In the ensuing fight, Sulla defeated Marius, who consequently fled to Praeneste. The assembly of the people subsequently ratified the decision, with no limit set on his time in office. Sulla was born in a very turbulent era of Rome's history, which has often been described as the beginning of the fall of the Roman Republic.The political climate was marked by civil discord and rampant political violence where voting in the Assembly was . Some set their hearts on houses, some on landsThe whole period was one of debauched tastes and lawlessness. Moreover, the people knew that Sulla was friends with Bocchus, a rich foreign monarch, and rejected his standing for the praetorship to induce him to spend money on games. The source types commonly used in academic writing include: Academic journals. [49] At this meeting, Sulla was told by a Chaldean seer that he would die at the height of his fame and fortune. Jugurtha had fled to his father-in-law, King Bocchus I of Mauretania (a nearby kingdom); Marius invaded Mauretania, and after a pitched battle in which both Sulla and Marius played important roles in securing victory, Bocchus felt forced by Roman arms to betray Jugurtha. The circumstances of his relative poverty as a young man left him removed from his patrician brethren, enabling him to consort with revelers and experience the baser side of human nature. Primary Sources (1) Speech by Gaius Marius in the Senate, quoted by Sallust in his book The Jugurthine War (c. 40 BC) . [61] Pompeii was taken some time during the year, along with Stabiae and Aeclanum; with the capture of Aeclanum, Sulla forced the Hirpini to surrender. Editor: Paul Halsall. Keep in mind as you use this website, the Web is always changing and evolving. [88] Political violence in Rome continued even in Sulla's absence. [102] According to the ancient sources, Archelaus commanded between 60,000 and 120,000 men;[103] in the aftermath, he allegedly escaped with only 10,000. Primary sources are first-hand accounts of events. [25], The Jugurthine War had started in 112BC when Jugurtha, grandson of Massinissa of Numidia, claimed the entire kingdom of Numidia in defiance of Roman decrees that divided it among several members of the royal family. Due to his meeting the minimum age requirement of thirty, he stood for the quaestorship in 108BC. The Roman military and political leader Sulla "Felix" (138-78 B.C.E.) To this end, he reaffirmed the requirement that any individual wait for 10 years before being re-elected to any office. Sulla, undeterred, stood again for the praetorship the next year, promising he would pay for good shows; duly elected as praetor in 97BC, he was assigned by lot to the urban praetorship. Hind 1992, p.150 dismisses claims in Plutarch and Vellius Paterclus of Athens being forced to cooperate with Mithridates as "very hollow" and "apologia". [116] Advancing on Capua, he met the two consuls of that year Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus and Gaius Norbanus who had dangerously divided their forces. In a dispute over the command of the war against Mithridates, initially awarded to Sulla by the Senate, but withdrawn as a result of Marius' intrigues, Sulla marched on Rome in an unprecedented act and defeated Marian forces in battle. Biographies of historical and famous people. The historian Sallust fleshes out this character sketch of Sulla: He was well versed both in Greek and Roman literature, and had a truly remarkable mind. "[132] The majority of the proscribed had not been enemies of Sulla, but instead were killed for their property, which was confiscated and auctioned off. [85], After the elections, Sulla forced the consuls designate to swear to uphold his laws. [45][46], While governing Cilicia, Sulla received orders from the Senate to restore Ariobarzanes to the throne of Cappadocia. Sulla's military coup was enabled by Marius's military reforms, that bound the army's loyalty with the general rather than to the Roman Republic, and permanently destabilized the Roman power structure. [130], In total control of the city and its affairs, Sulla instituted a series of proscriptions (a program of executing and confiscating the property of those whom he perceived as enemies of the state). Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, and art objects. History has portrayed them as being emblematic for a generation of chaos in Roman society. At the meeting, he took the seat between the Parthian ambassador, Orobazus, and Ariobarzanes, seeking to gain psychological advantage over the Partian envoy by portraying the Parthians and the Cappadocians as equals with Rome as superior. He had one child from this union, before his first wife's death. Making of America. Publius Cornelius Rufinus, one of Sulla's ancestors and also the last member of his family to be consul, was banished from the Senate after having been caught possessing more than 10 pounds of silver plate. They had, however, fallen on hard times. be determined. Secondary sources, on the other hand, are made . A primary source (also called original . While besieging Pompeii, an Italian relief force came under Lucius Cluentius, which Sulla defeated and forced into flight towards Nola. Finally, in a demonstration of his absolute power, Sulla expanded the Pomerium, the sacred boundary of Rome, unchanged since the time of the kings. onwards. The Steamboat Adventure. National Archives Catalog Find online primary source materials for classroom & student projects from the National Archive's online catalog (OPA). Examples include interview transcripts, statistical data, and works of art. Plutarch of Chaeronea in Boeotia (ca. When Scipio refused, Sulla let him go. [122] Marius, buttressed by Samnite support, fought a long and hard battle with Sulla at Sacriportus that resulted in defeat when five of his cohorts defected. His third wife was Cloelia, whom Sulla divorced due to sterility. Further, Sulla failed to frame a settlement whereby the army (following the Marian reforms allowing nonland-owning soldiery) remained loyal to the Senate, rather than to generals such as himself. The Internet Modern