Opposition research is as old as politics itself—Cicero's orations against Catiline, a dodgy candidate for the Roman consulship in 63BC, were notably well-informed.
Because opposition to monarchy had become a Roman core value, the Romans believed that politicians should rise up a ladder of offices to the highest office or consulship.
Since Rome needed both Marius and his army, he was elected four times in a row to the consulship, one zero four, one zero three, one zero two, one zero one.
Scipio was a member of a very old and very famous patrician family, but as a mere lad of thirty-one, he was twelve years too young to hold the consulship.