They are the most direct evidence of a time or event because they were created by people or things that were there at the time or event. [137][15] In a manner that the historian Suetonius thought arrogant, Julius Caesar later mocked Sulla for resigning the dictatorship. The type of source you look for will depend on the stage you are at in the writing process. The personal motto was "no better friend, no worse enemy.". A primary source is an original object or document -- the raw material or first-hand information. 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. It was not until he was in his very late forties and almost past the age . [131] The purge went on for several months. Gaius Marius, a lieutenant of Metellus, returned to Rome to stand for the consulship in 107BC. Historian Suetonius records that when agreeing to spare Caesar, Sulla warned those who were pleading his case that he would become a danger to them in the future, saying, "In this Caesar, there are many Mariuses. He might have been disinherited, though it was "more likely" that his father simply had nothing to bequeath. [32] After the Senate approved negotiations with Bocchus, it delegated the talks to Marius, who appointed Sulla as envoy plenipotentiary. Sulla rose to prominence during the war against the Numidian king Jugurtha, whom he captured as a result of Jugurtha's betrayal by the king's allies, although his superior Gaius Marius took credit for ending the war. [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 then revived the office of dictator, which had been inactive since the Second Punic War, over a century before. [89] After Octavius induced the senate to outlaw Cinna, Cinna suborned the army besieging Nola and induced the Italians again to rise up. A gifted and innovative general, he achieved numerous successes in wars against foreign and domestic opponents. At the same time, Marius had annihilated the Cimbri's allies, the Teutones, at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae. Sulla's body was brought into the city on a golden bier, escorted by his veteran soldiers, and funeral orations were delivered by several eminent senators, with the main oration possibly delivered by Lucius Marcius Philippus or Hortensius. He married again, with a woman called Aelia, of which nothing is known other than her name. Primary Sources on the Web: Finding, Evaluating, Using. The hundreds of thousands of men who enlisted . [17] After his father's death, around the time Sulla reached adulthood, Sulla found himself impoverished. The first of the, Pages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback, sfn error: no target: CITEREFBadian2012 (. porterville unified school district human resources; Tags . He defeated Norbanus at the Battle of Mount Tifata, forcing the consul to withdraw. Pompey was then dispatched to recover Sicily. When Scipio refused, Sulla let him go. Mithridates also would equip Sulla with seventy or eighty ships and pay a war indemnity of two or three thousand talents. Skilfully withdrawing to Clusium, he delegated to Norbanus command of troops to hold Metellus Pius. [28][29], Under Marius, the Roman forces followed a very similar plan as under Metellus, capturing and garrisoning fortified positions in the African countryside. [108] Adding to his challenges was Lucullus' fleet, reinforced by Rhodian allies. Marius was elected consul and, through assignment by tribunician legislation, took over the campaign. [53] Sulla was regarded to have done well in the east: he had restored Ariobarzanes to the throne, been hailed imperator by his men, and was the first Roman to treat successfully with the Parthians. He was, however, defeated. Guide. During these marriages, he engaged in an affair with Nicopolis, who also was older than him. Eyeglasses from Colonial America would be a primary source about Early American History. 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. Primary sources are often in manuscript collections and archival records. The Romans neutralised a Pontic charge of scythed chariots before pushing the Pontic phalanx back across the plain. The faculty and students of the Hanover College History Department initiated the Hanover Historical Texts Project in 1995, at a time when few primary sources were available outside of published anthologies. Capturing the city, Sulla had it destroyed. Plutarch states in his Life of Sulla that "Sulla now began to make blood flow, and he filled the city with deaths without number or limit," further alleging that many of the murdered victims had nothing to do with Sulla, though Sulla killed them to "please his adherents.". The young Gaius Julius Caesar, as Cinna's son-in-law, became one of Sulla's targets, and fled the city. [155] Plutarch notes that Sulla considered that "his golden head of hair gave him a singular appearance. 