Sulla

Sulla was born into a patrician family, old though not recently distinguised. He was Marius ' quaestor duing the Jugurthine War (supposedly negotiating the handover of Jugurtha by Bocchus), and had a successful generalship during the Social War and was able to use this for his political gain after the wars were over to gain him the command against Mithridates ; a powerful position.

Marius, who had been in practical political exile since the Saturninus debacle, returns to Rome promising the tribune at the time that he'll support his policy of dividing up the new citizens into the existing 35 tribes, in exchange for the command against Mithridates; absolutely humiliating to Sulla.

Sulla was at loggerheads; on one horn of the dilemma, he could give up the command and give up his career in politics, or march on Rome and use the military to force the Senate to give him his command back.

He very illegally decides to march on Rome. He enters the city and forces the compatriots of Marius to name their conspirators and makes himself commander against Mithridates; Marius flees to Africa.

While away in Pontus....
Cinna runs for consul, and once elected pushes for redistributing new citizens into the already existing tribes. He travels around Italy to gain support for his policies, which lead the Senate to declare him a hostis (traitor). Marius seredipitously returns from Africa to help Cinna, and a Civil War breaks out. Marius and Cinna seize control at last, list their enemies in Rome (early kind of proscription), and have Sulla declared an enemy of the state. Marius and Cinna are declared consuls in 86 (almost certainly through forced consensus); Marius dies of natural causes (he's quite old at this point), which leaves Cinna is sole charge of Rome.

Second March on Rome
Sulla expecting to and encounters much more resistance than first march; anti-Sulla propaganda campaign waged well by Marius and Cinna. He is met landing with his troops at Brundisium by Crassus and Pompey, who lend their troops to his aid.

the people of Rome are very distinctly opposed to Sulla at this point; His troops however prove too much and he regains control, forcing Marius' son to flee to Praenestae where he is killed.

He then sends Pompey off to secure first Sicily, then Africa, which were hotbeds of support for Marius.

Politics

Senate retrospectively legalizes all his actions, and he takes the title of dictator, giving him free reign to do whatever he wants. He sets a bad precedent; takes dictator (usually reserved for foreign enemies) title for civil crisis, uses proscriptions and military power to enfore his rule.


 * He institues proscriptions: list of enemies who everyone has the right to kill


 * killer gets portion of their estate
 * grandson's of those proscribed are prevented from running for office
 * increases size of senate to 600, invites in equestrians
 * reinstitutes rules governing requirements for office of cursus honorum
 * undoes Gracchan legislation
 * equestrians were excluded from juries
 * got rid of grain subsidy
 * limited authority of governors in provinces; made it more difficult for them to reward their troops
 * greatly decreases attractiveness and power of tribunate
 * can't run for any other office having been tribune
 * all laws have to be approved by the Senate

Retirement and Death
After having held the dictatorship for a year and restructuring the government, he retires and is legally elected consul the following year. He retires quietly and passes away.

Sullan peace was a fragile equilibrium; he weakened the traditional sources of dissent (i.e. the tribunate) and established the illusion of peace, maintained by fear of proscription.