Because they suspected the Senate was taking bribes from Jugurtha, king of Numidia, ________ elected Marius to the consulship and assigned him to defeat Jugurtha.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Senate was suspected of corruption, so it is unlikely that they would have elected someone to go against their own interests. The equestrians were not directly involved in the political process at this time, so they would not have had the power to elect Marius. The consuls were likely implicated in the bribery scandal, so they would not have been assigned to defeat Jugurtha. Therefore, the assembly, representing the people, would have been the most likely body to elect Marius and assign him to this task.

Because They Suspected the Senate Was Taking Bribes from Jugurtha