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. Catulus, with Sulla, moved to block their advance; the two men likely cooperated well. Sulla raised important cavalry forces for Marius and was responsible for the . [124] The purge did little to strengthen resolve and when Sulla arrived at Rome, the city opened its gates and his opponents fled. [106] Roman forces then surrounded the Pontic camp. Primary sources are first-hand accounts of events. Rome at the End of the Punic Wars [History, Book 6] [At this Site] Acts of the Divine Augustus (Res Gestae Divi Augusti) [At MIT] The Life of Gnaeus Julius Agricola (40-93 CE), [At UNRV History] Life of Cnaeus Julius Agricola (40-93 CE), c.98 CE trans. Even though the prosecutor declined to show up on the day of the trial, leading to Sulla's victory by default, Sulla's ambitions were frustrated. onwards. [138], As promised, when his tasks were complete, Sulla returned his powers and withdrew to his country villa near Puteoli to be with his family. At the same time, Mithridates attempted to force a land battle in northern Greece, and dispatched a large army across the Hellespont. While Sulla was moving in the south, Scipio fought Pompey in Picenum but was defeated when his troops again deserted. At the start of his second consulship in 80BC with Metellus Pius, Sulla resigned his dictatorship. Works of art, in general, are considered primary sources. [38] The next year, Sulla was elected military tribune and served under Marius,[39] and assigned to treat with the Marsi, part of the Germanic invaders, he was able to negotiate their defection from the Cimbri and Teutones. 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. Lucius Cornelius Sulla (138-78 BCE) was a ruthless military commander, who first distinguished himself in the Numidian War under the command of Gaius Marius.His relationship with Marius soured during the conflicts that would follow and lead to a rivalry which would only end with Marius' death.Sulla eventually seized control of the Republic, named himself dictator, and after eliminating his . Helping or sheltering a proscribed person was punishable by death, while killing a proscribed person was rewarded with two talents. If Sulla had married one of the Julii Caesares, this could explain Marius' willingness to entrust such an important task to a young man with no military experience, as Marius too had married into that family. In an harangue to the people, he said, with reference to these measures, that he had proscribed all he could think of, and as to those who now escaped his memory, he would proscribe them at some future time. Reason #4: studying primary sources helps students become better citizens. The Internet Modern History Sourcebook is one of series of history primary sourcebooks. The Roman military and political leader Sulla "Felix" (138-78 B.C.E.) He became a tribune of the plebeians in 52 BC where he gained a reputation for being a strong supporter of the populares. He was also notorious for his personal relationships . Possibly to protect himself from future political retribution, Sulla had the sons and grandsons of the proscribed banned from running for political office, a restriction not removed for over 30 years. Sulla's career is recounted in detail in Howard Hayes Scullard, From the Gracchi to Nero: A History of Rome from 133 B.C. [21], This article is about the Roman dictator. The Steamboat Adventure. From Book 81 [81.1] [87 BCE] Lucius Sulla besieged Athens, which had been occupied by Archelaus, an officer of Mithridates; [81.2] [86] after much labor he took the city .. note he gave it back the freedom it used to have. To further solidify the prestige and authority of the Senate, Sulla transferred the control of the courts from the equites, who had held control since the Gracchi reforms, to the senators. Gill. Social: Facebook Page YouTube Page Instagram Page. However, this material may be located in a number of places including in the library, elsewhere on campus, or even online. Ariobarzanes had been driven out by Mithridates VI of Pontus, who wanted to install one of his own sons (Ariarathes) on the Cappadocian throne. [73] The consuls, fearful of intimidation of Sulpicius and his armed bodyguards, declared a suspension of public business (iustitium) which led to Sulpicius and his mob forcing the consuls to flee. The two greatest of these were Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. He's remembered best for bringing his soldiers into Rome, the killing of Roman citizens, and his military skill in several areas. Books. [111], The peace reached with Mithridates was condemned in ancient times as a betrayal of Roman interests for Sulla's private interest in fighting and winning the coming civil war. There is no single tool that will find everything at UCR, but a good start is to reach . He returned victorious from the east in 82 BC, marched a second time on Rome, and crushed the populares and their Italian allies at the Battle of the Colline Gate. [54] Various proposals to give the allies Roman citizenship over the decades had failed for various reasons, just as the allies also "became progressively more aware of the need to cease to be subjects and to share in the exercise of imperial power" by acquiring that citizenship. 