[–] Cato_the_Elder [S] ago (edited ago)
During the age of Marius and Sulla the Romans simply reacted to the invasion of the imperium by invaders from Northern Europe in the only way they knew how: with armies, several of which were wiped out bc of incompetent Roman leadership (i.e. Consul X, the patrician, hated Consul Y, who was rather plebian, etc.; they arrogance of the Romans is amazing to read about). The battles the Romans fought around 100 B.C. against Germanic tribes were a foreshadow of things to come.
Sulla was a largely conservative dictator, btw, and he resigned and guzzled himself into death bc, iirc, he liked wine. He didn't put on airs like Marius's nephew, Caesar (Marius married Caesar's aunt, Julia).