History Sourcebook is one of series of history primary sourcebooks. [citation needed]. [36] Amid a reorganisation of political alliances, the traditionalists in the Senate raised up Sulla a patrician, even if a poor one, as a counterweight against the newcomer Marius. [34] The publicity attracted by this feat boosted Sulla's political career. Newspapers. . During these marriages, he engaged in an affair with Nicopolis, who also was older than him. [16] His father may have served as praetor, but details are unclear; his father married twice and Sulla' stepmother was of considerable wealth, which certainly helped the young Sulla's ambitions. Primary sources are often in manuscript collections and archival records. The constitutional reforms of Sulla were a series of laws enacted by the Roman dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla between 82 and 80 BC, reforming the Constitution of the Roman Republic in a revolutionary way.. Capturing the city, Sulla had it destroyed. [81.3] Magnesia, the only city in Asia that remained loyal, was defended against Mithridates with the greatest courage. Secondary Sources: Primary sources are not complete; you will find the following helpful: Boardman, John, ed. [106] Roman forces then surrounded the Pontic camp. You may copy and distribute the translations and commentaries in this resource, or parts of such translations and commentaries, in any medium . Pompey ambushed eight legions sent to relieve Praeneste but an uprising from the Samnites and the Lucanians forced Sulla to deploy south as they moved also to relieve Praeneste or join with Carbo in the north. Scipio's men quickly abandoned him for Sulla; finding him almost alone in his camp, Sulla tried again to persuade Scipio to defect. the execution of Granius, shortly before his own death). Washington, DC, March 19, 2013 - The U.S. invasion of Iraq turned out to be a textbook case of flawed assumptions, wrong-headed intelligence, propaganda manipulation, and administrative ad hockery, according to the National Security Archive's briefing book of declassified documents posted today to mark the 10 th anniversary of the war. However, in some cases, paintings are considered secondary sources. However, if you were studying how compact fluorescent light bulbs are presented in the popular media, the magazine article could be considered a primary source. Primary Sources are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it. Essentially, they're sources about primary sources. But it was from 59, Nero's fifth year as emperor that things started to go seriously . In the decades before Sulla had become dictator, Roman politics became increasingly violent. [22] His first wife was called either Ilia or Julia. to A.D. 68 (1959; 2d ed. Pompey was then dispatched to recover Sicily. 107/14 The dissolute lifestyle of L.Sulla, as a young man. [81.4] It note also contains an account of Thracian . Historians to Sulla's dictatorship such as Livy (From the Founding of the City) and Appian (Roman History, especially the section regarding the Civil Wars) include additional details of Marius' life during the Social War while other sources list brief statements of note. [89] After Octavius induced the senate to outlaw Cinna, Cinna suborned the army besieging Nola and induced the Italians again to rise up. He was a leader of the optimates, which sought to maintain senatorial supremacy against the populist reforms advocated by the populares, headed by Marius. [25] After the war started, several Roman commanders were bribed (Bestia and Spurius), and one (Aulus Postumius Albinus) was defeated. [121], Fighting in 83BC began with reverses for Sulla's opponents: their governors in Africa and Sardinia were deposed. Thus, Sulla was presented with a choice. Upon his arrival, Sulla had his quaestor Lucullus order Sura, who had vitally delayed Mithridates' advances into Greece, to retreat back into Macedonia. Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo, merely an ex-aedile and one of Sulla's long-time enemies, had contested the top magistracy. Marius, elected again to the consulship of 101, came to Catulus' aid; Sulla, in charge of supporting army provisioning, did so competently and was able to feed both armies. Sarah Cooper teaches 8th grade U.S. history and is assistant head for academic life at Flintridge Preparatory School in La Canada, Calif. Sarah is the . was a major figure in the late Roman Republic. These sources have not been modified by interpretation and offer original thought or new information. Deciding whether a source is primary or secondary is sometimes confusing. Speeches, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or . A primary source is an original object or document -- the raw material or first-hand information. Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (/ s l /; 138-78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman.He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force.. Sulla had the distinction of holding the office of consul twice, as well as reviving the dictatorship.A gifted and innovative general, he achieved . [129], Sulla had his stepdaughter Aemilia (daughter of princeps senatus Marcus Aemilius Scaurus) married to Pompey, although she shortly died in childbirth. Almost breaking before Marius' makeshift forces, Sulla then stationed troops all over the city before summoning the Senate and inducing it to outlaw Marius, Marius' son, Sulpicius, and nine others. Secondary sources are interpretations of history. [63] All of these victories would have been won before the consular elections in October 89. Also useful for understanding Sulla's career are the article by E. Baddian . Roman military leaders. If Sulla hesitated it can only have been because he was not sure how his army would react. Eyeglasses from Colonial America would be a primary source about Early American History. Primary sources are documents, images, relics, or other works that provide firsthand details of a historical or scientific event. [6] Keaveney places his departure to 93. If Plutarch's text is to be amended to "Julia", then she is likely to have been one of the Julias related to Julius Caesar, most likely. [94] While Rome was preparing to move against Pontus, Mithridates arranged the massacre of some eighty thousand Roman and Italian expatriates and their families, confiscating any available properties. The Athenian politician Aristion had himself elected as strategos epi ton hoplon and established a tyranny over the city. [123], After the younger Marius' defeat, Sulla had the Samnite war captives massacred, which triggered an uprising in his rear. Archelaus then hid in the nearby marshes before escaping to Chalcis. 