sulla and marius

BECK H., DUPLÁ A., JEHNE M., PINA POLO F. (eds), Consuls and res publica. Sulla 5 (L. Cornelius Sulla Felix) - Roman dictator, 82-79 B.C. It also demonstrated how powerless the Senate was to effectively do anything to prevent this as Sulla marched on Rome not just once but 2 times in 88 and 83 B.C. Marius had already had one encounter with Mithridates, when he warned him not to fight against Rome, and clearly felt that the command was already his. These two historical Roman figures would eventually fight a civil war that would be the first to decide if Rome would remain a Republic or become an empire. He outshone both Marius and the consul Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo (the father of Pompey Magnus). However, even this, in and of itself, should not be enough to comprehensively condemn Marius for the collapse of the Republic, for although it certainly set a dangerous precedent it did not mean that such an anomaly had to send the Republic spiraling out of control. Marius and Sulla profoundly changed the fate of the Roman world. Because of his newfound popularity, he was nearly unanimously elected to the consulship of 88 BCE. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Wars of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sulla%27s_first_civil_war&oldid=1003503621, Articles needing additional references from March 2020, All articles needing additional references, Articles to be expanded from December 2009, History articles needing translation from Spanish Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The reforms gave each of these leaders a degree of political protection and individual political influence that was unprecedented prior to the Marian Reforms. As the consul of Rome, Sulla prepared to depart once more for the East to fight against King Mithridates VI of Pontus, a command that Marius (now an old man) had coveted. Sulla went to his army in Campania and marched with it on Rome. After restructuring the city's politics and with the Senate's power strengthened, Sulla returned to his camp and proceeded with the original plan of fighting Mithridates in Pontus (in what became the First Mithridatic War). Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. He then attempted to rally supporters of his father and killed any suspected allies of Sulla. And a decree was passed giving him immunity from all his past deeds and for the future the power to condemn people to death, to confiscate property, found colonies, raze towns, and overthrow kings at whim”(Plutarch 211). As Bradley concludes, “…where Livy sees a recurring need for great men who operate within the republican system, Plutarch argues that the republic eventually devolved to the point where such men could not save it, and one of them had to assume sole power”(Bradley 496). As Sherwin-White states, “It is not as organized legionaries but as citizens that the discharged veterans make their contribution in the year 100. After a series of near catastrophes, all much embroidered in the telling, Marius escaped safely to Africa. This divide is further sharpened when the Tribunes, sent to assume control of Sulla’s army, encountered these troops and were killed. By this point the early working relationship between Marius and Sulla had broken down, and the two men were increasingly bitter rivals. KEAVENEY A., Studies in the Dominatio Sullae, Klio 65 (1983), pp. The period covered by this book was confusing, with Marius and his supporters, Sulla and his supporters, the Senate and their supporters going to war with each other back and forth for 30 years. As Plutarch writes, “He was, in fact, so confident that his good fortune outweighed his actions that, despite all the huge numbers of men who had been killed by him, and despite the enormity of the reforms and changes he had made to Roman political life, he laid down his dictatorship and restored the people’s right to elect consuls”(Plutarch 212). However, as B. M. Levick notes in, Sulla’s March on Rome in 88 B.C., there were other, more enticing reasons for why the troops would join Sulla, “It is well known that Sulla depended on the rank and file of his army… he is unanimously admitted by ancients and moderns alike to be the first master of the client army… not because they felt that they owed their senatorial commander any ideological or class loyalty, rather that he had something to offer them: the spoils of Asia”(Levick 505). As further readings about it, if you like it, I would like to mention the following studies: BADIAN E., Roman Imperialism in the Late Republic, Oxford 1968 (2nd ed.). Never-the-less, as will be demonstrated in the following paragraph, Marius proved to be a very vain and power-hungry man who would abuse the power granted him upon his reelection. As Lily Ross Taylor puts it in her work, The Rise of Julius Caesar, “…from Livy’s account of the enrollment of new members of the depleted Senate after the battle of Cannae, an action carried out by a dictator who, as a former censor, was evidently following regular procedure”(Taylor 12). The Last Republican, London 2005 (2nd ed.). https://www.britannica.com/topic/Optimates-and-Populares, Precedent Utilitarianism: A Primer | Socratic Form Microscopy, Precedent Utilitarianism: A Primer – Zachary Jacobi, Part 13: The Stalingrad Campaign and the Turn of the Tide, Part 12: Operation Typhoon and the Soviet Winter Counterattack, Could Germany have Won the War on the Eastern Front of WWII, Medieval International Law, Sovereignty and the Hundred Years War. One thing that still links Sulla to the traditions of the Republic, though, is that he did eventually relinquish his power. This perhaps more than anything shows how little Sulla realized that he had altered the Republic. The point of Marius’s actions is not that he calls upon his veterans to support his interests. Marius declared Sulla's reforms and laws invalid, officially exiled Sulla and had himself elected to Sulla's eastern command and himself and Cinna elected consuls for the year 86 BC. Strictly speaking this move by Rufus and Marius, though reprehensible to Roman sensibilities, was perfectly legal under Roman law and by rights Marius should have been placed in charge of Sulla’s army. Marius was a very successful general, who had defeated the Cimbri, reformed the army, and held the consulship an unprecedented six times. Sulpicius was betrayed and killed by one of his slaves, whom Sulla subsequently freed then executed. 