Sulla
LUCIUS CORNELIUS, a Roman dictator; born in 138 в. c. He received a good education, but was notorious from his youth upward for his excessive dissipation and debauchery.
He served with distinction under Marius in the Jugurthine (107 B. c.) and Cimbrian (104-102) wars, and in 93 was chosen prætor. For his services in the Social War (90-88) he was appointed consul (88 B. c.), and the province of SULLA Asia, with the conduct of the war against Mithridates, fell to his lot. Marius was also ambitious of this command, and resorted to acts of violence to carry his point, by which Sulla was compelled to escape from Rome. But Sulla re-entered the city at the head of his army, drove Marius to Africa, and then sailed for Greece at the beginning of 87 B. c. He expelled the armies of Mithridates from Europe (86), crossed into Asia (84), and was everywhere victorious, forcing Mithridates to conclude a peace. Marius had died in 86 B. C., but the party of Marius was still strong. Sulla now hastened to Italy, and landed at Brundusium with 40,000 men, 83 B. C. He was joined by many of his friends who had been banished from Rome. He gained four battles over the Roman forces in person, and defeated a Samnite army under Telesinus. He entered the city victorious in 82, and immediately put to death between 6,000 and 7,000 prisoners of war in the circus. He caused himself to be named dictator for an indefinite period (81 B. c.). In 79 B. c. he laid down his dictatorship, and retiring to Puteoli died in 78 B. C. See ROME.