Editing Sulla (section)

{{Short description|Roman general and dictator (138–78 BC)}}
{{About|the Roman dictator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Sulla
| image              = Q. Pompeius Rufus, denarius, 54 BC, RRC 434-1 (Sulla only).jpg
| image_upright      = 1.1
| alt                = Grey coin with male head facing right
| caption            = Portrait of Sulla on a [[denarius]] minted in 54 BC by his grandson [[Quintus Pompeius Rufus (grandson of Sulla)|Pompeius Rufus]]{{sfn|Crawford|1974|pp=456–457}}
| birth_date         = 138 BC<ref>[[Valerius Maximus]], 9.3.8</ref><ref>[[Appian]], 1.105</ref><ref>[[Plutarch]], ''Life of Sulla'', 6.10</ref><ref>[[Velleius Paterculus]], 2.17.2</ref>
| birth_place        = 
| death_date         = 78 BC (aged 60)
| death_place        = [[Pozzuoli|Puteoli]], [[Roman Italy|Italy]]
| death_cause        = 
| resting_place      = 
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| nationality        = Roman
| occupation         = 
| credits            = [[Constitutional reforms of Sulla]]
| office             = {{plainlist|
* Legate during [[Social War (91–87 BC)|Social War]] (90–89&nbsp;BC)
* [[Roman consul|Consul]] (88&nbsp;BC)
* [[Proconsul]] against Mithridates (87–84&nbsp;BC)
* [[Roman dictator|Dictator]] (82–80&nbsp;BC){{sfn|Badian|2012}}
* Consul (80&nbsp;BC)<ref>For list of offices and years, unless otherwise indicated, {{harvnb|Broughton|1952|p=557}}.</ref>
}}
| opponents          = [[Gaius Marius]]
| spouse             = {{hlist|[[Julia (wife of Sulla)|Julia]] (Ilia?)|Aelia|Cloelia|[[Caecilia Metella (daughter of Dalmaticus)|Caecilia]]|[[Valeria (wife of Sulla)|Valeria]]}}
| children           = {{ubl|Lucius Cornelius Sulla|[[Cornelia (wife of Livianus)|Cornelia]]|[[Faustus Cornelius Sulla (quaestor 54 BC)|Faustus Cornelius Sulla]]|[[Cornelia Fausta]]|[[Cornelia Postuma]]}}
| module             = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| serviceyears  = 107–82 BC
| serviceyears_label = Service years
| battles       = {{ubl|[[Jugurthine War]]|[[Cimbrian War]]|[[Social War (Italian)|Social War]]|[[First Mithridatic War]]|[[Sulla's civil war]]}}
| awards        = [[Grass Crown]]
}}
}}

'''Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ʌ|l|ə}}, {{IPA|la|ˈɫuːkius kɔrˈneːlius ˈsulːa ˈfeːliːks}}; 138–78 BC), commonly known as '''Sulla''', was a [[Roman people|Roman]] general and statesman of the late [[Roman Republic]].<ref>The name [[Felix (name)|Felix]] – the fortunate – was attained later in life, as the [[Latin language|Latin]] equivalent of the [[Classical Greek|Greek]] nickname he had acquired during his campaigns, ἐπαφρόδιτος (''epaphroditos''), that is, beloved of [[Aphrodite]] or [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] (to Romans) – due to his skill and luck as a general.{{Cn|date=November 2024}}</ref> A great commander and ruthless politician, Sulla used violence to advance his career and his conservative agenda. Although he attempted to create a [[Constitutional reforms of Sulla|stable constitutional order]], the Republic never recovered from his [[March on Rome (88 BC)|coup d'état]], [[Sulla's civil war|civil war]], and [[Sulla's proscription|purges]].

Sulla held the office of [[Roman consul|consul]] twice and revived the [[Roman dictator|dictatorship]]. A gifted general, he achieved successes in wars against foreign and domestic opponents. Sulla rose to prominence during the war against the [[Numidia]]n 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. He then fought successfully against Germanic tribes during the [[Cimbrian War]], and Italian allies during the [[Social War (91–87 BC)|Social War]]. He was awarded the [[Grass Crown]] for his bravery at the Battle of Nola. Sulla was closely associated with [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]], adopting the title Epaphroditos meaning favoured of Aphrodite/Venus.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/74522705 |title=The world of Pompeii |date=2007 |publisher=Routledge |others=John Joseph Dobbins, Pedar William Foss |isbn=978-0-415-17324-7 |location=London |oclc=74522705}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Balsdon |first=J. P. V. D. |date=1951 |title=Sulla Felix |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/298093 |journal=The Journal of Roman Studies |volume=41 |pages=1–10 |doi=10.2307/298093 |jstor=298093 |s2cid=166133294 |issn=0075-4358|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Sulla played an important role in the long political struggle between the [[optimates and populares|''optimates'' and ''populares'']] factions at Rome. He was a leader of the ''optimates'', who sought to maintain [[Roman Senate|senatorial]] supremacy against the populist reforms advocated by the ''populares'', headed by Marius. In a dispute over the command of the war against [[Mithridates VI Eupator|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. The ''populares'' seized power once he left with his army to [[Asia (Roman province)|Asia]]. He returned victorious from the east in 82 BC, marched on Rome again and crushed the ''populares'' and their Italian allies at the [[Battle of the Colline Gate]].

Sulla revived the office of [[Roman dictator|dictator]], which had been dormant since the [[Second Punic War]], over a century before. He used his powers to [[Sulla's proscription|purge his opponents]], and [[Constitutional reforms of Sulla|reform Roman constitutional laws]],  to restore the primacy of the Senate and limit the power of the [[Tribune of the plebs|tribunes of the plebs]]. Resigning his dictatorship in 79 BC, Sulla retired to private life and died the following year. Later political leaders such as [[Julius Caesar]] followed the precedent set by Sulla with his military coup to attain political power through force.