110 BC – 100 BCs

Events in 110 BC – 100 BC 2

• 107 BC – 86 BC Gaius Marius — the new army Gaius Marius, elected consul seven times (unprecedented), reforms the Roman army by abolishing the property qualification for military service. The Roman legions are now professional soldiers equipped and paid by the state — loyal to their general, not to Rome. Marius defeats Jugurtha of Numidia (106 BC) and destroys two Germanic tribes threatening Italy (Cimbri and Teutones, 102–101 BC). His army reforms, intended to strengthen Rome, create the conditions for a century of civil war.
• 105 BC Paper invented in China Cai Lun develops papermaking — the most transformative invention in history Although early forms of paper existed earlier, court official Cai Lun standardised and improved papermaking around 105 AD using bark, hemp, rags and fishing nets. Paper replaced heavy bamboo and silk as the writing medium of choice. It spread along the Silk Road to the Islamic world by the 8th century and to Europe by the 12th century, eventually enabling the printing press and the information revolution of the Renaissance.