Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/224

210 Cornelii). A body of defenseless civilians, — the senate, — residing in the civil territory of Italy proper, was to command the provincial governors and the mercenary armies. A few years sufficed to furnish a commentary on this ingenious arrangement.

Value of Sulla's Work. — Sulla had, however, contributed the most toward checking the Italian rebellion in its early stages, had finally crushed it, and had put the stamp of finality on the union of all Italy in so far as it depended on the equality of rights of all the Italians. For the time being, he had saved the state, and he had inaugurated very important reforms; but he is also responsible for introducing constitutional changes and arousing political animosities which later led to new civil wars.