Salah

Since my "how would you rate...as a general" threads have started some interesting discussions, I figured I would do one for a very infamous figure in the later Roman Republic -the dictator L. Cornelius Sulla. What's your take on him?

okamido

I believe he was more than capable, 4 stars. He certainly showed Caesar what one could do with a loyal enough army, even if Caesar thought he was foolish for resigning his dictatorship.

sylla1

No more infamous than Marius if you check on the primary sources; in any case, the latter was certainly bested by the former when the armies of both men clashed.
The difference of course is that Sulla died in his bed and Caesar was killed .

okamido

He retired first.

Labienus

Sulla was certainly a brilliant general. He displayed a really good understanding of military tactics in the mithridatic wars.

sylla1

Exactly (but still enjoying all the power); who was the joke on now?

okamido

He left all the day to day to others. That sounds pretty retired, unless you count having Granius strangled in front of him. I'm not saying that if Sulla decided to interject, the Senate wouldn't tremble, but still, for all effective purposes, he was retired.

sylla1

And for all effective purposes, he was still the ruler; his word was law to his very last day.

No big secret; the army was on his side.

Caesar, on the other hand...

As you can see, Octavius learned from the success of the former and the failure of his adoptive father.

okamido

I guess it is my fault for reading Appian and Suetonius; I surrender the field.

sylla1

Not really; after Plutarch, Appian is probably the most useful Classical source regarding our happy Dictator; Suetonius, on the other hand, had very little if anything to say on him.