60 BCE -- The First Triumvirate was an alliance between three very powerful Roman Senators, Julius Caesar, 100- 44 BCE , Crassus, 112- 53 BCE , and Pompey, 106- 48 BCE. When Caesar's attempts to augment his political power, after returning from a successful military command in Spain, failed, Caesar joined forces with …

71 BCE- Spartacus was a Thracian gladiator who led the most famous Roman slave revolt. Spartacus defeated several Roman armies, however he was eventually trapped and killed in 71 BCE.

Rome regained control and six thousand of Spartacus' followers were crucified.

106- 43 BCE - Marcus Tullius Cicero was an outsider and first in his family to hold the consulship. Cicero was known as an excellent orator, and made a name for himself as a lawyer. Cicero became consul in 63 BCE. Cicero tried to establish a new period of cooperative rule …

138- 78 BCE - Lucius Cornelius Sulla was a member of the nobiles, who was made consul in 88 BCE. During Sulla's consularship, the plebian assembly gave Marius command of the army. Sulla regarded this action as illegal, and used his army to march on Rome and reestablish control. Marius fled …

157- 86 BCE - Despite being an outsider, Marius became consul in 107 BCE. Marius' focus was on ending the Roman war in North Africa against Jugurtha and the Numidians. The plebian assembly voted to give Marius command of the army in Africa usurping the right of the Senate to control …

Tiberius Gracchus, 163- 133 BCE, was a member of the nobiles. He was concerned with the shortage of military recruits, and attempted to create some reforms to improve the situation in Rome. Tiberius believed that the primary problems in Rome stemmed from the demise of the family farm, so he …