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

SULLA. SULLA. 941
These laws were all passed during the time that exercised a powerful influence in the state, were
Sulla was dictator, that is, from the end of B. C. strictly forbidden by Sulla. (Cic. pro Cluent. 40.)
82 to B. c. 79, and most of them in all probability The Comitia Centuriata, on the other hand, were
during the years B. c. 81 and 80. It is impossible allowed to retain their right of legislation unim,
to determine in what order they were proposed, paired. He restored however the ancient regulanor is it material to do so. They may be divided tion, which had fallen into desuetude, that no
into four classes, laws relating to the constitution, matter should be brought before them without the
to the ecclesiastical corporations, to the adminis- previous sanction of a senatusconsultum (Appian,
tration of justice, and to the improvement of B. C. i. 59); but he did not require the confirmpublic morals. Their general object and design ation of the curiae, as the latter had long ceased to
was to restore, as far as possible, the ancient Ro- have any practical existence. Gibttling supposes
man constitution, and to give again to the senate that the right of provocatio or appeal to the comitia
and the aristocracy that power of which they had centuriata was done away with by Sulla, but the
been gradually deprived by the leaders of the passage of Cicero (Cic. Verr. Act. i. 13), which he
popular party. It did not escape the penetration quotes in support of this opinion, is not sufficient
of Sulla that many of the evils under which the to prove it.
Roman state was suffering, arose from the corrup- The Senate had been so much reduced in numtion of the morals of the people; and he therefore hers by the proscriptions of Sulla, that he was
attempted in his legislation to check the increase obliged to fill up the vacancies by the election of
of crime and luxury by stringent enactments. The three hundred new members. These however were
attempt was a hopeless one, for vice and immorality not appointed by the censors from the persons who
pervaded alike all classes of Roman citizens, and had filled the magistracies of the state, but were
no laws can restore to a people the moral feelings elected by the people. Appian says (B. C. i. 100)
which they have lost. Sulla has been much that they were elected by the tribes. Most moblamed by modern writers for giving to the Roman dern writers think that we are not to understand
state such an aristocratical constitution; but under by this the comitia tributa, but the comitia centuthe circumstances ill which he was placed he could riata, which voted also according to tribes at this
not well have done otherwise. To have vested the time; but Giittling observes that as the senators
government in the mob of which the Roman people were regarded by Sulla as public officers, there
consisted, would have been perfect madness; and is no difficulty in supposing that they were elected
as he was not prepared to establish a monarchy, he by the comitia tributa as the inferior magistrates
had no alternative but giving the power to the were. However this may be, we know that these
senate. His constitution did not last, because the three hundred were taken from the equestrian
aristocracy were thoroughly selfish and corrupt, order. (Appian, 1. c.; Liv. Epit. 89.) This election
and exercised the power which Sulla had entrusted was an extraordinary one, and was not intended to
to them only for their own aggrandisement and be the regular way of filling up the vacancies in
not for the good of their country. Their shame- the senate; for we are expressly told that Sulla
less conduct soon disgusted the provinces as well as increased the number of quaestors to twenty, that
the capital; the people again regained their power, there might be a sufficient number for this purpose
but the consequence was an anarchy and not a (Tac. Ann. xi. 32.) It was not necessary for
government; and as neither class was fit to rule, Sulla to make any alteration respecting the duties
they were obliged to submit to the dominion of a and functions of the senate, as the whole adminisingle man. Thus the empire became a necessity stration of the state was in their hands; and he
as well as a blessing to the exhausted Roman gave them the initiative in legislation by requiring
world. Sulla's laws respecting criminal jurispru- a previous senatusconsultum respecting all meadence were the most lasting and bear the strongest sures that were to be submitted to the comitia, as
testimony to his greatness as a legislator. He is stated above. Onle of the most important
was the first to reduce the criminal law of Rome of the senate's duties was the appointment of
to a system; and his laws, together with the Ju- the governors of the provinces. By the Lex
lian laws, formed the basis of the criminal Roman Sempronia of C. Gracchus, the senate had to dejurisprudence till the downfal of the empire. termine every year before the election of the conIn treating of Sulla's laws we shall follow the suls the two provinces which the consuls should
fourfold division which has been given above. have (Cic. de Prov. Coes. 2, 7; Sail. Jug. 27);
I. Laws relating to the Constitution.-The changes but as the imperium was conferred only for a year,
which Sulla introduced in the comitia and the the governor had to leave the province at the end of
senate, first call for our attention. The Comitia that time, unless his imperium was renewed. Suila
Tributa, or assemblies of the tribes, which originally in his law respecting the provinces (de Provinciis
possessed only the power to make regulations res- ordinandis) did not make any change in the Sempropecting the local affairs of the tribes, had gradually nian law respecting the distribution of the provinces
become a sovereign assembly with legislative and by the senate; but he allowed the governor of a
judicial authority. Sulla deprived them of their province to continue to hold the government till a
legislative and judicial powers, as well as of their successor was appointed by the senate, and enacted
right of electing the priests, Which they had also that he should continue to possess the imperium till
acquired. IIe did not however do away with he entered the city, without the necessity of its being
them entirely, as might be inferred from the words renewed annually (comp. Cic. ad Fain. i. 9. ~ 12).
of Appian (B. C. i. 59); but he allowed them to The time during which the government of a proexist with the power of electing the tribunes, vince was to be held, thus depended entirely upon
n-ediles, quaestors, and other inferior magistrates. the will of the senate. It was further enacted that as
This seems to have been the only purpose for soon as a successor arrived in the province, the forwhich they were called together; and all conciones mer governor must quit it within thirty days (Cic.
of the tribes, by means of which the tribunes had ad Faor. iii. 6); and the law also limited the ex