Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/212

198 At last, as a campaign measure against Sulla, Carbo -secured in 84 a senatorial decree providing that the new citizens and the freedmen be registered in all the districts (tribus). The Sulpician law may have been declared valid. Another popular measure was the establishment of a colony at Capua.

Sulla's Return and Conquest of Italy. — In the early part of 83 Sulla, with whom negotiations had been carried on without any results, landed with his army at Brundisium. He was in a very critical position, but was saved mainly by the incompetence of the democratic consuls — L. Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus and Gaius Norbanus, who had been tribune in 104. He was joined by Q. Metellus Pius, M. Licinius Crassus, Gnaeus Pompeius, the son of Strabo, and other aristocrats. In order to win support, he guaranteed to the former Italian allies citizenship and equal suffrage. He was on the whole successful in the campaigns of 83-82. Marius the younger and Carbo were the democratic consuls for 82. Toward the end of the year Rome was in imminent danger of annihilation by the democrats and rebels; and Sulla himself came near being defeated at the Colline Gate, but finally conquered. As a result of this battle and the other victories the democratic party was lost, and the rebellion against Rome was in the main at an end. Sulla was absolute master of Italy, and able to establish a monarchy or any other form of government he might desire.

II. The Dictatorship of Sulla, the Popular Assemblies, the Senate, and the Magistrates.

Nature of Sulla's Dictatorship. — Conservative and devoid of political ambition, Sulla wished to restore the oligarchy. He well understood the general incompetence of the aristocrats and the great difficulties in the way of his design, and