Rome transitioned from a republic to an empire following a series of civil wars. As Rome expanded across the Mediterranean, wealth became concentrated among the elite as small farmers lost their lands. Reforms proposed by Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus failed, exacerbating unrest. Marius began recruiting landless poor for the army, giving more power to individual generals. This led to more civil wars between rival generals vying for power, including between Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar, who formed the First Triumvirate. After Caesar's assassination, Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate, with Octavian emerging victorious against Antony. Octavian, as