Comparing The Dictatorship Of Sulla And The Fall Of The Roman Republic

In the early ages, Rome was ruled by Etruscan kings. However, in 509 B.C.E. Rome declared itself a republic. Although there was no written constitution for the new government, the system evolved over time. In the Roman Republic, there were extreme class distinctions and barriers between the aristocracy and the lower class. Two consuls were elected to lead instead of the king. During a crisis, one of them is appointed a "Dictator" who holds unlimited powers for up to six months. And the most influential institution in Rome was the Senate. The senators dominated extensively in Roman domestic, foreign, and military policies. Therefore, the institutions of the Roman Republic were controlled by patricians, and there were a series of conflicts between

Lucius Cornelius Sulla was one of the most significant men in the history of the late Roman Republic. He rose to power due to his military successes and political intrigue. And, during his years as a dictator, he made several controversial decisions that later changed Roman history. He was an accomplished general and was rewarded with the Republic’s highest honors. In the first war against Mithridates in the east, Sulla was assigned the task of leading Rome’s armies, and this triggered his long-term rival Marius. So Marius used his power to manipulate the Senate and overturn the command given to Sulla. Sulla was outraged by this information and marched his men to Rome to free the city from the tyranny of Marius. The city wasn’t expecting such aggressive movement and wasn’t ready for defense. So Sulla and his army marched into Rome unopposed and quickly took control of the Senate. Marius and his followers had to flee to northern Africa. It was an enormous event in Roman history, as it was the very first time a Roman general had led a Roman army against their capital city. The final decisive battle between Marius and Sulla was the Battle of Colline Gate. Sulla crushed Marius’s forces solely and entered Rome in triumph. He was the first Roman of the Republic to take power by force (History Skills,

Any person proscribed on this list was considered "enemies of the Roman state" and killed or haunted by anyone who was brave enough to do so. Once people ended up on those proscriptions, they were killed, their lands and houses were seized and sold, and their descendants were banned from taking part in politics. This set an example of how to eliminate potential enemies (History Skills, n.d.).

Next, Sulla made reforms to limit the power of the Roman people. As the Tribune of the Plebs could veto any law put forth by him, he removed the power of veto from the Plebeian Tribune. He expanded the Senate and also restricted the conditions under which political positions could be held, such as the minimum age to participate in elections. His goal was to gain power from the Senate rather than the Roman people. Although his reforms didn’t last long and went back to the traditional ones, much damage was done (Bobertz,