Marius and Sulla Flashcards
When did Sulla first distinguish himself?
Sulla first distinguished himself in the Numidian War under the command of Gaius Marius.
What was Sulla’s position in 97 BC
Praetor Urbanos
How did the political rivalry between Sulla and Marius begin?, and what year did this happen?
105 BC - (Just as Marius robbed Metellus of his glory, Sulla swiped King Jugurtha from Bocchus)
Quintus Caecilius Metellus was defeating Jugurtha when he was replaced by his ambitious subordinate, Gaius Marius. Marius officially destroyed Jugurtha’s rebellion, captured him, and brought him back to Rome as a prisoner.24
Sulla then took Jugurtha from Bocchus, and stole Marius’s glory.
How did the Mitthradatic command inspire hatred between Marius and Sulla?
In 88 BC Sulla was rewarded with the consulship and the lucrative province of Asia in which the command in the war against Mithridates of Pontus. A tribune of the plebs, Sulpicious Rufus, favoured giving the allied what they wanted and enlisten Marius’s support, with the understanding that Marius would get Sulla’s Asian command. Marius was now nearly 70 years old and Sulla’s war record was more than credible.
Sulla returned to Rome to oppose Sulpicious Rufus’ bill. With this consul collegue Q. Pompeius Rufus, Sulla officially declared business suspended. Sulpicious, with armed supporters, declared the suspension illegal. A riot broke out during which Q. Pompeius Rufus’ son was murdered and Sulla fled to Marius’ house. After striking some sort of deal, Sulla fled to his army in Campania where they had fought during the social war.
Sulla had already been given what Marius wanted - command of the forces against Mithridates, but Sulpicious Rufus had a law passed to create a special election to put Marius in charge.
Sulla told his troops that they would lose out if Marius were put in charge, and so, when envoys from Rome came to tell them of a change in leadership, Sulla’s soldiers stoned the envoys. Sulla then led his army against Rome.
The senate tried to order Sulla’s troops to stop, but the soldiers, again, threw stones. When Sulla’s opponents fled, he seized the city. Sulla then declared Sulpicious Rufus, Marius and others enemies of the state. Sulspicius Rufus was killed, but Marius and his son fled. Sulla would not forgo his command against Mithridates and took measure to strengthen the senate in his abence and weaken the tribunate.
91 BC?
The social war broke out - Italians wanted Roman citizenships
Details of Sulla’s early life?
He was from a wealthy family, and lived in lodgings when he was younger. As he grew older he hung around with actors/actresses (prostitutes, high class prostitutes were very wealthy) and shared their dissolute lifestyle. He had loved a wealthy woman and was left her heir, and also gained property from his step mother. This left him moderately well off. There was so little money in Rome there were restrictions on how much jewelry you could own - they melted some down to use as money in the Roman army. As a result of his great grandfather, his family was disgraced and his father did not talk to him. His father wanted him to stop hanging around actors. Sulla’s girlfriend was a prostitute, and it is possible that he killed her.
What is one of the biggest impacts Sulla has in the future as the figure of a dictator?
Sulla’s dictatorship is the primary reason that, in the future, people would be so afraid of one man having too much power.
Serves the basis for the senate to ostrasize men based on their power.
What was the reason for Sulla’s mithridatic campaign?
The Senate ordered Sulla to reinstate King Ariobarzanes - a friend of Rome - back on the Cappadocian throne because he had been ousted by King Mithridates VI of Pontus. Sulla proved successful and was even hailed by his soldiers as imperator, or victorious commander.
How did the eastern command get taken from Sulla? How did he respond?
During Sulla’s consulship, Sulpicius, using armed gangs and 600 equestrians as a bodyguard had ‘convinced’ the Assembly to remove Sulla’s eastern command and had it transferred it to Marius. Marius then deployed two military tribunes to assume command of Sulla’s army. Sulla then gave a speech to his 3,500 soldiers, which made them loyal to him - and when Marius’s legions turned up, slaughtered all of them. They then commenced their march on Rome to take back what was rightfully theirs. When asked why he would march soldiers against his own country, he replied, “to deliver her from tyrants”. Sulla, the first person to conquer Rome, then overturned Marius and Sulpicius’ actions and reinstated himself as consul. Sulla and his legions had the coveted eastern command again, and Marius was forced to flee Rome.
