Sulla's Effect On The Roman Republic

966 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The history of the Roman governments

Sulla was a Roman general and political leader during the 80s BC. He is best known for being a consul twice and, more importantly, a dictator. His revival of the dictatorship was the first since the end of the Second Punic War. Although his dictatorship lasted from 82 BC to 81 BC, about one to two years, his time in office had a lasting impact on the Roman Republic for years to come. His sole purpose as dictator was to reform the Roman republic. Along with political change, Sulla’s reign led to instability, both socially and economically.
Sulla’s first major appearance in Roman history can be considered as Marius’ quaestor during the campaign against Jugurtha in 107. He served under Marius in Africa and against tribes from Germany. Sulla served
This march had more bloodshed than the first, giving Sulla more power than his predecessors. In November 82, after his second successful march on Rome, the senate allowed Sulla to be appointed as dictator to in order to reform the state. His appointment to dictator legalized all his future actions without need for approval. From November 1, 82 to Jun 1, 81, Sulla established list of individuals, known as proscriptions. These proscriptions sanctioned everyone on the list to be executed without a trial and could be killed by anyone for a reward. The sons and grandsons of these men were also excluded from holding office and their land was seized. Proscriptions served as a method to punish his opponents. The exact number of men killed in unknown but, was estimated about 500-1,500 men. These proscriptions were Sulla’s most heinous act as dictator. The loss of this many prominent individuals caused disruption socially, economically and politically, such as in Sulla’s senate reform. Sulla doubled the members of Senate from 300 to 600. New members of the Senate came from the wealthiest citizens, the equites. However, many were proscribed by Sulla resulting in diminished equestrian influence. Equites were also banned from jury, which were became exclusive to senators only. Sulla doubled the number of quaestors, who were the lowest senatorial position, to keep up with the now 600 senators. “Orderly

Show More
Related

  • Ancient History Research Task – Augustan Reforms

    1270 Words  | 3 Pages

    From ages past, the actions of conquerors, kings and tyrants had brought the Roman Republic to a stance that opposed any idea of a singular leader, of a single man that held total power over the entirety of the state. Their rejection of the various ruthless Etruscan rulers that had previously dictated them brought the Republic to existence in 509 BC , and as a republic their prominence throughout the provinces of the world exponentially expanded. Throughout these years, the traditions of the Romans changed to varying degrees, most noticeably as a result of the cultural influence that its subject nations had upon the republic, as well as the ever-changing nature of Roman society in relation to then-current events. However, it was not until the rise of Augustus, the first of a long line of succeeding emperors, that many core aspects of the Republic were greatly changed. These were collectively known as the “Augustan Reforms”, and consisted of largely a variety of revisions to the social, religious, political, legal and administrative aspects of the republic’s infrastructure. Through Augustus, who revelled in the old traditional ways of the past, the immoral, unrestraint society that Rome was gradually falling to being was converted to a society where infidelities and corruption was harshly looked upon and judged. The Roman historian Suetonius states, “He corrected many ill practices, which, to the detriment of the public, had either survived the licentious habits of the late civil wars, or else originated in the long peace” . Through Augustus and his reforms, the Republic was transformed into an Empire, and through this transformation, Rome experienced one of its greatest and stabl...

    Read More

  • The Roman Military Reforms institued by Gaius Marius

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    The reforms instituted by Marius were designed as a way to strengthen the Republic by professionalizing the Roman military, but instead resulted in long term political consequences that contributed to the decline of the Republic and the creation of the Empire. In this report, the decline of the republic specifically refers to the loss of the Senate’s authority over Rome’s generals.

    Read More

  • Claudius Role Of Emperor

    1532 Words  | 4 Pages

    Claudius was a significant ruler of the early Roman imperial era. He reigned from AD 41-54. He was easily influenced by those with questionable agendas, such as his last two wives and his freedmen, yet his principate was deemed successful. His expansion of the empire, his new reforms and his control over the senate were all beneficial to the state and and his rule was one which paved the way for those who ruled after him.

