A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

936 SULLA. SULLA.
but before he could venture to wrest from Sulla the reverence -tlhat t'he Romans entertained f't
the authority with which he had been entrusted law, that it seems never to have occurred to him
by the senate, he felt it necessary to strengthen or to his party that Sulla would venture to draw
the popular party. This he resolved to effect by his sword against the state. Marius attempted to
identifying his interests with those of the Italian gain time for preparations by forbidding Sulla in
allies, who had lately obtained the franchise. Ile the name of the state to advance any further. Bt
found a ready instrument for his purpose in the the praetors who carried this command narrowly
tribune P. Sulpicius Rufus, a man of ability and escaped being murdered by the soldiers; and
energy, but overwhelmed with debt, and who Marius as a last resort offered liberty to the slaves
hoped that the spoils of the Mithridatic war, of who would join him. But it was all in vain. Sulla
which Marius promised him a liberal share, would entered the city without much difficulty, and Marelieve him from his embarrassments. This tribune rius took to flight with his son and a few folaccordingly brought forward two rogations, one to lowers. Sulla used his victory with moderation.
recal from exile those persons who had been He protected the city from plunder, and in order
banished in accordance with the Lex Varia, on to restrain his troops he passed the night in the
account of their having been accessory to the streets along with his colleague. Only Marins,
Marsic war, and another, by which the Italians, Sulpicius, and ten others of his bitterest enemies
who had just obtained the franchise, were to be were declared public enemies by the senate at his
distributed among the thirty-five tribes. The command, on the ground of their having disturbed
Italians, when they wereadmitted to the citizenship, the public peace, taken up arms against the conwere formed into eight or ten new tribes, which suls, and excited the slaves to freedom. Sulpicius
were to vote after the thirty-five old ones, and by was betrayed by one of his slaves and put to
this arrangement they would rarely be called upon death; Marius and his son succeeded in escaping
to exercise their newly-acquired rights. On the to Africa. [MARIUS, P. 957, b.]
other hand, the proposal of Sulpicius would place Although Sulla had conquered Rome, he had
the whole political power in their hands, as they neither the time, nor perhaps the power, to carry
far outnumbered the old Roman citizens, and into execution any great organic changes in the
would thus have an overwhelming majority in constitution. His soldiers were impatient for the
each tribe. If this proposition passed into a lex, plunder of Asia; and he probably thought it adit was evident that the new citizens out of grati- visable to attach them still more strongly to his
tstde would confer upon Marius the command of person before he ventured to deprive the people of
the Mithridatic war. To prevent the tribune from their power in the commonwealth. He therefore
putting these rogations to the vote, the consuls contented himself with repealing the Sulpician
declared a justitium, during which no business laws, and enacting that no matter should in foture
could be legally transacted. But Sulpicius was re- be brought before the people without the previous
solved to carry his point; with an armed band of sanction of a sehatusconsultum; for the statement
followers he entered the forum and called upon the of Appian (B. C. i. 59) that he now abolished the
consuls to withdraw the justitium; and upon their Comitia tributa, and filled up the members of the
refesal to comply with his demand, he ordered his senate, is evidently erroneous, and refers to a later
satellites to draw their swords and fall upon the con- time. It appears, however, that he attempted at
sils. Pompeius escaped, but his son Quintus, this time to give some relief to debtors by a lex
-who was also the son-in-law of Sulla, was killed. unciarsia, beut the nature of which relief is uncerSulla himself only escaped by taking refuge in the tain from the mutilated condition of the passage in
house of Marius, which was close to the forum, Festus (s. v.) who is the only writer that makes
and in order to save his life he was obliged to remove mention of this lex. Sulla sent forward his lethe justitium. gions to Capua, that they might be ready to emSulla quitted Rome and hastened to his army, bark for Greece, but he himself remained in Rome
which was besieging Nola. The city was now in till the consuls were elected for the following year.
the hands of Sulpicius and Marius, and the two He recommended to the people Nonius, his sister's
rogations passed into laws without opposition, as son, and Serv. Sulpicius. His candidates, however,
well as a third, conferring upon Marius the coin- were rejected, and the choice fell on Cn. Octaviis,
mand of the Mithridatic war. Marius lost no who belonged to the aristocratical party, but was a
time in sending some tribunes to assume on his weak and irresolute man, and on L. Cinna, who
behalf the command of the army at Nola; but was a professed champion of the popular side.
the soldiers, who loved Sulla, and who feared that Sulla did not attempt to oppose their election; to
Marius might lead another army to Asia, and thus have recalled his legions to Rome would have been
deprive them of their anticipated plunder, stoned a dangerous experiment when the soldiers were so
his deputies to death. Sulla found his soldiers eager for the spoils of the East; and he therefore
ready to respond to his wishes; they called upon professed to be pleased that the people made ulse
him to lead them to Rome, and deliver the city of the liberty he had granted them. He, however,
from the tyrants. He was moreover encouraged took the vain precaution of making Cinna promise
b) favourable omens and dreams, to which he that he would make no attempt to disturb the
anivays attached great importance. He therefore existing order of things; but one of Cinna's first
hesitated no longer, but at the head of six legions acts was to induce the tribune M. Virgilius to
broke up from his encampment at Nola, and bring an accusation against Sulla as soon as his
marched towards the city. His officers, however, year of office had expired. Sulla, without paying
refused to serve against their country, and all any attention to this accusation, quitted Rome at
quitted him with the exception of one quaestor. the beginning of B. C. 87, and hastened to his
This was the first time that a Roman had ever troops at Capua, where he embarked for Greece,
mnarched at the head of Roman troops against the in order to carry on the war against Mithridates.
city, Marius was taken by surprise. Such was For the next four years Sulla was engaged in