How should we look at the lives of “problematic” great figures?  Join us as we join the ancient philosopher Plutarch, in sizing up two incredible men of action.  Who wins?  

Shout out to sources and inspirations: 

Ancient: 

Plutarch, life of Sulla

Plutarch, life of Marius

Plutarch, life of Sertorius

Plutarch, life of Pompey

Plutarch, life of Lucullus

Appian, Civil Wars

Appian, Mithridatic Wars

Cicero, pro Sexto Roscio

Sallust, Jugurtha

Secondary:

Arthur Keaveney (R.I.P.), Sulla, The Last Republican

Theodor Mommsen, History of Rome

Gareth Sampson, Collapse of Rome

Catherine Steel, The End of the Roman Republic; “Sulla the Orator”

Adrienne Mayor, The Poison King

Mass murderer or brilliant patriot?  Whatever your take on Sulla, it's worth analyzing the qualities that made him a joy to his friends, and a terror to his enemies.

How do you keep your team together in a civil conflict?  Can a country right itself by warring with itself?  What are the limits to which one man will go to punish his enemies?  

In this episode, Sulla’s most famous, or rather infamous, acts as a leader.  

—People—

Sulla

Plutarch

King Pyrrhus 

Cinna

Metellus Pius

Marcus Licinius Crassus

Carbo

Gaius Norbanus

Lucius Cornelius Scipio (Asiaticus)

Sertorius

Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey)

Gaius Marius (Jr.)

Damasippus

The Samnites

Telesinus

The Lucanians

Lucius Ofella

Sextus Roscius (Amerinus)

Cicero

Catiline

Julius Caesar

The Gracchi

Metella

Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (consul 78 BC)

—Places—

Apollonia

Epirus

Adriatic Sea

Italy

Dalmatia

Campania

Mt Tifata

Capua

Capitoline Hill

Picenum

Praeneste (Palestrina)

Rome

Colline Gate

Antemnae Field of Mars (Campus Martius)

Temple of Bellona

Circus Flaminius

Ameria

Cumae

How does a great commander handle being undermined by his government back home?  How should we treat opponents we defeat?  And how do we negotiate the best deal when our backs are against the wall and our counterparts know it?

In this episode: Sulla goes to Greece, to war against Rome’s arch rival Mithridates of Pontus.  Can he hold out against a vastly superior enemy army?  And can he weather the escalating crisis in Rome?

--People--

Sulla, The Hero

Plutarch, The Narrator

Marius, The Scoundrel

Sulpicius, The Henchman

Cinna, The Politician

Mithridates, The King 

Aristion, the Tyrant

Archelaus, The Foe

Flaccus, The Replacement

Fimbria, The Backstabber

Apellicon, The Book Collector

Andronicus, The Editor

--Places--

Rome

Athens

Piraeus

Epidaurus

Olympia

Delphi

Boeotia

Mt Parnassus

Chaeronea

Thebes

Livadeia

Orchomenus

Lake Kopais

Asia (Minor)

The Dardanelles

Dardanus

Euboea

Halae

--Divinities--

Ma

Bellona

Minerva

Venus

Aphrodite

Apollo

Asclepius

Trophonius

How do we get Fortune on our side?  What are the qualities necessary for daring unthinkable, unspeakable acts? When is it justifiable to massacre your enemies?   Sulla: A man of contradictions.  Enjoyer of dramas and hedonistic pleasures; most successful general of his generation, and one of the greatest of all time.  Patriot and champion of the ancient constitution; the Roman responsible for more Roman deaths than perhaps any other man in history.  

Was Sulla one who broke the Republic?

In this episode learn the arts of:

-Wisdom

-charm

-gift giving

-deception

People:

Gaius Marius

Jugurtha

King Bocchus

The Cimbri and Teutones

Quintus Lutatius Catulus

The Metelli

Aemilius Scaurus

Mithridates of Pontus

The Parthians

Quintus Pompeius Rufus

Manius Aquillius (cameo)

Publius Sulpicius Rufus

Places:

Rome

Numidia

Gaul

Cilicia

Cappadocia

Armenia

Euphrates River

Persia

Parthia

Nola

A principle for building exercises to control your anxiety or fear.  Favorinus, a philosopher from the time of Plutarch, offers some deft observations about Socrates.

Plutarch offers insight on relating to people above your station

Plato gives some insight in how to undermine your enemies.

How to turn bad luck around.  SPOILER: it's not just more effort.

Stories of Timotheus and Sulla

What happened after Lysander died?  What was his legacy?  What can we learn from his life?