Lucius Cornelius Sulla, like Marius before him, was also a renowned general involved in numerous victories for the Romans. He played a key role in the victory over King Jugurtha of the Numidians which brewed jealousy within Marius. Sulla was appointed consul in 88 and was given command of an army by the senate to lead the war against King Mithradates VI of Pontus. However, Marius was instead appointed commander with the help of the tribune Publius Sulpicius Rufus. Sulla did not accept this change and convinced his soldiers, who were steadfast in their loyalty to him, to join him in his march on Rome, which they did and Sulla succeeded in wresting control back from Marius. Sulla then set off on a long campaign against the Greeks which spanned
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Sulla was appointed dictator and for the first time in Rome’s history, there was to be no limit for the duration of Sulla’s dictatorship. Sulla’s march on Rome showed how effective the Marian reforms were for military commanders who wanted to oppose the senate. It showed how soldiers were willing to fight for their commanders against the Senate and Rome, and should the commander not want to relinquish control, they could, like Sulla, march on Rome and impose their will on the senators through sheer force. This would set a precedent to which future commanders like Julius Caesar would follow when he crossed the Rubicon and marched his army towards Rome. With Sulla, it demonstrated the irony in how the Republic could allow an individual to hold such limitless power with his regime of proscriptions and indiscriminate elimination of rivals. It only proved that the end of the Republic was nigh and with Sulla’s decision to abdicate at his own will, it was merely prolonging the inevitable which was to come with Julius Caesar and his son, …show more content…
Being appointed consul in 59 BC, together with Pompey and Crassus, they formed what would be known as the triumvirate which meant that power in Rome was solely in the hands of these 3 individuals. Caesar launched an expedition on Gaul in 58 BC, an intense battle that would last for 7 years, during which relations between the 3 leaders strained and Pompey joined sides with the Optimate faction in order to seek favour from the nobles. After conquering Gaul in 51 BC and becoming governor of Gaul, the Optimates in Rome feared the growing influence of Caesar and hence demanded that he step down from his position as governor and upon his return to Rome, be prosecuted. Caesar and Pompey were now caught in a public dispute in which neither could back down in fear of appearing weaker than the other. Faced with few other options, Caesar decided to take the plunge and led his armies across the Rubicon into Rome which meant a civil war was declared on Rome and Pompey. This once again demonstrated the loyalty and admiration soldiers had for their commanders due to their great achievements. As Martin Goodman states in his book, The Roman World 44 BC – 180 AD, “These men were tied to him both by the affection of shared military experience and by an expectation that his political power would win them rewards, suitable pensions for
Sulla was appointed dictator and for the first time in Rome’s history, there was to be no limit for the duration of Sulla’s dictatorship. Sulla’s march on Rome showed how effective the Marian reforms were for military commanders who wanted to oppose the senate. It showed how soldiers were willing to fight for their commanders against the Senate and Rome, and should the commander not want to relinquish control, they could, like Sulla, march on Rome and impose their will on the senators through sheer force. This would set a precedent to which future commanders like Julius Caesar would follow when he crossed the Rubicon and marched his army towards Rome. With Sulla, it demonstrated the irony in how the Republic could allow an individual to hold such limitless power with his regime of proscriptions and indiscriminate elimination of rivals. It only proved that the end of the Republic was nigh and with Sulla’s decision to abdicate at his own will, it was merely prolonging the inevitable which was to come with Julius Caesar and his son, …show more content…
Being appointed consul in 59 BC, together with Pompey and Crassus, they formed what would be known as the triumvirate which meant that power in Rome was solely in the hands of these 3 individuals. Caesar launched an expedition on Gaul in 58 BC, an intense battle that would last for 7 years, during which relations between the 3 leaders strained and Pompey joined sides with the Optimate faction in order to seek favour from the nobles. After conquering Gaul in 51 BC and becoming governor of Gaul, the Optimates in Rome feared the growing influence of Caesar and hence demanded that he step down from his position as governor and upon his return to Rome, be prosecuted. Caesar and Pompey were now caught in a public dispute in which neither could back down in fear of appearing weaker than the other. Faced with few other options, Caesar decided to take the plunge and led his armies across the Rubicon into Rome which meant a civil war was declared on Rome and Pompey. This once again demonstrated the loyalty and admiration soldiers had for their commanders due to their great achievements. As Martin Goodman states in his book, The Roman World 44 BC – 180 AD, “These men were tied to him both by the affection of shared military experience and by an expectation that his political power would win them rewards, suitable pensions for