Simulate the universe, starting with speedrunning Greek.

If one wants to achieve upward social mobility, joining the army is the only way out.

Marius initially served as a soldier under Scipio the Younger.

Who was Scipio Africanus? Leaving aside his glorious military achievements, as the Roman commander-in-chief of the Third Punic War, he once said something that left an important impact on the history of Western Europe.

He can be considered the Roman version of Fan Zhongyan—possessing the philosophy of "being the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures."

He was the first man who, even when the country was strong, knew how to think and worry about the future.

After the destruction of the powerful Carthage in World War I

He once lamented, "Carthage once enjoyed immense wealth and glory, but now we are about to witness its demise. My heart is not filled with the joy of a victor, but with sorrow. I think Rome will also face such a moment."

Scipio's concerns were not unfounded.

In fact, Rome at that time was already showing signs of chaos due to various policies.

This was not only due to the corruption of officials and nobles, and the Senate's absolute power, but also to the constant external military conflicts and the multi-front wars.

If Roma can keep winning, the impact might not be immediately apparent.

But no one can win forever, especially after the previous Roman commander retired. Who can take his place?!

When someone asked Scipio Ajatasatru in this way,

Scipio Aquinas's answer was—Marius! This man is capable!

Marius's military talent was recognized by Scipio the Younger very early on, who can be considered Marius's mentor.

Even with Scipio's approval, Marius's path to promotion was still difficult due to his humble origins.

He became a tribune at the age of 38.

He was elected as a legal officer at the age of 42, and then served as the governor of Spain for a year, but he remained mediocre and did not achieve any significant results.

His talents were all in military affairs; he was a man born for war, and it was destined that one day he would return to the battlefield and reclaim his true glory.

When Marius was nearly 50 years old,

The old king of Rome's ally did something utterly foolish.

He divided his land—Numedia—equally among his three children.

However, throughout history, the scenes of dynastic struggles and rebellions by regional princes have appeared in almost every era.

The royal families of many kingdoms have never ceased their struggle for the throne.

The three children started fighting.

As for Juguda, the old king's adopted son—and he truly lived up to his name as an 'adopted son,' he was incredibly fierce and ruthless when dealing with his other brothers!

Jugurtha, who, like Marius, had served under Scipio Africanus,

Compared to the other two children, their military strength was far superior, and they beat the two brothers so badly they cried for their parents.

When the Roman Senate learned of this, they went to mediate the war.

However, Juguda went against the grain, continuing to fight and kill as needed, which thoroughly angered the Senate.

They dispatched Metrus, the consul of this period, to attack Jugurtha, with Marius accompanying him as an aide, once again taking to the battlefield.

The fighting quickly stabilized, and they suppressed Jugurtha, but Marius disagreed with his superior, Metrus, on subsequent military matters.

Metrus looked down on Marius's birth, and that blatant discrimination and humiliation led Marius to resign in a fit of anger.

Then began his incredibly brilliant life.

He resolutely resigned and then ran for governor, recruiting troops to fight Jukudat.

Sometimes, you won't know how good you are until you push yourself.

When Marius returned to Rome, he put forward only two core ideas when he ran for consul.

One—I can fight.

Two of you—I can lead you to victory!

It's actually a concept, which can be summarized in one sentence: 'Follow me, and I'll take you flying!'

He promised the public that he would capture Jugurtha alive and bring him back to Rome.

During this period, Rome experienced a widening gap between the rich and poor due to policy issues, suffered repeated defeats in war, and faced numerous setbacks, resulting in extremely low morale among its troops.

They were not only fighting in Africa, but also waging war on multiple fronts at the same time, fighting the Thracians in the east and the Germans in the north.

What's worse is that, not only are they bad at the game, but they also frequently suffer defeats, causing everyone in Rome, from the Senate and nobles to the common people, to dread the mere mention of war.

Regardless of whether Marius was exaggerating or not.

Upon hearing that someone had the courage and confidence to step forward and resolve the conflict in Africa, Marius was immediately and unanimously elected as consul.

It was after becoming consul that Marius's life and military career became increasingly smooth sailing, and he won several battles in a row.

He greatly enhanced his reputation and secured his position as consul.

This also laid the foundation for the most reforms he subsequently implemented.

Among these was the issue that Ye was most concerned about: granting Roman citizenship to all citizens of the allied nations.

