Sulla

**Early Life ** Sulla was born in 138 BCE, his birth place unspecified.  His full name was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, but he was commonly known as simply Sulla. He was born into a family those belonged patrician Cornelian gens, which is a very poor and minor branch.  Even without a prestige title, he spent his youth working with comics, actors, and dancers. During this time it is thought that he was well educated since he was fluent in Greek, and if a person is fluent in Greek in Rome it shows great intelligence. Many people believe he was influenced and motivated by his poor family name to rise to great power and restore his family name, by participating in politics.
 * Sulla can **

His political development was very slow, although he obtained the quaestorship in 107 BCE. He had scaled the political ladder and grown wealthy. People were astonished by this great achievement of his from being born into poverty and rising to wealth. He was chosen to quaestor under Marius, the new consul, in the Jugurthine war, where he claimed to have killed Jugurtha himself. The Juguruthine War started in 112 BC in Africa, where Roman legions were under Quintus Caecilius Metellus had been unsuccessful. Gaius Marius, at the time was a lieutenant of Metellus, he took this failed control in his advantage, and spread rumors of delay to tax gatherers in the region. Marius also told the people of Italy and the Roman soldiers that he could take over Jugurtha in less time than Metellus and with half of Metellus's troops. The schemes that he ran caused the removal of Metellus, and the returning of Marius to Rome to take over the campaign under the approval of the consulship. Marius was taking control of the Roman army in battle in northern Africa, against King Jugurtha of Numidia. Under the rule of Marius, the Roman forces pursued a much simpler but similar plan as the one of Metellus. In the end they conquered and defeated the Numidians in 106 BC, most of the praise went to Sulla and his brilliant strategy.  He had made friends with the king of Maurantania, named Bocchus. Bocchus, decided to betray Jugurtha instead of Sulla when the opportunity presented itself, giving Jugurtha to Sulla. This capture gave Sulla much publicity which helped his politcal career, but in turn was annoyance in Marius's favor. King Bocchus also donated a Forum to commemorate all of Sulla's accomplishments. After serving as a tribunus militum on Marius', Sulla transformed to the army of Catulus as his legatus.

Sulla was chosen to serve under Marius in the war of Cimbri and Teutones and fought in the last great battle in the Raudian plains near Verona. He realized that Marius’s jealousy was growing, and decided to serve under Catulus, who wasn’t was charismatic as Marius, but was Marius’s colleague.  After this he decided to take a few years away from politics.

At Sulla’s return to Rome he was elected Preator Urbanus in 93 BCE, this was believed to be from an immense amount of bribery. While in the East, Sulla became the first Roman magistrate to meet a Parthian ambassador. At this meeting Sulla sealed the fate of Orobazus, the Parthian ambassador. Orobazus was executed at his return to Parthia for allowing Sulla to outmaneuver him. It was at this very meeting that Sulla was told by a Chaldean seer that "he would die at the height of his fame and fortune. This prophecy was to have a powerful role on Sulla throughout his lifetime," Next year, 92, he went as propraetor of Cilicia with special authority from the senate to make Mithradates VI of Pontus restore Cappadoci to Ariobarzanes, one of Rome's dependents in Asia.
 * Cicilian Governorship**

During the Social War, Sulla served as a general. When he was in command he was responsible for actions that helped Rome greatly. An example are the Samnites who Sulla vanquished, and took their chief town, Bovianum. In 89 BCE Sulla captured Aeclanum, the chief town of Hirpini, by setting the wooden breastwork on fire. As a result of many of Sulla's accomplishments during the Social Wars and bringing it to a successful conclusion, he was elected consul for the first time in 88 BCE, and brought the revolt to an end by the capture of Nola in Campania because of his great acts and especially for his service as general in the Social War. He was not only brilliant help with the Social war but he was also considered a person with a great amount of bravery. However dictators like Sulla were not only brave, they also did not stop at killing because the names of their death list grew to be exhausted. Instead he started to add other names onto the list who became his enemies or where "enemies of the state," Once people appeared on the list they were no longer safe. The ones who tried to hide for safety in the temples were killed. With all of these deaths, Sulla did not stop at Marius.
 * Social War (Along With After)**

