Sulla
Roman general and dictator who marched on Rome and reformed the republic
CNG · via Wikipedia: Sulla · CC BY-SA 2.5
During the late republic, Sulla became the first general to march on Rome and prevail in a civil war, according to an encyclopedia entry.[1] An encyclopedia states Sulla served as consul twice and brought back the dictator position.[2] Sulla's military campaigns against both foreign enemies and domestic rivals were successful, per an encyclopedia.[2]
Quick Facts
- Born
- 138 BC
- Died
- 78 BC (aged 60)
- Place of death
- Puteoli, Italy
- Credits
- Constitutional reforms of Sulla
- Opponents
- Gaius Marius
- Spouse
- Julia (Ilia?)
- Aelia
- Cloelia
- Caecilia
- Valeria
- Children
- Lucius Cornelius Sulla
- Cornelia
- Faustus Cornelius Sulla
- Cornelia Fausta
- Cornelia Postuma
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Sulla was born into a patrician branch of the gens Cornelia, but his family had fallen to an impoverished condition by his birth.[3] He started writing comedic plays called Atellan farces during these times on the stage.[4] He was closely associated with Venus, adopting the title Epaphroditos, meaning "favoured of Aphrodite".[2] Sulla died in 78 BC.[1]
Following his father's death, Sulla was left without money and, as a young man, spent time with comedians, actors, lute players, and dancers in Rome.[4] Sulla gained prominence in the war against Numidian king Jugurtha, capturing him after Jugurtha was betrayed by his own allies.[2] For his conduct at the Battle of Nola, Sulla received the Grass Crown.[2] A Parthian ambassador was first met by a Roman magistrate when Sulla encountered him.[5]
What the cited sources add
The classicist Mary Beard in her 2015 book SPQR stated that Sulla's march was "in many ways a continuation of the Social War".[6] Keaveney places Sulla's departure from the east in the year 93 BC.[7] Classicist Arthur Keaveney, who wrote the biography Sulla: The Last Republican, regards the inheritances from Sulla's stepmother and mistress as factual.[4]
References
- Wikipedia, "Sulla" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: The name Felix – the fortunate – was attained later in life, as the Latin equivalent of the Greek nickname he had acquired during his campaigns, ἐπαφρόδιτος (ep (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sulla" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dobbins, "The world of Pompeii", Routledge, 2007; Balsdon, "Sulla Felix", The Journal of Roman Studies, 1951, p. 1–10 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sulla" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Smith, "Sulla", Little, Brown & Company, 1870, p. 933 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sulla" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Keaveney 2005, p. 5 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sulla" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Keaveney 2005, p. 5; Keaveney 2005, p. 5 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sulla" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Beard 2015, p. 244 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sulla" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Olbrycht 2009, p. 174–179; Badian 2012; Keaveney 2005, p. 5 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Sulla (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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