87-86 BC Sulla and Marius conflict?
answer needs finishing
Sulla laid siege in Athens between 87-86 BC, it was during this time he heard the news that Marius and his faction had returned and captured Rome, passing a decree which declared Sulla an enemy of the state. Marius then cut off money from Sulla’s campaign, so he was forced to tax the local Greeks to fund his campaign. Suddenly, back in Rome, Marius died from pneumonia in 86 BCE.
82 BC - 79 BC?
Sulla is dictator
Why did Sulla march his army on Rome in 81 BC?
He had heard word that his political enemies sought to put him on trial for war crimes
Why did Sulla march on Rome?
Sulla marched on Rome, the first time was because Gaius Marius used a tribune of the plebs to take Sulla’s legal right as commander of an army from him. During Sulla’s consulship, Sulpicius, using armed gangs and 600 equestrians as a bodyguard had ‘convinced’ the Assembly to remove Sulla’s eastern command and had it transferred it to Marius. Marius then deployed two military tribunes to assume command of Sulla’s army.
The second time because he had heard word that his political enemies sought to put him on trial for war crimes.
How was Sulla appointed dictator?
As there were no consuls an interrex was put into place to rule temporarily as was normal procedure. However, what was nor normal was that this interrex (probably forced by Sulla) introduced a bill that appointed Sulla as dictator. Normally, a dictator would have absolute power for 6 months, but unusually in this case, Sulla had supreme power for as long as he wished, although he was free to resign if he wished to.
How did Sulla seek to strengthen the senate?
in 79BC Sulla refused re-election as he wanted to increase the power and authority of the senate - many had been killed in the social upheave and now stood at 150 strong.
Sulla decided to increase the membership to 500-600 members. These new members would be supporters of Sulla so to strengthen his position, but also many senators of local aristocracies from the cities of Italy. This was possible to heal the breach between Rome and the allies but also to increase the amount of jurors available in the city as Sulla wanted to reform the law courts. The number of quaestors were raised from 12 to 24 and all ex-quaestors were to join the senate. Since quaestors are elected by people in the future it meant that the senate was also indirectly elected by the people.
Sulla introduced radical change to the tribunate. Tribunes were no longer allowed to propose legislation to the people, were deprived of their judical powers and their right to veto was limited. Most importantly if you were a tribune you were then ineligble for any other office - creating a political dead end.
Sulla also decided to rigidly enforce the cursus honorum. In these laws no man could be consul before 42 and shoul have a period of 10 years between consulships.
Sulla also looked to control provincial governers
Sulla looked also to reform the law courts. Courts were set up to try the accused by trial by jury rather than before the people. Different courts tried different types of crimes, e.g forgery, treason or bribery. Penalties were fixed and there was no appeal. The senate were given the right to appoint the juries and although this was contreversial at first it remained in place for the forseeable future.
Summarise
refused re election in 79 BC
Increased membership to the senate to 500 -600
Weakened the tribunate
rigidly enforced the cursus honorum
Sulla also looked to control provincial governers
Reformed law courts
When was Sulla’s reign of terror?
83 - 80 BC
How did Marius thwart Metellus?
He found Metellus’s campaign to be inaffective.
Marius sailed to Rome where he implemented an effective campaign strategy of pandering to the lowest strata of society and thoroughly demonizing the aristocracy. His ploy worked, and he was resoundingly elected to the consulship of 107 BCE. Then he flexed his political muscle, thanklessly stripped Metellus of the Numidian command, and then had it transferred to himself.
When he (Marius) had crossed to Africa, Metellus [an aristocratic enemy of Marius who had been fighting in Africa], now became a victim of jealousy, and vexed because, after he had brought the war to an end and had nothing further to do than to seize the person Jugurtha, [African King that Rome was at war with], Marius was coming to enjoy the crown and the triumph, - a man whose ingratitude towards his benefactor had raised him to power, would not consent to meet him, but privately left the country while Rutilisus, who had become his legate, handed over the army to Marius.
