Sylla

Sylla or Sulla ( Lucius Cornelius Sulla in Latin) is a Roman statesman , born in 138 av. J. - C., died in Cumes in 78 av. J. - C.

Its origin

Sylla is the Cognomen of the people Cornelia. Sylla was of one of these patricians families which compose the first houses of Rome. It is said that Rufinus, one of its ancestors, arrived at the consulate; but that he was known less by this rise than by fading than he accepted: one found at his place more than ten books of money crockery; and this infringment with the law made it drive out senate. Its descendants lived since in the darkness, and Sylla itself was high in a very poor state of fortune.

In ~ 101 av. J. - C., its Nicropolis mistress and Clitumna (the 2nd woman of its late father) with which Sylla lived die. They leave in Sylla the million sesterces necessary to enter to the Senate. The following year, he marries Julilla with which he will have 2 children: Cornelia Sylla and Lucius Cornelius Sylla the young person .

Its life

Its career begins in -105 in Africa. In the capacity as legate, it then leads the secret negotiations which will lead its general, Marius to the victory over Jugurtha of Numidie.

In particular, he persuades the king Bocchus of Maurétanie to betray Jugurtha which had fled in Maurétanie to put itself at the shelter. It was a delicate operation, king Bocchus weighing the advantages of delivering Jugurtha to Sylla or Sylla with Jugurtha.

Thereafter, it will affirm its position by gaining several successes at the time of the Guerre of the cimbres, made captive Copillus (general Gallic Tectosages), attracted the Marses (many and warlike Italic nation) in alliance of the Romans and during the social Guerre (of -91 with -89). Become an important figure of the Roman policy, he becomes the rival of Marius who supports the movement of the Populares , Sylla joining the camp of the senatorial and preserving aristocracy of the Optimates . He faces Marius and obliges it with the exile following the First civil war of the République.

Consul in -88 with Quintus Pompeius Rufus, it conducts a victorious campaign against Mithridate VI, king of the Pont, for the control of the Greek cities of minor Asia, Roman province since -129 (countryside marked by many depredations). A conflict took place between him and Marius to determine which would carry out the first war against Mithridate, Sylla going until going on Rome with its troops to prevent the designation of Marius supported by the plebs, but not by the Senate.

After having overcome the enemy armies in Greece, there falls seriously sick there and must remain a year there to be made look after. It loses there all its teeth, its hair (it must be made make a wig), and its skin subsides deeply. Its face covers crust which does nothing but itch it, and the only means for him of not scraping itself is saouler (until the discovery of a balsam for its face while it guerroyera in Italy).

Of return in Italy after the peace of Dardanos in -85 and the reorganization of the province of Asia, it must face the partisans marianists who seized the power during his absence. After the second civil war in 81 av. J. - C., which is completed by the victory of the syllaniens, it was named perpetual dictator. It then took the nickname of Felix ( fortunate, cherished gods , which it explained itself one day like protected from Venus ), and carried out a political purging by many Proscription S. It restored the capacity of the Roman Sénat (79 av. J. - C.), in the hope to save the “aristocratic” Republic and limited the capacity of the Tribuns of the plebs, vectors of the populist opposition. Many people are obliged to hide or flee of which Jules Caesar.

In 81 av. J.C., it founds the Roman colony of Aleria, in Corsica. During this same year, its nephew, Sextus Vernier Sufenas, instituted the " ludi Victoriæ Sullanæ" in order to commemorate the victory of his/her uncle to the door Hill. Into 80 av. J. - C., it transforms Pompéi into Roman colony, of the name of Colonia Veneria Cornelia Pompeii : the Roman colonists replace the driven out inhabitants then their residences.

Its death

At the conclusion of these reforms, it is withdrawn, in -79, of the political life, before dying two years later. Plutarque extends on horrors of phthiriase (pedicular disease, i.e. caused by the lice) from which Sylla would have suffered in its last days and there sees the indirect cause of its death, but one hardly believes in the clinical picture than the ancient authors gave phthiriase. The modern historians attach more importance to a circumstance of the last moments of Sylla mentioned by Plutarque itself, 37,5, and by Valère Maxime, 9,3,8: a vomiting of concomitant blood to an access of anger against the Granius questeur, who owed with the Treasury a considerable sum but differed to pay it while waiting for the death of the dictator to frustrate the republic of it. Sylla had hardly expired, that several citizens leagued with the consul Lépide to prevent that one did not make him funerals which were appropriate for a man of its row. But Pumped, using its prestige, obliged them to give up their project and made return in Sylla all the suitable honors.

The statues which remain us of him, enable us to judge air of its figure: its eyes were burning and hard. And the color of its face still made its glance more terrible, it was of a dark red, strewn with white spots. It is even believed that it is from there that it drew its name. Pleasant of Athens did it towards satirist on his dye: Sylla is only one blackberry impressed of flour .

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