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To understand Sertonius' position it is important to look at the factional fighting that was Roman ploitic at this time.
. The politics of Rome at this time was dominated by the view piont of two groups the populars and the pauci/boni. This was not two parties, the Roman state had no formal parties.Alligances changed according to issues, measures, that are called popular measures now, could be supported by people who have been called boni. This could be through self intrest or through presure from family, patron or to protect the intrest of clients. It makes it very confusing at times. However as a mans polotics was more often than not based on view points, people usually could be realided upon to act in a certain way. Patterns can emerge.
The issues that made up the polatics of the late republic had grown just as Romes mpire grow. Wealth had flooded into the capital going almost exclusively into the pockets of the elite. Land was the most respectalbe and the most comman form of investment. However most of the comman soldiers came from the small farms that could not compete with the larger slave worked farms of the rich. As they fell below the level at which they could be called up for military service they and their families drifted into the towns and cities of Italy with all the problems this would have had on the social and the economic inferstructure of Italy.Some politicians tried to pass legislation to relieve the situation,they were blocked by groups within the ruling eliet. Traditionalists who saw no reason for change, those with an invested intrest in the way things were and since the plan was to distribute land to the poor, there were those who had clients who believed they alredy owned the land to be distributed.
Confrunted by this coalistion, and blocked in every normal avenue,the reformers tuke their cause to the people directly, using popular votes to push thrugh popular laws against the boni and there intrests and the votes of their clients.This became the halemark of the populares. There were reformers, agitators, and down right adventures on both sides. Some wanted to bring order by concensus others by coersion.
The money flooding into Italy from the empire was also breaking down the client/patron relationship. The link a patron and there client was the oldest traditional bond for the romans. Help would be given by the more powerful patron , but the client was expected to help the patron were they could. From giving there vote at elections to protecting the patron from attack.
The old noblity had the largest client base. Longevity and proven worth had kept the clients close. However things were changing. With money men could be lured away from there patrons. New voting practices lessened the eletits control over the elections and the migration of people from the land broke the old local bonds. Curruption became riff it was said that a governor of a province had to make three fortunes one to pay offhis debts incured by getting elected. The second to pay off the jury in the extortion court he would be call before on his return to Rome. The third was for himself. However there was only so many offices that could be milked for money, this meant that there was a lot of the nobily who became despritly in detb.
Another way in which the old ways were bracking down was the composition of the army. There was a property limit on becoming a soilder but the number of men needed and the duration they were needed for, was causing problems. If men were a long time from there farms they were more likly to be gobbled up by the men with money. These men would then fall below the limit at which they could be called for military duty. This was way reformer wanted to partition the land. There was however another way of getting men, men who didn't mind long campgains by recruiting from the poor. These men would look to their commanders as patrons, to look after their intrests, which usually meant land.
The time in which Sertorius rose to prominace was donimated by the activities of Gaius Marius and Cornelius Sulla and the conflict between them.
Marius fought in Africa against Jugartha at first while under the commmand of Mettelus but reseted the command away from him by political move at Rome. However it was Sulla, a subordinate of Marius, who captured Jagutha and clainmed he had bourght the war to an end. Marius then defeated the invading celtic tribes of the -- Sertonius made a name for himself in this war by going into the enemy camp discised as a celt to find oit their plans. He got a reputation for bravery, not only in this campaign but in the followingItalian warWith the war over Sulla was appointed to commmand of the army which was to attack Mithrates. This king of Pontus in asia minor had taken advantage of the Romans problems in Italy to overun client kingdoms and then the province of asia. The Greeks the went over to him.
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