It seems to be a fairly common idea in modern scholarship that the Marian Reforms led to Roman Soldiers being loyal to generals rather than the state, eventually leading to the fall of the republic. Are there any ancient sources that directly support this theory, or does is this idea just inferred from other information?
Here's a slight problem: There were no 'Marian Reforms'. Here's some previous posts on the matter:
u/XenophonTheAthenian explains that there aren't any, and also covers the putative shift in loyalties.
As always, more can be said on this matter, so if anyone would like to address the matter further, please don't let this linkdrop stop you!