133/18 Scipio praises C.Marius. Each actor's story is unique and each brings something important to the ensemble. With military and diplomatic victory, his political fortunes seemed positive. Student Engagement: Primary source materials "help spark students . The Library of Congress Teacher's page provides tools and guides for using primary sources in research, focusing of the unique materials in the Library's digital collections. Copyright statement. [35], In 104BC, the Cimbri and the Teutones, two Germanic tribes who had bested the Roman legions on several occasions, seemed to again be heading for Italy. [93] News of these conquests reached Rome in the autumn of 89BC, leading the Senate and people to declare war; actual preparations for war were, however, delayed: after Sulla was given the command, it took him some eighteen months to organise five legions before setting off; Rome was also severely strained financially. [6] He also disbanded his legions and, through these gestures, attempted to show the re-establishment of normal consular government. . Of those who contracted the bubonic plague, 4 out of 5 died within eight days. [28][29], Under Marius, the Roman forces followed a very similar plan as under Metellus, capturing and garrisoning fortified positions in the African countryside. Websites. [citation needed], Sulla became embroiled in a political fight against one of the plebeian tribunes, Publius Sulpicius Rufus, on the matter of how the new Italian citizens were to be distributed into the Roman tribes for purposes of voting. The personal motto was "no better friend, no worse enemy.". Click the title for location and availability information. Primary sources provide raw information and first-hand evidence. was the first man to use the army to establish a personal autocracy at Rome.. Sulla first came into prominence when he served as quaestor (107-106 B.C.) In, Constitutional reforms of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic, L. Cornelius (392) L. f. P. n. Sulla Felix ('Epaphroditus'), Digital Prosopography of the Roman Republic, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sulla&oldid=1142439185. By the end of the war, the SSA had conscripted over 2.8 million American men. Sulla had officially been declared an outlaw and in the eyes of the Cinnan regime, Flaccus was to take command of an army without a legal commander. The Acropolis was then besieged. He was, however, defeated. Sulla's law waived the sponsio, allowing such cases to be heard without it. Resigning his dictatorship in 79 BC, Sulla retired to private life and died the following year. He married again, with a woman called Aelia, of which nothing is known other than her name. 1963), and Stewart Perowne, Death of the Roman Republic: From 146 B.C. [48] The Parthian ambassador, Orobazus, was executed upon his return to Parthia for allowing this humiliation; the Parthians, however, ratified the treaty reached, which established the Euphrates as a clear boundary between Parthia and Rome. Wikipedia entry. After some days, both sides engaged in battle. Plutarch, writing much . His descendants among the Cornelii Sullae would hold four consulships during the imperial period: Lucius Cornelius Sulla in 5 BC, Faustus Cornelius Sulla in AD 31, Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix in AD 33, and Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix in 52 AD (he was the son of the consul of 31, and the husband of Claudia Antonia, daughter of the emperor Claudius). [59] Sulla served as one of the legates in the southern theatre assigned to consul Lucius Julius Caesar. He was also notorious for his personal relationships . An example of the extent of his charming side was that his soldiers would sing a ditty about Sulla's one testicle, although without truth, to which he allowed as being "fond of a jest. Proscribing or outlawing every one of those whom he perceived to have acted against the best interests of the Republic while he was in the east, Sulla ordered some 1,500 nobles (i.e. To make primary texts readily available for classroom use, they selected important . What Is a Primary Source? However, his candidature was dealt a blow when he was brought up on charges of extorting Ariobarzanes. On each line there is a link to the page where the name can be found. Sulla, hearing this, feigned an attack while instructing his men to fraternise with Scipio's army. Throughout the research process, you'll likely use various types of sources. [30] Sulla was popular with the men, charming and benign, he built up a healthy rapport while also winning popularity with other officers, including Marius. Research Process and Acumen: Experience with primary sources can support future academic success. [47], Sulla's campaign in Cappadocia had led him to the banks of the Euphrates, where he was approached by an embassy from the Parthian Empire. He also divorced his then-wife Cloelia and married Metella, widow of the recently-deceased Marcus Aemilius Scaurus. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla played an important role in the long political struggle between the optimates and populares factions at Rome. [87], Sulla's ability to use military force against his own countrymen was "in many ways a continuation of the Social War a civil war between former allies and friends developed into a civil war between citizens what was eroded in the process was the fundamental distinction between Romans and foreign enemies".
Sean Hannity Partner,
Union News Daily Obituaries,
Articles S