106/10 The quaestor L.Sulla arrives at Marius' camp with reinforcements from Sulla then established a system where all consuls and praetors served in Rome during their year in office, and then commanded a provincial army as a governor for the year after they left office. to the Birth of the Roman Empire (1969). Resigning his dictatorship in 79 BC, Sulla retired to private life and died the following year. Updated on June 22, 2022 Students. Deciding whether a source is primary or secondary is sometimes confusing. Provides tips on how to read and use primary sources in historical research. Sulla almost certainly received a normal education for his class, grounded in ancient Greek and Latin classics. They are original research, thinking, or discovery on a topic or event, and are written or created by people who actually experienced the event . [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. During these times on the stage, after initially only singing, he started writing plays, Atellan farces, a kind of crude comedy. [56] When the pro-Italian plebeian tribune Marcus Livius Drusus was assassinated in 91BC while trying again to pass a bill extending Roman citizenship, the Italians revolted. Keep in mind as you use this website, the Web is always changing and evolving. [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. [101], Sulla decamped his army from Attica toward central Greece. 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. His enemy, Lucius Cornelius Cinna, was elected consul for 87BC in place of his candidate;[83] his nephew was rejected as plebeian tribune while Marius' nephew was successful. The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, when the U.S. Congress agreed to a declaration of war. Despite initial difficulties, Sulla was successful with minimal resources and preparation; with few Roman troops, he hastily levied allied soldiers and advanced quickly into rugged terrain before routing superior enemy forces. [11], Sulla, the son of Lucius Cornelius Sulla and the grandson of Publius Cornelius Sulla,[12] was born into a branch of the patrician gens Cornelia, but his family had fallen to an impoverished condition at the time of his birth. Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo, merely an ex-aedile and one of Sulla's long-time enemies, had contested the top magistracy. This led him to a secret deal with Marius, who had for years been coveting another military command, in which Marius would support Sulpicius' Italian legislation in exchange for a law transferring Sulla's command to Marius. Lucius other name: Sulla Details individual; military/naval; official; Roman; Male. A book from 1877 England would be a primary source about Victorian history. [81.4] It note also contains an account of Thracian . Sulla's arrival in Brundisium induced defections from the Senate in Rome: Marcus Licinius Crassus, who had already fled from the Cinnan regime, raised an army in Spain, and departed for Africa to join with Metellus Pius (who also joined the Sullans), joined Sulla even before his landing in Italy. [127] In the north at the same time, Norbanus was defeated and fled for Rhodes, where he eventually committed suicide. Gnaeus Carbo attempted to lift the Siege of Praeneste but failed and fled to Africa. Archelaus tried to break out but were unsuccessful; Sulla then annihilated the Pontic army and captured its camp. Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did. Sulla then increased the number of magistrates elected in any given year, and required that all newly elected quaestores gain automatic membership in the Senate. Turning south, he engaged the Pontic army allegedly 90,000[101] on the plain of Orchomenus. [59], In the first year of fighting, Roman strategy was largely one of containment, attempting to stop the revolting allies from spreading their rebellion into Roman-controlled territory. Plutarch states in his Life of Sulla that he retired to a life spent in dissolute luxuries, and he "consorted with actresses, harpists, and theatrical people, drinking with them on couches all day long." Archives; Correspondence [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. [citation needed]. They are now largely lost, although fragments from them exist as quotations in later writers. The Battle of Chaeronea was fought in early summer around the same time the Athenian acropolis was taken. [43] Refusing to stand for an aedileship (which, due to its involvement in hosting public games, was extremely expensive), Sulla became a candidate for the praetorship in 99BC. His troops prepared the ground by starting to dig a series of three trenches, which successfully contained Pontic cavalry. This distinction is important because it will affect how you understand these sources. In 109, Rome sent Quintus Caecilius Metellus to continue the war. Pueblo, CO 81001. [100] The Pontic casualties given in Plutarch and Appian, the main sources for the battles, are exaggerated; Sulla's report that he suffered merely fifteen losses is not credible. Encyclopaedia Romana - Has essays on several aspects of ancient Rome. The Athenian politician Aristion had himself elected as strategos epi ton hoplon and established a tyranny over the city. [22] His first wife was called either Ilia or Julia. Sulla also wanted to reduce the risk that a future general might attempt to seize power, as he himself had done. [96] Rome unsuccessfully defended Delos from an joint invasion by Athens and Pontus. Sulla then prohibited ex-tribunes from ever holding any other office, so ambitious individuals would no longer seek election to the tribunate, since such an election would end their political career. Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix[8] (/sl/; 13878 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. Threatened by the Pontic navy, Sulla sent his quaestor Lucullus to scrounge about for allied naval forces. He dismissed his lictores and walked unguarded in the Forum, offering to give account of his actions to any citizen. An inscription on a sixteenth-century tombstone in Istanbul would be a primary source from the Classical Ottoman Age. Wikipedia entry. [61] But after Cato's death in battle with the Marsi,[62] Sulla was prorogued pro consule and placed in supreme command of the southern theatre. [41] After the failure of negotiations, the Romans and Cimbri engaged in the Battle of the Raudian Field in which the Cimbri were routed and destroyed. Plutarch of Chaeronea in Boeotia (ca. [119][120] The remainder of 83BC was dedicated to recruiting for the next year's campaign amid poor weather: Quintus Sertorius had raised a considerable force in Etruria, but was alienated from the consuls by the election of Gaius Marius' son rather than himself and so left to his praetorian province of Hispania Citerior; Sulla repudiated recognition of any treaties with the Samnites, whom he did not consider to be Roman citizens due to his rejection of Marius and Cinna's deal in 87BC. Sulla can be seen as setting the precedent for Julius Caesar's dictatorship, and for the eventual end of the Republic under Augustus. Sulla 5 (L. Cornelius Sulla Felix) - Roman dictator, 82-79 B.C. [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. The ancient biography of Sulla written by Plutarch is useful. Sulla then duly besieged the city. [66] Buttressed by success against Rome's traditional enemies, the Samnites, and general Roman victory across Italy, Sulla stood for and was elected easily to the consulship of 88BC; his colleague would be Quintus Pompeius Rufus. [2023] Welcome to The Internet History Sourcebooks Project, a collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use. Some set their hearts on houses, some on landsThe whole period was one of debauched tastes and lawlessness. He had one child from this union, before his first wife's death. [81] He sent his army back to Capua[82] and then conducted the elections for that year, which yielded a resounding rejection of him and his allies. To this end, he reaffirmed the requirement that any individual wait for 10 years before being re-elected to any office. From 133BC and the start of Tiberius Gracchus' land reforms, Italian communities were displaced from de jure Roman public lands over which no title had been enforced for generations. 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. [67], Sulla's election to the consulship, successful likely due to his military success in 89BC, was not uncontested. This "firsthand" understanding of human motivations and the ordinary Roman citizen may explain why he was able to succeed as a general despite lacking any significant military experience before his 30s.[25]. Sulla then settled affairs "reparations, rewards, administrative and financial arrangements for the future" in Asia, staying there until 84BC. [146] An epitaph, which Sulla composed himself, was inscribed onto the tomb, reading, "No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full. In 89BC, one of the tribunes of the plebs passed the lex Plautia Papiria, which granted citizenship to all of the allies (with exception for the Samnites and Lucanians still under arms). After Sulla had recovered the government by force of arms, everybody became robbers and plunderers. . Sulla had his enemies declared hostes, probably from outside the pomerium, and after assembling an assembly where he apologised for the ongoing war, left to fight Carbo in Etruria. [100], In the summer of 86BC, two major battles were fought in Boeotia. Or he could attempt to reverse it and regain his command. [121], Fighting in 83BC began with reverses for Sulla's opponents: their governors in Africa and Sardinia were deposed. Perseus Collection of Greek and Roman Material - Has numerous texts of primary sources. [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. Faced with mobilizing a sufficient fighting force, Congress passed the Selective Service Act on May 18, 1917. [49] At this meeting, Sulla was told by a Chaldean seer that he would die at the height of his fame and fortune. Speeches, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or . 101 BC: Took part in the defeat of the Cimbri at the, 90-89 BC: Senior officer in the Social War, as, Holds the consulship for the first time, with, 87 BC: Commands Roman armies to fight King, 85 BC: Liberates the provinces of Macedonia, Asia, and Cilicia from Pontic occupation, 83 BC: Returns to Italy and undertakes civil war against the factional Marian government, 83-82 BC: Enters war with the followers of Gaius Marius the Younger and Cinna, 82 BC: Obtains victory at the battle of the Colline Gate, 80 BC: Holds the consulship for the second time. The first of the leges Corneliae concerned the interest rates, and stipulated that all debtors were to pay simple interest only, rather than the common compound interest that so easily bankrupted the debtors. [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. [64], Political developments in Rome also started to bring an end to the war. He also divorced his then-wife Cloelia and married Metella, widow of the recently-deceased Marcus Aemilius Scaurus. "[133][134], At the end of 82 BC or the beginning of 81 BC,[135] the Senate appointed Sulla dictator legibus faciendis et reipublicae constituendae causa ("dictator for the making of laws and for the settling of the constitution"). 