SUL'LA, LUCIUS CORNELIUS (surnamed FE LIX) • (n.c. 138-78). A celebrated Roman general and statesman, horn at Rome of a family belong ing to the clan Cornelia. In B.C. 107 he was elected mmstor, and sent to Africa with cavalry that the consul Marius (q.v.) required for prose cuting the Jngurthine war. He rapidly acquired a series of important services by inducing Boc elms, the Mauretanian King, to surrender Ju gurtha (B.C. 106). In the campaigns that followed (B.C. 104-101) against the Cimbri and Tentones, Sulfa's reputation continued to rise. Fo• several years after the destruction of the barbarians Sully lived quietly, taking no part in public affairs; but in B.C. 93 he stood for the prMtor ship, and won it by a liberal distribution of money among the people. Next year he was sent to Cilicia as proprietor, to replace Ariobarzanes on the throne of Cappadocia, from which he had been driven by Mithridates. In the Social War (q.v.) the successes of Sulla threw those of Marius into the shade, and the mortification of the latter was deep and bitter. In B.C. SS Sulla was elected consul along with Q. Pompeius Rufus, and the senate conferred on him the command of the Mithridatic \Var. At this Marius, who desired the command for himself, precipitated a civil war. Allying himself with the tribune P. Sulpicius Rufus, a political ad venturer in difficulties. Marius placed himself
at the head of the new Italian party, on whom the rights of Roman citizenship had been con ferred, and Sulla was compelled to flee to his camp at Nola in Campania. There, finding the soldiers full of enthusiasm, he resolved to lead them against the pseudo-government at Rome. The Marian party was overthrown and Marius fled to Africa. Sully embarked for the East B.C. 87 and was away four years, but finally forced Mithridates to sue for peace, and returned to Italy B.C. S3. Marius was non• dead. but his party was strong in numbers and again in re volt; yet before the close of B.f.. 82 the Marian party in Italy was utterly crushed. In Spain, however, it held out under Serto•ius (q.v.). Sella caused himself to lie appointed dictator, an office which lie held until B.C. 79. Then followed the fearful period of the proscriptions (B.C. 51)—a virtual 'reign of terror' throughout Italy, the object of which was to extirpate the Marian party. His dictatorship was signalized by the framing of a series of laws the design of which was to restore the ancient power of the senate and the aristocracy. Sully spent his last years at his estate at Puteoli, his death being hastencd,by debaucheries. Consult: Beesly, The Gracchi, 3Iarius, and Salta (New York, 1878).