Sulla's Proscriptions

Sulla's proscriptions involved a system of violent reprisals instituted after the civil war of 83-82 BC. Names were posted on death lists, property was confiscated and sold at public auction, and the proscribed were defined as fugitive outlaws with a price on their head who could be killed with impunity even by their sons or slaves. The violence was personal as well as political, and there were cases in which men were proscribed only for their wealth. This book examines the logic and mechanics of the proscriptions. It emphasises the profit motive, along with cronyism and corruption, highlights the intimacy of Sullan violence, and examines the question of decision-making and agency. The impetus came from Sulla 'from above', but it was also defined 'from below' by the bounty hunters, profiteers, and informers who exploited the violence of the proscriptions for reasons of their own.