107/14 The dissolute lifestyle of L.Sulla, as a young man. Archelaus then hid in the nearby marshes before escaping to Chalcis. As Sulla viewed the office, the tribunate was especially dangerous, and his intention was to not only deprive the Tribunate of power, but also of prestige (Sulla himself had been officially deprived of his eastern command through the underhanded activities of a tribune). Marius, in the midst of this military crisis, sought and won repeated consulships, which upset aristocrats in the Senate; they, however, likely acknowledged the indispensability of Marius' military capabilities in defeating the Germanic invaders. [34] The publicity attracted by this feat boosted Sulla's political career. In fact, many sources can be either primary or secondary depending on the context of the research and of the source itself. The Roman Republic and territories in 100 B.C. However, his candidature was dealt a blow when he was brought up on charges of extorting Ariobarzanes. Sulla marched to Praeneste and forced its siege to a close, with the younger Marius dead from suicide before its surrender. Wikipedia entry + Cornelius , Epaphroditus , Sylla 138/31 The birth of L.Sulla. Sulla then served as legate under his former commander and, in that stead, successfully subdued a Gallic tribe which revolted in the aftermath of a previous Roman defeat. The second was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, who died young. His son, Faustus Cornelius Sulla, issued denarii bearing the name of the dictator,[151] as did a grandson, Quintus Pompeius Rufus. These sources have not been modified by interpretation and offer original thought or new information. This unusual appointment (used hitherto only in times of extreme danger to the city, such as during the Second Punic War, and then only for 6-month periods) represented an exception to Rome's policy of not giving total power to a single individual. [53], Relations between Rome and its allies (the socii), had deteriorated over the years up to 91BC. Updated on October 07, 2019. "[148][149] Sulla's example proved that it could be done, therefore inspiring others to attempt it; in this respect, he has been seen as another step in the Republic's fall. "[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. 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. Family members of the proscribed were not excluded from punishment, and slaves were not excluded from rewards. Primary sources are original . Sulla's descendants continued to be prominent in Roman politics into the imperial period. National Archives Catalog Find online primary source materials for classroom & student projects from the National Archive's online catalog (OPA). [57], The same year, Bocchus paid for the erection of a statue depicting Sulla's capture of Jugurtha. He attempted to mitigate this by passing laws to limit the actions of generals in their provinces, and although these laws remained in effect well into the imperial period, they did not prevent determined generals, such as Pompey and Julius Caesar, from using their armies for personal ambition against the Senate, a danger of which Sulla was intimately aware. 1963), and Stewart Perowne, Death of the Roman Republic: From 146 B.C. Athens itself was spared total destruction "in recognition of [its] glorious past" but the city was sacked. His family was patrician, part of the ruling class in ancient Rome. He was a leader of the optimates, which sought to maintain senatorial supremacy against the populist reforms advocated by the populares, headed by Marius. "[156], He was said to have a duality between being charming, easily approachable, and able to joke and cavort with the most simple of people, while also assuming a stern demeanor when he was leading armies and as dictator. Secondary sources are a step removed from primary sources. 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. Marius, an Italian by birth rather than a pure Roman, was a relative newcomer to the Roman elite, and he was considered an outsider by the Senate fathers. [141][140][142][143][144] Accounts were also written that he had an infestation of worms, caused by the ulcers, which led to his death. Primary Sources are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it. Sulla (P. Cornelius Sulla) - Roman praetor, 212 B.C. The two primary sources for this paper are Sallust's [91], During close of the Social War, in 89BC, Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus invaded Roman Asia. Secondary sources are interpretations of history. Website. [152], Sulla was red-blond[154] and blue-eyed, and had a dead-white face covered with red marks. Learning in Black and White. 9, The Last Age of the Roman Republic, 146-43 BC. 134/3 eagle's brood foretells the number of Marius' consulships. 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.