READING IS FUNDAMENTALISM - THE WAR OF THE FLEA
Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla were two very different men whose paths converged first on the battlefield and then in the political arena. Marius was a novus homo from Arpinum whose ancestors were from a moderately distinguished equestrian background. He made a name for himself by not only capturing King Jugurtha of Numidia, but also by doing it his own way. Gaius Marius was responsible for employing the capite censi in his army, who until this point was not allowed to serve because of outdated property qualifications. One might even argue (with justification) that this revolution led to the downfall of the Republic. In this Jugurthan War, Marius had a lieutenant named Lucius Cornelius Sulla. It is commonly believed that Marius’ victory was due in large part to this man. Sulla was of the old patrician Cornelian family, but of the lineage that had not established itself in recent Roman politics. Sulla was a harsh and unfeeling man who is said to have made his money by killing both his step-mother and his mistress. He was well known for his blazing red hair and his two canine teeth that he would bare when angry.
At first, the two excellent Roman military geniuses got along well with each other, but when Marius took almost sole credit for the Jugurthan victory and gave almost no attention to Sulla’s efforts, the latter became very bitter with his former general. Sulla then went on to distinguish himself in the Social War and was also given the command in the war against Mithridates of Pontus in 88. This command was then overturned in the Senate by Marius’ ally Publius Sulpicius Rufus, whom had it transferred to Marius. The seeds of conflict were sown.
Sulla immediately rushed back to Rome from Asia and took control of the city by methods that were incredibly harsh by even Roman military standards. Sulla had Sulpicius Rufus murdered along with several other Marian supporters (Marius fled to Africa) and passed several laws a vi before leaving for what he hoped would be a lucrative campaign in Greece.
One of the new consuls immediately had Marius recalled to Rome and the two attacked the allies of Sulla and eventually captured the city. What followed was a slaughter like none other seen at that time. Marius and his army (remember the capite censi??) terrorized Rome while Sulla conquered much of the Aegean and Asia Minor. Marius was named consul for a record seventh time but died soon after.
In 84 BC, Sulla renewed the civil war against the Marians, which he won soundly after his victory at the Colline Gate, and entered Rome as Dictator under the law of interrex. He then proceeded to gain immunity for all of his actions past and present and created a new kind of slaughter by posting proscription lists that itemized every Roman citizen Sulla wanted dead because of suspected Marian loyalties. In all, Sulla killed 10,000 people through the civil war and his proscriptions.
Despite this horrible onslaught, over the next three years, Sulla reformed much of the Roman political system to the benefit of the state and was hailed as Rome’s savior by most of Rome. When Sulla died in 78 amidst retirement in Campania, after finishing his consulship of 79 and holding elections for the next year, a massive state funeral was given to him and his life was celebrated. It can be correctly argued that the Sullan reforms staved off the end of the Republic for another fifty years.
