Question 1

True or false: Sulla was known for his extravagant banquets and love of Greek culture.

Accepted Answer

True. Sulla adored Greek art and theater, hosting lavish feasts, and even brought Greek statues and libraries back to Rome as spoils.

Question 2

True or false: Sulla retired voluntarily from dictatorship and returned to private life.

Accepted Answer

True. Unlike most dictators, Sulla stepped down in 79 BCE, living quietly until his death—a shocking move for a man with absolute power.

Question 3

True or false: Sulla was a close ally of Julius Caesar and helped him gain power.

Accepted Answer

False. Sulla actually ordered Caesar to divorce his wife and later spared him reluctantly, warning that Caesar would be a future threat.

Question 4

True or false: Sulla was the first Roman to march his army into Rome itself.

Accepted Answer

True. In 88 BCE, Sulla broke Roman tradition by leading his legions into Rome, sparking a precedent for future civil wars.

Question 5

True or false: Sulla was a lifelong enemy of the Roman Senate and abolished it.

Accepted Answer

False. Sulla actually strengthened the Senate, doubling its size and giving it more power to curb populist reforms.

Question 6

True or false: Sulla’s proscriptions were the first state-sanctioned death lists in history.

Accepted Answer

True. Sulla invented proscription lists, posting enemies’ names publicly so anyone could kill them and claim rewards—a brutal innovation.

Question 7

True or false: Sulla’s military campaigns included conquering the kingdom of Pontus.

Accepted Answer

False. Sulla fought Mithridates VI of Pontus but never conquered the kingdom; he made a peace treaty and withdrew to deal with Rome.

Question 8

True or false: Sulla died peacefully in bed after a long illness.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite his violent career, Sulla died of natural causes in 78 BCE, likely from a parasitic infection, not assassination.

Sulla Trivia Questions