Sulla's Victory
Civil War
- Sulla invades Italy in 83
- Many senators go over to him
- The anti-Sullan magistrates are the "legitimate" government
- Marius' young son elected consul for 82
- Sulla's veteran troops superior to newly raised units of loyalists
- Sulla triumphs at Colline Gate (outside Rome)
- Marius commits suicide
- Holdout loyalists (including consul) hunted down
- Sulla elected dictator
- Office not used in more than century
- No time limit
- "for restoring the state"
- Bloodbath regularized as formal list of enemies
- "Proscription"
- Those listed could be killed with impunity
- Property of proscribed confiscated
Sullan Settlement
- Strips tribunes of powers
- Increases # of magistrates
- Eight praetors
- 20 quaestors
- Restores courts to senate
- Tries to return control of political system to senate
- Can't undo own precedent of using military force to get his way in politics
- V. vindictive
- Helps friends
- Kills enemies
- Confiscated land to veterans
- Sulla resigns as dictator in 79, soon dies
- Sulla's heritage determines political parties for rest of Republic
- Many revere him for benefits or success
- Many embittered by his vindictivenesss
- Populares opposed to Sulla's arrangments
M. Aemilius Lepidus cos. 78
- Champions those discontent with Sullan settlement
- Opposed by Q.Lutatius Catulus cos. 78
- Son of consular colleague and later bitter enemy of Marius
- Upholder of Sullan settlement
- Takes up cause of rural rebels to n. of Rome
- Poorly organized forces of rural troublemakers no match for proper army
- Catulus sends Pompey as legate against Lepidus
- Pompey son of cos. 89, who was major player in civil war of 87
- As young man, Pompey "illegally" raised army for Sulla in his invasion of Italy
- Pompey sent by Sulla in 82 to subdue Sicily, Africa
- Executed consul of 82
- Pompey easily disposes of Lepidus
- Refuses to disband army, extorts command in Spain from senate
- Troops remain loyal to general in dispute with "legitimate gov."
Back to CLASS 281 Reading Schedule