Lucius Cornelius Sulla (138–78 BCE) Flashcards
Who was Lucius Cornelius Sulla?
A Roman general, statesman, and dictator during the late Roman Republic.
What class was Sulla born into?
Sulla was born into a patrician family that had fallen on hard times.
What role did Sulla take on in 82 BCE?
He became dictator of Rome in 82 BCE.
What military campaign made Sulla famous?
His campaign against Mithridates VI of Pontus in the First Mithridatic War.
Why did Sulla march on Rome twice?
He marched on Rome to reclaim power after being stripped of his command and to settle political disputes.
Fill in the blank: Sulla was aligned with the ________ faction, representing the aristocracy.
Optimates
What were the proscriptions under Sulla?
Political purges where Sulla declared enemies of the state and had them executed.
What key reforms did Sulla implement during his dictatorship?
Reforms aimed at strengthening the Senate’s power and weakening the plebeian tribunes.
How did Sulla’s reforms influence future Roman politics?
They temporarily stabilized Rome but set the stage for military autocrats like Julius Caesar.
What did Sulla do after stepping down from his dictatorship?
He voluntarily retired in 79 BCE and lived in his villa, writing his memoirs.
Fill in the blank: Sulla added the name ‘______’ to his own, meaning ‘the lucky.’
Felix
How did Sulla’s march on Rome change political precedent in Rome?
He set the precedent of using military force to settle political disputes, influencing future leaders like Julius Caesar.
How is Sulla remembered today in history?
As a ruthless leader whose actions contributed to the fall of the Roman Republic.
What challenge did Sulla face during the Social War?
He fought against Rome’s Italian allies who were rebelling for more political rights.
Fill in the blank: Sulla’s greatest military rival was _______.
Gaius Marius