1. Buszard, Bradley. T. James Luce. In the case of the Gracchi the murders of them and their followers represents a fairly small part of the senate and governing structure and certainly was nowhere near the scale that can be seen in Sulla’s proscriptions. Prior to Marius other leaders had turned into demagogues, most notably the Gracchi brothers of the mid-2nd Century B.C.. His reforms were intended to grant to the Roman allies in Italy full Roman citizenship, which would have given the provincials a say in the external and internal policies of the Roman Republic. Frank expounds on the lessons of Roman history and how Sulla murdered Marius's son. Marius had married Caesar’s elder daughter, making him and Sulla brothers in … I understand that there were good Populares and bad Optimates and at no time was I trying to make any sweeping generalization of the 2 groups. Sulla (P. Cornelius Sulla) - Roman praetor, 212 B.C. Marius died a fortnight after and Cinna was left in sole control of Rome. "You can't tell the players without a scorecard" and this book does an OK job of it. Trans. This brings us to the account by Livy of the last king of Rome and a hated tyrant, Tarquinius Superbus. At the centre of the conflict was the rivalry between Marius, victor of the Jugurthine and Northern wars, and his former subordinate, Sulla. Cambridge University Press, Dec. 2005. ( Log Out /  Mithradates' general was pursued into Boeotia and finally defeated in … The Rise of Rome: Books One to Five. Shortly after Marius entered his seventh consulship, he died of a 'fever'. 186-208. Dear Liam Bobyak, —The Dictatorship of Sulla (B.C. In both these instances we see what Bradley describes as ‘diseased states’ where the state has been usurped by demagogues in pursuit of personal advantage. So although great commanders had usurped great power and influence within the framework of the state in the past, they had done so with the betterment of the state as their primary concern, in keeping with the Roman conception of the state being run by the ‘best men’. GRUEN E.S., The Last Generation of the Roman Republic, Berkeley-Los Angeles-London 1995 (2nd ed.). Marius and Sulla forget their differences in the face of another danger to the state - both distinguish themselves in their conduct, Marius is annoyed at not being the sole saviour of the state again - the senate get behind Sulla to annex the victory. Without Marius’ lust for ever greater power and his demagoguery it is likely that Sulla would have held his consulship as usual and without Marius’ reforms of the armed forces it is questionable whether Sulla’s troops would have supported his march on Rome. Plutarch. As Harriet goes on to conclude, “It was this republic of Sulla, not a more traditional one, that proved so unstable in the 70s bc and beyond, as it slowly disintegrated, even as no second lawgiver emerged to propose a systematic and workable revision of Sulla’s system of government”(Harriet 12-13). Lucius Cornelius Cinna, leader of the Marian party in Rome who opposed Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Sherwin White states in his work, Violence in Roman Politics, “The sources tell a different tale. Web. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. All of this happened during the first century BC that is where it is found on the Biblical Timeline Chart with World History. Unlike Caesar, Pompey, Marius, Sulla, and Sertorius, Lucullus did not know how to win the personal devotion of the common soldiers, and this flaw resulted in his downfall. Holding High Office in the Roman Republic, Cambridge 2011. The Feud between Marius and Sulla . 1-16. Marius was not an optimate, who respected the rules and traditions of the Roman state, but a Populares who appealed to the will of the mob and disdained the traditions of the Senate. History has portrayed them as being emblematic for a generation of chaos in Roman society. Since Marius was in command, he received the honor of the victory, but Sulla maintained that he deserved the credit. This observation is key since it indicates a clear class divide in Sulla’s army between his troops, drawn from the ranks of the poor per the Marian laws, and his officers from the traditional land holding classes. In this account Marius usurps unprecedented power from the rest of the Republican governing structure and threatens this framework with destruction. Marius cannot be said to have become "merely a butcher" until his final days, by which point I think it seems clear from the sources that his once-brilliant mind had hopelessly snapped, likely through a combination of the illness that incapacitated him for a while and forced him to retire from the Italian War and the difficulties of his escape from Italy to Africa after Sulla … This is indicative of the effect of the Marian Reforms mentioned previously. The Marian Reforms would have a very profound effect on the traditional structure and role of the Roman Army. Recalling Sulla’s period as dictator, Caesar would remark that Sulla’s mistake had been giving up his dictatorial power and Caesar certainly would not make this same mistake, even though it did cost him his life. They say in remarkable agreement that Marius was given his sixth consulship as the reward of his merits with the approval of the hitherto suspicious nobilitas, who admitted that he had saved the State”(White 4). LINTOTT A.W., Electoral Bribery in the