The Sullan Constitution

Sulla set down his "Sullan Constitution"; in this he returned power to the senate, only allowing them to pass laws. He also limited the power of tribunes by reducing the power of their veto, stopping them passing laws, keeping them out of monetary matters and foreign policy and most importantly preventing those elected tribune from progressing to a further political office. This essentially made the position of Tribune a "no go" area for those who wanted to progress in politics, cleverly preventing any budding reformers from taking the position of Tribune. Sulla also increased the size of the senate, by building up the original 150 to 300 the doubling it, making the new senators from members of the equites, or commanders loyal to Sulla.

The Sullan constitution lasted for less than a decade for a plethora of reasons, the most prominent being the death of Sulla. However, before I discuss the events after Sulla's death we must regard those prior to it. Pompey a "rising sun" politically and militarily in Rome. Pompey had loyalties which were not set in stone, and changed sides to suit the political climate. After Sulla's retirement, Pompey saw the advantages of backing a different candidate. Pompey supported Lepidus as consul, despite Sulla's displeasure, and in 78 BC Lepidus started to campaign to reverse much of the Sullan constitution (which consequently failed).

Despite Sulla giving up his dictatorship and retiring, the Sullan Constitution continued in a state of unease, the watchful eye of Sulla ever upon the Senate. In 77 Sertorius revolted, he went to Spain after the Marian-Sulla Civil war and led a revolt against the Sullan constitution. Early attempts to defeat him failed and this provided the Republic with a big threat, if they hadn't delt with it there could have been an opportunity for other revolts in other provinces. Pompey was sent out in 76 with proconsular imperium (against the Sullan constitution), and eventually the revolt disappeared after Sertorius was killed by one of his deputies.

It was not only in the provinces that the Constitution was put under pressure, populares hated it. Both the Tribunes and Populares kept up the pressure on the Senate to have the Constitution overturned. Even though the majority of Rome wanted the Constitution overturned, the Optimates Senators who made up the majority of the Senate would have none of it.

The mob in Rome was restless after the end of the corn dole and the Equites were unhappy after they were excluded from the courts. Revolts also pierced the discontent of Rome, Mithridates invaded Bithynia in 74 AD and the Slave revolt of Sparticus was another revolt in 73 that presented a huge danger for Rome, the senate being slow to respond it took two years to deal with,

However, In 75 BC Consul Aurelius Cotta started picking away at the constitution, removing the rule that tribunes couldn't progress to further office. This was very much a thin end of a wedge. With mounting threats home and abroad the Sullan Constitution began to fail. With the power vacuum of Sulla's death in 78 BC many people vied for power believing that they could seize their chance to get rid of the constitution.

The Senate was not necessarily "bad" at the job, they were also very unlucky, with the uprisings the Senate was slow to respond. However, I believe that in essence the Republic had failed to function with such a large unwieldy senate. With 600 people making it up, decisions were made slowly, often the senators were corrupt.

Although the events during the decade after the restoration of Senatorial power and the Sullan constitution was unlucky in a sense for the Senate, problems were going to arise eventually in the empire. The fact that that Senate was unable to respond as successfully as it should have done led to the fall of the sullan constitution.

Overall, I believe that the death of Sulla was decisive. With Sulla an active power in Rome, even after he gave up dictatorship he was consul and maintained a degree of power after his retirement. Although there was challenge to his power there was no real revolt. With Sulla's death it all changed, a power vacuum occurred sprouting new revolts for the opportunistic and attempts at overturning the constitution by Politicians and Tribunes.