the fights against Caesar.  Two such colonies that became prominent were Carthage and Corinth.  Some of his fellow men in the army found their place in the Senate.  There were men who were as low in rank as Centurion, in the house of Senators.   Thus, Caesar had rewarded an army which had made him almost King over a dead Republic.

Second Triumvirate  When the Senate was confronted with the choice of granting the position of Consul to Octavian,  they declined the plea.  However, the senate soon forgot this when Octavian marched onto to Rome with five legions loyal to him.  Soon the duo of Antony and Octavian was to have twenty legions each to pursue and punish the Assassins of Caesar.  This huge army was impossible to feed and even the second set of proscriptions along the model of Sulla was not sufficient.  Then we find the second triumvirate committing the outrage of handing over 18 richest Italian cities with their lands to the armies. They went to this extent because they knew the importance of keeping the soldiers content.  With these legions, they defeated Cassius and Brutus at the battle of Phillippi. 

Nevertheless, When Octavian was faced with the question of the regime to rule Rome, It has to be noted that Octavian was reluctant to present an army based monarchy in Rome, as he knew how fickle the soldiers could be.