Sulla fled to Rome in 87 BCE and went to live with his Social War veterans, while they waited to cross to Greece from the south of Italy. He enjoyed his riches from the Social War during this time. Sulla organized his own armed Roman soldiers; who the gladiators where unable to resist. Marius offered freedom to any of the slaves that offered to fight against Sulla, but for this devious plan he and his followers were forced to flee the city. This in turn caused Sulla to consolidate his position, and he soon declared Marius and all of his allies, as enemies to the state. However, Sulla had informed the senate in harsh tones, that he was a victim to justify Marius violent entrance into the city. Marius, though, fled to safety in Africa, and with Sulla out of Rome he planned his return.

Sulla became to be so power crazed from all his previous victories that he decided to try to get the role of dictator. He forced his way to this position illegally since the only way to be a dictator was when there was a great military crisis. This was from 83-81 BCE. During his dictatorship he changed the constitution, and made lists called proscription. This was open publication of people who were targeted by Sulla. Rewards were given to people who captured or executed people on the list. One of the few that survived this proscription was Julius Caesar. The only benefit from this is that some of the disloyal citizens in Rome were found, but mostly it was to find people who were opposing. 40 senators and 1600 equestrians supposedly died in the first proscription lists. The next action he took was to take the power from the Tribunes, and focus all of it on the Senate. cs Sulla didn't follow his own constitutional law since he waited ten years between major magistrates, when in 80 BC he forced through his own election as Consul. His first time pushing through his own election as consul was in 78 BC.
 * Dictatorship/ Retirement and Death**

 Sulla was said to have set the standards for Julius Caesar's dictatorship, and also the eventual end of the Republic under Augustus. Caesars son-in-law, Cinna's, was one of Sulla's targets and fled from the city. Cinna's was soon saved from the efforts put forth from one of his relatives, many of which were Ceaser's supporters. However, Sulla noted in his memoirs that he had much regret on sparing the life of Ceaser, because of the young man’s aspiration. Sulla warned who had fought for Caesars case that he would become a danger to them as well in the future, he said "In this Ceasar there are many a Marius," Towards the end of 81 BC, Sulla resigned his dictatorship, disbanded his legions, and re-established normal consular government. Throughout all of this the historian Suetonius thought Julius Caesar would soon mock Sulla for resigning the dictatorship.


 * Sulla Vs. Marius**

Sulla's and Marius's relationship is full of tension. Their first encounter is when Sulla is serving under Marius. Since Sulla does so well in that role, Marius becomes very envious. The bitter rivarly began there, since Marius took most of the credit for winning the Jugurthine War, which was all part of Sulla's cunning plan. His envy becomes obvious the second time Sulla is asked to serve under Marius. Since the jealousy is at such a high peak, Sulla decides to remove himself from that situation, and serves under another General who is Marius's colleague.

Before the Social War, King Bocchus was showing much favor towards Sulla. Marius's anger ignited by jealousy began to grow rapidly. Bocchus decided to create the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus where there were images bearing trophies, and a representation in gold of the surrender of Jugurtha to Sulla. This kind act towards Sulla was disoriented by Marius, who wanted to destroy the temple. Though, the Social War eased the tension between the two.

In 88 BCE, Marius was chosen to be Consul by the Tribune of the People Suplicus Rufus and The //concilium plebis// backed this proposal. But Sulla wouldn't accept this loss, and took action. He marched to the six legions of Rome and foreced them to revoke their decision. The person who was responsible for making the decision that Marius should be the consul was executed, and Marius himself fled.

Marius wanted to destroy Sulla, and came up with devious plans to try to defeat him. Marius eventually had to flee to Africa because Sulla was threatening his and his follower's safety.