sullan

Sullan refers to anything relating to Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, a Roman general and statesman who lived in the late Republic. Born around 138 BCE, Sulla held the office of consul in 88 BCE and became dictator in 82 BCE, a position he used to enact a set of constitutional and political changes. The term is used by historians to describe policies, reforms, or periods associated with his leadership and rule.

The core of Sulla’s program was to restore and strengthen the authority of the Roman Senate and to curb the power of popular assemblies and the tribunes of the plebs. He sought to reassert senatorial control over magistracies and provincial commands, and to reduce the influence of the popular assemblies in political life. In the constitutional sphere, Sulla expanded and reorganized the Senate, and he implemented reforms to the cursus honorum intended to stabilize political careers through a more orderly progression of offices. He also imposed measures aimed at limiting the powers of the tribunes and increasing the procedural and ideological dominance of the Senate.

His regime is also remembered for the proscriptions, a formal list of enemies that led to confiscations and executions, used to eliminate opposition and reward supporters. The Sullan constitution’s effects lasted beyond his death in 78 BCE, shaping political norms for decades and contributing to the enduring tension between the Senate and popular power in the late Republic.

In modern usage, “Sullan” is often employed to describe policies or reforms echoing his emphasis on a strong Senate, restricted popular authority, and a dictatorial approach to political control.