    Read More

  • Sulla and the Downfall of the Roman Republic

    1710 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lucius Cornelius Sulla was born in 138 B.C.E, into a prominent Roman patrician family but not a wealthy one. He received a good education, as Sallust, a reliable unbiased Roman plebeian historian and politician, suggests, “…and was fluent in both Roman and Greek” (Sallust, 43 AD. Histories), which was a sign of high education in Rome (Cavazzi, F. 2014). Sulla was a general and lieutenant of the Roman Army, was elected twice for consulship before he became dictator in 81 B.C.E. His background in the military may be a strong influence on the way Sulla ruled and how his ruling lead to the downfall of the Roman Republic (Plutarch, 79 B.C.E. Life of Sulla).

    Read More

  • The Significance of the Gracchi

    1594 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ult of the senate's inactivity, selfishness and negligence. This resulted in the Senate's hostile reaction to the Gracchi, which therefore allowed the Gracchi to make revolutionary changes to the face of Roman politics, as a direct and indirect result of their actions, including the notion of a tribune as an instrument of initiative and reform, and more importantly, the introduction of violence in Roman politics. These changes could be felt long after the death of the Gracchi, which is evident in the powerful political armies of Marius and Sulla. In conclusion, The Gracchi were significant figures in Roman history for the short and long term consequences that resulted from their actions, acting as perceptive idealistic men who were concerned for the greater good of Rome at a time when it was atypical to do so.

    Read More

  • The Constitution of the Roman Republic

    434 Words  | 1 Pages

    In The Constitution of the Roman Republic, Polybius gives an interpretation of what he believed be a successful political system. Using his analytical skills, he sought to find reason regarding why the Romans became so prosperous. Let’s discover in what ways this assessment came to be.

    Read More

  • Augustus

    457 Words  | 1 Pages

    1. In my nineteenth year, on my own initiative and at my own expense, I raised an army with which I set free the state, which was oppressed by the domination of a faction. For that reason, the senate enrolled me in its order by laudatory resolutions, when Gaius Pansa and Aulus Hirtius were consuls (43 B.C.E.), assigning me the place of a consul in the giving of opinions, and gave me the imperium. With me as propraetor, it ordered me, together with the consuls, to take care lest any detriment befall the state. But the people made me consul in the same year, when the consuls each perished in battle, and they made me a triumvir for the settling of the state.

    Read More

  • Lucius Cornelius Sulla

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    From a rather humble beginning Lucius Cornelius Sulla rose to become a great politician and a powerful general in the Roman Republic. As a general, Sulla lead Roman armies to many victories. As a politician he became a powerful dictator and yet was responsible for bringing about many reforms. This essay will prove how he was a great dictator, politician and general, through discussing his background, his military and political career, his dictatorship, and his accomplishments in his later years.

    Read More

  • The Rise Of The Roman Republic

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over the span of five-hundred years, the Roman Republic grew to be the most dominant force in the early Western world. As the Republic continued to grow around the year 47 B.C it began to go through some changes with the rise of Julius Caesar and the degeneration of the first triumvirate. Caesar sought to bring Rome to an even greater glory but many in the Senate believed that he had abused his power, viewing his rule more as a dictatorship. The Senate desired that Rome continued to run as a republic. Though Rome continued to be glorified, the rule of Caesar Octavian Augustus finally converted Rome to an Empire after many years of civil war. Examining a few selections from a few ancient authors, insight is provided as to how the republic fell and what the result was because of this.

    Read More

  • Rise of the Roman Republic

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rome became a powerful empire engulfing much of Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia and what seemed like this great entity called the Romans were always in the search of more territory and land to conquer and assimilate into their ever growing vast empire. However, this was not always the case, before Rome became one of the greatest empires in all of history, Rome was a republic. They were government consisted of a Senate who much like our country today represented certain classes of the citizens of the Republic. During the growth and rise of the Roman republic conquering neighboring territories and competing for land grabs was not Romans primary objectives. Romans believed in the well being and wealth of Rome, and if that meant the total destruction of a potential adversary, then as history will show that is unfortunately to the detriment of the adversary what happened.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    Around 78 BC, upon the death of the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Caesar had returned to Rome, where he developed a fine interest in Roman politics. Subsequently in 65 BC, Caesar would be elected to the office of aedile, as an “Adele” he would be required to oversee public entertainment. At once, Caesar accepted the position, throwing extravagant parties and celebrations; simultaneously, Caesar acquired a large amount of debt in the process (Truman).

