In addition, they received a smaller share of booty and were subject to harsher penalties for violations of military discipline. In the course of these wars allied communities had often provided twice as many troops as the Romans. The burden of Rome’s wars had fallen disproportionately on her Italian allies. Perhaps the most pressing as the first century began was the relation of Rome to her Italian allies. The expansion of the empire had created other problems as well. These close bonds offered opportunities for commanders or governors to use this military support for their own ends. Caesar and his army in Gaul offer the best example of what these ties could mean. This financial tie to their commanders was strengthened by the development of personal ties to their generals due to the increased length of military commands. Since these men could no longer return to their farms on the completion of their service, and the state provided nothing for them on retirement, they began to look to their generals to provide for them through special legislation. Long and continuous service abroad and the absence of personal property requirement produced men who saw military service as a profession and not simply part of their obligations as citizens. The minimum property necessary for service in the legions had been lowered several times and finally in 107 the practice began of admitting men into the legions without any minimum at all. The difficulties brought about by the loss of land and a bloody and unrewarding series of wars in Spain had led to problems in levying troops. Forced off their lands and into the cities and towns of Italy they were eager to acquire new land and to share in the profits of empire. In the same manner the pressures of war and economic dislocation had created difficulties for the peasant farmers who filled the legions. One consequence of these developments was that their interests often tended to diverge from, and put them at odds with, those senators who commanded Rome’s armies and governed her provinces. The empire offered important opportunities for them in performing public functions such as the collection of taxes, which could be extraordinarily lucrative, and presented them with new commercial opportunities in the provinces. It had also opened up opportunities for Roman knights (equites, members of the equestrian order) who were no longer defined by their cavalry service but by their wealth and were both landowners and businessmen. The influx of wealth and the greater rewards for the elite that came with imperial expansion had intensified competition among aristocrats as mentioned earlier. The growth of Rome’s empire had led to severe internal strains.
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