Roman Republic, JRS 80 (1990), pp. A few men were executed, but (according to Plutarch) Marius narrowly escaped capture and death on several occasions and eventually found safety in Africa. Again, though, it is likely that Plutarch’s bias against Sulla has led this account to be distorted to some degree as well, it is still likely that some level of arbitrary confiscation took place. History has portrayed them as being emblematic for a generation of chaos in Roman society. Upon being handed the head of his enemy Gaius Marius the Younger (Also translated as: "First you must learn to pull an oar, only then can you take the helm") External links [ edit ] … Pingback: Precedent Utilitarianism: A Primer | Socratic Form Microscopy. As A.N. Historia: Zeitschrift Für Taylor, Lily Ross. Sulla's love of literature has been repeatedly mentioned in the preceding sketch of his life. During his consulship, he was given eastern command of the legions to face King Mithridates VI of Pontus, one of Rome’s most formidable enemies, who was wreaking havoc in the east. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. But he supports their interests”(Sherwin White 5). Marius declared Sulla's reforms and laws invalid, officially exiled Sulla and had himself elected to Sulla's eastern command and himself and Cinna elected consuls for the year 86 BC. VAN DER BLOM H., Oratory and Political Career in the Late Roman Republic, Cambridge 2016. Sulla and military leaders optimates conquered enemy armies of Samnites and Marius supporters. Violence in the Forum ensued and the efforts of the nobles to effect a public lynching similar to that which had happened to the brothers Gracchi and Saturninus were smashed by the gladiatorial bodyguard of Sulpicius. The inability of the Senate to adapt to the growing threat posed by power hungry demagogues allowed men like Marius to rise to prominence and push the bounds of power within the Roman state. This essay will endeavor to demonstrate that, while the Republic had begun to decline well before Sulla and Marius, it was these 2 men who ultimately tipped the balance irresistibly towards rapid decline and further destructive civil wars. The life of Sulla is one of stark contrast and yet striking similarities to those of Marius, and later, Julius Caesar. Sulla, as consul for 88 BC, was able to get the appointment, but Marius refused to accept this. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The only reason it comes up in the first place is in order to contextualize the Roman Senate’s suspicion of Marius. The intense competition between the two men grew. badly for Sulla's adversaries. In 88 Sulla set off for Greece in charge of the war against Mithradates. Ironically, the man who claimed to be fighting in the name of the restoration of the Republic, who undid many laws and who attempted to bring about a return of more conservative values broke the Republic in his clumsy attempt to save it. Start studying Sulla, Marius and Gracchi. Sulla's second civil war would soon result. Although they had many followers and strong political alliances, when the senate turned on them they were powerless to protect themselves. VIII. Levick, B. 213/23 P.Cornelius Sulla is chosen to be Flamen Dialis. Ridley, Ronald T. “The Dictator’s Mistake: Caesar’s Escape from Sulla.” JSTOR. Indeed, Sulla, the other major figure that will be discussed, was the one to make this not so unpredictable leap to using the loyalty of his troops to his own advantage when he marched on Rome. 158/157–d. If anything, the Roman governmental system was built around its members achieving military successes. Marius had already had one encounter with Mithridates, when he warned him not to fight against Rome, and clearly felt that the command was already his. Not to mention the several rebellions of the non-Roman Italians. In the last battle in which Samnites tried to cross very offensive, 82 BC Sulla managed to defeat them at the entrance to Rome at the battle of Colline gates. Sulla's first civil war was one of a series of civil wars in ancient Rome, between Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla, between 88 and 87 BC. The reason for this was because, in Marius’s case, there was not at first any need but also because his veterans could be used in another way that did not require them to be in arms. Sulla consolidated his position, declared Marius and his allies hostes (public enemies) and addressed the Senate in harsh tones, portraying himself as a victim, presumably to justify his violent entrance into the city. Sulla's First Civil War (88-87 BC) developed out of the rivalry between L. Cornelius Sulla and Gaius Marius, both of whom wanted the command in the First Mithridatic War. The Social War (91–88 BC) was fought against the Socii, Roman allies in Italy, and was the result of Rome's intransigence in regarding the civil liberties of its own citizens (Romans) as superior to those of the citizens of the rest of Italy. In light of Sulla's recent election as consul, the Senate appointed him to the command, and Marius, now nearing seventy, was furious. Roman Legionary 109–58 BC: The Age of Marius, Sulla and Pompey the Great: 182 Warrior: Amazon.es: Cowan, Ross, Ó’Brógáin, Seán: Libros en idiomas extranjeros The civil Wars 1.49. Conflict of Marius and Sulla, the Dictatorship of Sulla -didn't have noble ancestry -roman general -was elected consul 7 times -very involved in war and battle "For since he was fond of war, and since he received a training in military rather than in civil life, his temper was “The Rise of Julius Caesar.” JSTOR. Sulla, then aged about 30 and a late starter himself, was brought into Marius’s inner circle by his marriage to the younger daughter of Gaius Julius Caesar, grandfather of the much better known Julius the Dictator. At Vercellae, Marius commanded the left wing, Catalus the center, and Sulla the right.

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