    Read More

  • The Fall of the Roman Republic

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    Much ink from the historians’ pens has been spilled seeking to explain the reasons behind the fall of the Roman Republic. As Gruen notes, “from Montesquieu to Mommsen, from Thomas Arnold to Eduard Meyer…the Republic’s calamity has summoned forth speculation on a grand scale. How had it come about?” (1) Certainly, from one perspective, it can be said that the attraction of this event is to a degree overstated: it is based on the belief of the stability of political systems, of the deterrence of the possibility of radical changes in political worldviews and general social arrangements and structures. Furthermore, it marks a decisive shift, in the political arrangements of a grand civilization of Ancient Rome: in other words, it marks an instance where even within the continuity of a singular civilization, such as that of Rome, there can be the presence of political turbulence and abrupt changes of directions regarding the form which political power and hegemony ultimately assumes. Yet, what is perhaps more important from the perspective of the historian is the precise sense in which the events of the collapse of the Roman Republic still remain ambiguous, arguably because of the multi-faceted manner in which this fall occurred. Hence, Gruen writes: “the closing years of the Roman Republic are frequently described as an era of decay and disintegration; the crumbling of institutions and traditions; the displacement of constitutional procedures by anarchy and forces; the shattering of ordered structures, status and privilege; the stage prepared for inevitable autocracy.” (1) In other words, the collapse of the Roman Republic is complicated because of the multiple dimensions in which such degeneration ultimately happened: it was not mere...

    Read More

  • The Roman Republic

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    This new Republican government, which was administered by the consuls, was not the easiest to transform. Because of the expansion in Italy, the government began to initiate political institutions. These institutions enforced laws and provided authority which were very similar to imperium. “The Romans had a clear concept of executive authority, embodied in their word imperium, or “the right to command” (Spielvogel 117). Since the Romans were very sensible in their actions, they made and implemented them only as needed. The most essential positions held were the few elected magistrates and the two consuls who were “chosen annually, administered the government and led the Roman army into battle” (Spielvogel 117). If the consul was otherwise occupied, either a dictator or praetor would assume responsibility for the time being.

    Read More

  • Sallust And The Causes Of The Rise And Fall Of Rome

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sallust was a Roman politician for many years, and then after his retirement from public service he became a historian. Sallust wrote several historical texts one of which was the Conspiracy of Catiline. In this text Sallust describes many of the causes of both the rise and fall of Rome. Interestingly some of his causes of the rise of Rome directly mirror some of the causes that led to the fall of Rome. One cause that he stated as both a cause for the rise of Rome, and for its eventual decline was the military. Another cause that he stated was Rome’s fortune, and wealth. Thirdly he described virtue, or a lack of it as being both a key factor for the rise of rome as well as the decline of Rome. Sallust argued that the rise and fall of Rome was

    Read More

  • The Fall of The Roman Republic

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC after the ruling Tarquins abused their extensive power as monarchs and were overthrown. The goal of the Roman Republic was to have a strong government, governed equally by the patricians and the plebians, and to avoid another Roman Monarchy. For years Rome was guided by great men, such as Cincinnatus and Scipio Africanus, who led the Republic through hard times, conquering such enemies as the Etruscans and the Carthaginians. Large-scale war united Roman society in its common goals. However, after Scipio’s victory at Zama in 202 BC, a new Roman world began to take shape. Roman soldiers returned home from their victory to find that they could not pay for their farms, becoming “squatters” on their own lands after having to sell them to richer men. The Senate became corrupted, and despite the Gracchi brothers’ best efforts, the rich patricians soon monopolized nearly all aspects of the Republic, from trading and “farming” to governing the people. After marching on Rome, Sulla became dictator in 82 BC. After Sulla, the First Triumvirate: Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar, owned virtually all power in Rome, yet each had his own desire to defeat the other two and become Emperor. When Crassus died in battle, Caesar had his chance. He defeated Pompey and marched on Rome, victorious. After declaring himself Dictator for Life, Caesar was assassinated, and another Civ...

    Read More

More about Sulla's Effect On The Roman Republic

Open Document