13. Unlike Prior Roman Dictators, This Dictator Abused His Power in a Serious Way
When Sulla marched on Rome, Gaius Marius and his supporters were forced to flee. When Sulla eventually left to fight the war against Pontus, Marius returned to Rome with his own army in 87 BC. He had Sulla’s enactments reversed, executed about a dozen leading Sulla supporters, and in 86 BC, he was elected consul for an unprecedented seventh time. Marius’ seventh consulship did not last long: he died only 17 days into his term in office.
After winning the war against Pontus, Sulla returned to Rome with his army, defeated the Marians, and entered the city in 82 BC. He undid all the Marian legislations, introduced reactionary conservative constitutional reforms that solidified the power of the aristocracy and weakened that of the middle classes, and got himself appointed dictator. He then massacred the Marians and Populares by the thousands. Sulla posted prescriptions, or lists naming enemies of the state who could be legally killed by anybody in exchange for a reward and a share of the victim’s property upon presentation of his head to Sulla’s agents. He resigned in 79 BC, retreated into private life, and died the following year.