Sulla's Triumph: Colline Gate, Civil War or Class War?

Sulla's Triumph: Colline Gate, Civil War or Class War? - A Brutal Exhibition or Kangaroo Court?

In 82 BC, just this past fortnight, our beloved city was treated to a spectacle of bloodletting and brutality. Sulla's so-called "triumph" at the Battle of Colline Gate was less a military victory, and more a gut-wrenching demonstration of the rising tensions between the patricians and the plebeians.

What was pitched as a civil war was, in reality, a class war. The conflict between Sulla and Marius was simply the tip of the gladius. The real meat of the matter lies in the socio-economic disparity seething beneath Rome's cobblestones.

Caesar Salad or Just Plain Caesar?

Rome - or should I say, Sulla - attempted to sell us a Caesar salad, when all we got was a plain Caesar. A dictator with extra croutons, if you will.

Lucius Cornelius Sulla, our self-proclaimed dictator—and by self-proclaimed, I mean he gave himself the title, much like I call myself a morning person after my third mug of wine—has taken his "victory" as a mandate to push through reforms that cater to the patrician class. But when one man's victory is another man's defeat, can it truly be called a win?

Power Play or Pompey on Parade?

Sulla's sycophantic supporter, Pompey, is a prime example of the cronyism running rampant in our Republic. Fresh from his victory over Hispania, Pompey was hastily appointed to Sulla's side, like a fresh bunch of grapes to a connoisseur's palate. But who gets the sour taste in their mouth? The plebeians, of course.

Spartacus or Sellout?

In the wake of the Battle, the very same plebeians who fought for their rights are now being enslaved or executed. What irony! We've seen more backstabbing than a night at the Senate. But hey, who needs a functional Republic when we can have a dictatorship, right?

The battle between Sulla and Marius wasn't just about power. It was about control, about staking a claim in the sand of Rome's future. But instead of creating a future for the people, they've sowed discord. This isn't a triumph, it's a travesty.

The Republic: Requiem or Revival?

The state of our Republic hangs in the balance like a precarious amphora on a tradesman's cart. It is abundantly clear that Sulla’s victory serves a select few, leaving the marginalized even more vulnerable.

It seems the battle of Colline Gate was not a civil war, but a class war. A war waged on the poor by the rich, the plebeians by the patricians, the many by the few.