In those times, obtaining Roman citizenship was not as strict as it is now. As long as you were willing to pay, you could still have a chance to ride on the coattails of allied nations like Italy.

But here's the problem—!

During this period, Marius failed to become consul at the age of 50 for various reasons.

Ye was unsure whether there was no election or whether the election was lost.

But Marius did not achieve military prowess or become a Roman leader, let alone the subsequent reforms.

The bill proposed by the Allied Powers during the Allied War to grant them citizenship, intended to appease them, ultimately proved to be nothing more than a mirage.

How profound is the impact of this seemingly minor deviation on the course of history!

But this seems to be a good thing for Night, as it seems to be able to ride the coattails of the Alliance War?

Chapter 47 The Continuation of Troy, the Descendants of the Hector Brothers

Putting aside everything else, the Allied Wars not only brought Marius to the pinnacle of his life.

Such as Caesar's uncle—this time, his biological uncle.

Many outstanding generals, including Lucius Caesar, rose to prominence during this war.

The butterfly effect, though seemingly small, extends far beyond just Marius.

Julius Caesar was nine years old at the time.

Marius, through a marriage alliance with the Julius family, became Caesar's uncle.

With the support of the Julius family, although the winds of history veered slightly off course, Marius finally began to show some political progress and became a representative of the Roman plebeian faction.

Sulla, who was originally supposed to be Marius's subordinate in history, later broke away from Marius and went his own way, and also built up his own power ahead of time... becoming the leader of the aristocratic faction.

Ultimately, history returned to a more conventional course—the two became political enemies.

According to the original history—

Marius's indecisiveness and unclear stance led him to make wrong choices, ultimately resulting in the loss of support from both the common people and the army, as well as the aristocratic faction.

Then, in the future, when Sulla has grown strong enough to lead an army to counterattack Rome, Sulla will become the biggest winner.

In this timeline, Marius's early development was not very good, which led to him being completely suppressed by Sulla for a period of time. The Julius family, the power behind Marius, almost carried out a major purge.

It was around that time that Haruman Julius sought refuge in other countries to escape the overwhelming power of Sulla.

This is quite similar to Caesar's experience in history, as Caesar also fled to escape Sulla's purge.

But Harriman was not as lucky as Caesar.

A few years after Caesar fled abroad, Sulla suddenly died and then returned home safely.

While on the run, Haruman's identity as a nobleman could not be verified due to various accidents and his disguise. He was also without any bodyguards and was directly abducted by slave traders and sold to slave owners.

After these years of living in darkness, Haruman now only wants to go home.

It doesn't matter if they are subjected to Sula's political purge.

Moreover, as Julius is a member of a divine family, even Sura might not dare to actually lay a hand on him.

The Julius family may not have held any high-ranking positions in Rome in the past two years, but they have a strong foundation and a deep background.

It was from Haruman's account that Ye suddenly learned information that he had never known before his transmigration.

Julius—that is, the family of Caesar,

Tracing its origins, it actually comes from the Trojan War.

According to legend, the ancestors of the Romans were Trojans who fled after the city of Troy was destroyed by the Greeks.

Among them was the hero Aeneas, a brave and skilled warrior, the son of Venus (Aphrodite), the goddess of love and beauty.

After the defeat at Troy, the hero Aeneas fled Troy with his wife, children, and elderly parents.

After several days at sea, they finally reached the shore and settled at the mouth of the Tevere River.

The Tiber River is a natural passageway and an essential resting place for seafarers.

At the same time, its strategic location served as a natural barrier against invasions from northern tribes.

This unique geographical advantage enabled Rome to flourish in commerce and rise rapidly in the future.

The city of Alba Long, the predecessor of Rome, was founded by Julius, the son of the hero Aeneas.

That's right—! Julius's family has the blood of gods and the blood of the oldest Roman rulers.

The story of Romulus, the more widely known patriarch of the gods and the true founder of Rome, actually picks up at this point in time.

The city of Albalonga has been passed down through generations of Julius's descendants.

When the throne passed to Numitor, his brother Amrue was resentful of his brother's succession. Jealousy and malice led him to usurp the throne through despicable means.

After that, he murdered Numitor's son and ordered his niece Silvia to become a priestess.

He was imprisoned in a high tower.

According to the regulations at the time, priestesses had to remain chaste forever and could not marry, because they were servants of the gods.

And at this point in the story, Ye was well aware of what would happen next.