Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix: The Roman Dictator Who Destroyed Athens

Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix was a Roman general and dictator who played a significant role in the late Roman Republic’s turbulent politics. His military campaigns, especially in Greece, had devastating consequences for cities like Athens.

Charismatic and effective in military matters, Sulla marched his troops against Rome itself twice. Sulla ended up enjoying the absolute power granted to him by the office of Dictator. From this position, he initiated a series of constitutional reforms that were ultimately intended to serve the interests of the aristocratic class. However, his dictatorship marked the beginning of the end for the Constitution of the Roman Republic, and for the Republic itself.

Early life of Sulla

Lucius Cornelius Sulla came from a patrician family, but he did not live in luxury during his youth. He lived in cheap rented rooms, which led to later ironic comments from Romans about how he became rich from humble beginnings.

The ancient Greek biographer Plutarch also relates that during the period of the proscriptions that Sulla unleashed on Rome, a freedman who was accused of hiding one of the wanted men and was about to be thrown from the Tarpeian Rock bitterly reported that he and Sulla had once lived in the same apartment building, paying a small difference in rent.

According to Plutarch, Sulla had gray eyes, which reflected strength and intelligence. These eyes unconsciously caused fear in anyone who looked at him. However, he was also fond of jokes.

During his youth, he associated with humble people, including actors and jesters, sharing in their unstable and dissolute lives. He continued to associate with them in his later life. Even after he became the master of Rome, he often invited such people to his house for entertainment. This happened despite the negative comments of the citizens, who believed that he not only disrespected his age but also neglected his political duties.

He managed to escape poverty by receiving two inheritances: the first from his stepmother, who loved him as her own son, and the second from Nicopolis, a wealthy woman of common descent with whom he maintained a relationship.

Sulla’s early military successes and rise to power

Sulla’s military career began with distinction during the Jugurthine War (112–105 BCE), where his diplomatic cunning led to the capture of Jugurtha, the Numidian king. This success earned him recognition and set the foundation for his political and military ascent. He further cemented his reputation during the Social War (91–88 BCE). He displayed exceptional leadership and tactical brilliance in suppressing the revolt of Rome’s Italian allies who were seeking citizenship rights.

His victories and growing influence propelled him to the consulship in 88 BCE. However, tensions with his political rival, Gaius Marius, escalated into civil war. Sulla’s unprecedented march on Rome with his army in 88 BCE marked the first time a Roman general used military force to seize political power. After defeating Marius and his supporters, Sulla declared himself dictator in 82 BCE, using his authority to implement sweeping constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening the Senate and reducing the power of the populares faction.

Sulla during the First Mithridatic War

At the time Sulla began his campaigns, Mithridates VI, king of Pontus, was enjoying one military success after another and was at the height of his glory. He had reclaimed Asia from Roman control in just a few weeks. He wrested Bithynia and Cappadocia from their kings and settled in Pergamum, enjoying the city’s riches. In the spring of 88 BCE, he ordered the execution of all the Italians and Romans in his territories, a total of 80,000 people, according to sources.

In the summer, the Athenians called on him to liberate their city, so he sent his army across the Aegean. A man named Aristion became the tyrant of Athens. Macedonia remained under Roman control, but Mithridates’ troops managed to capture Amphipolis. Mithridates’ capable general, Archelaus, with his fleet, controlled the seas and occupied the Cycladic islands one by one, as well as Euboea. In this way, the Greek cities rose up in revolt against the Roman conqueror. The only one who strongly resisted this storm was Brettius Sura, an officer of the commander of Macedonia.

Sulla’s siege of Piraeus and destruction of Athens

Upon his arrival, Sulla concentrated his efforts on the siege of Piraeus to strike Athens (87-86 BCE). Anxious about the situation in Rome, he acted hastily, taking great risks. He used every kind of siege engine and equipment, quickly exhausting the wood reserves he had. To make provisions, he ravaged the sacred groves, as well as the verdant areas around the Academy and the Lyceum.

This war was particularly unholy by the standards of the ancients. On the one hand, Mithridates’ forces had plundered the sacred island of Delos for money. In turn, Sulla seized the most valuable votive offerings from Epidaurus and Olympia. In contrast, according to the biographer Plutarch, previous Roman generals, such as Titus Flamininus and Aemilius Paullus, had not only respected the sacred places but had also bestowed gifts on them as a sign of respect.

Aristion’s leadership and Sulla’s ruthless victory

Aristion, for his part, did everything he could to provoke Sulla. From the city walls, insults against him and his wife reached the ears of the Roman general. But Aristion also earned the indignation of the Athenians, as while the people went to extremes to find something to eat—even resorting to eating leather shoes—the temples of the gods remained without sacrifices, while he himself organized feasts and squandered supplies. At the same time, he refused to negotiate with Sulla, even when the Athenians begged him to do so.

Eventually, Sulla’s spies found a weak spot in the walls, and after confirming the information, an attack was launched. In his memoirs, Sulla recounts how he took the city during the night. He unleashed his troops, who mercilessly plundered the city. The wall in question was leveled. The destruction was horrific, and Plutarch recounts disturbing stories that circulated about the extent of the bloodshed. The massacre finally ended after the pleas of two Greek friends of Sulla, Meidius and Calliphon, as well as of some senators who were present in the camp.

When the city of Athens was captured, Aristion fled to the Acropolis. His capture was undertaken by Curius. Ultimately, what forced him to surrender was thirst. The irony, according to Plutarch’s account, is that as they were descending the Sacred Rock, a downpour filled the cisterns of the Acropolis. Shortly afterward, Sulla captured Piraeus and burned it almost to the ground.

The aftermath of Sulla’s siege

Sulla looted Athens of its vast wealth and cultural artifacts. Statues, artworks and sacred objects from the Acropolis and temples were taken to fund his ongoing military campaigns. These treasures, according to Pausanias, enriched Rome but left Athens bereft of much of its historical and cultural heritage.

The destruction dealt a severe blow to Athens, which had long been a center of learning and philosophy. While the city retained some importance as a hub of education in the Roman Empire, its influence permanently diminished. The libraries, schools and institutions that had defined Athens suffered greatly under dictator Sulla’s assault.

Sulla’s actions in Athens served as a chilling warning to other Greek cities. His ruthlessness demonstrated Rome’s unwillingness to use overwhelming force against those who resisted its authority. The destruction of Athens became a symbol of the harsh realities of Roman imperialism.