Lucius Cornelius Sulla Faustus

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Lucius Cornelius Sulla Faustus, second son of Faustus Cornelius Sulla (49 BC - 9), Consul under the Principitate of Augustus, was born in Arretium in 20 BC, of the Cornelii Sullae.

Even under the Principitate, the Cornelii were highly respected and feared members of the Empire, especially Lucius Sulla (known as Faustus to distinguish himself from the great Dictator), his direct great-grandfather. Lucius was said to be affected deeply by the adoption of his brother Faustus by his Uncle Barbatus Sulla; he was close to his brother, known as Barbatus Cornelius Sulla Albinus Faustullus Cornelianus.

As the senior Sulla in his generation, he was favored by the Imperial Household, and Augustus, took a special interest in him. Some think this is because his mother, Junia Albina, was in fact Augustus' daughter by Aemilia Scaura. He became friends with both Drusus the younger and Germanicus, often healing or preventing rifts betwixt the two.

He was appointed Consul at the age of thirty, much to the embarrassment of his father, not yet even Praetor. He was a formidable general, and many later Imperial historians think it was he, not Germanicus, who was the true winner of the German war. He did not court favor, and was made Augur in 4 AD. However, he did incite the jealousy of his younger brothers, particularly Illyricus Cornelius Sulla, who tried to banish Lucius and Barbatus, claiming they were plotting to re-establish a Sullan Dictatorship. This was discovered to be false, and Illyricus was executed.

This spawned what became known as the Sullan 'Civil War' as soon after Barbatus and his youngest son Gaius Cornelius Sulla Albinus were brutally murdered by Proculus Sulla, brother of Lucius and Illyricus. Their father Faustus (II) Cornelius Sulla took advantage of this in 9 AD when he tried to assassinate Augustus. All his descendants had their estates confiscated, and it wasn’t until the reign of Tiberius that Lucius was re-granted his estates after military exile in Belgium. It was there that he was hailed Imperator, and granted the title 'Belgicus' which he refused for himself but gave to his youngest son.

Lucius died one month into the reign of Caligula. After his exile he was never the same man, and focused on using his popularity to gain favors for his numerous children.

He was married five times.

[edit] Marriage and Children

  • Cornelia Sulla Ancina
    • Servius Cornelius Sulla
    • Numerius Cornelius Sulla
    • Publius Cornelius Sulla Faustullus
    • Caelus Cornelius Sulla
  • Julia Caearia Lucullina
    • Cornilla Sullilla
  • Fabia Persicana
    • Cornelia Sulla Persicana
    • Rufinus Cornelius Sulla
    • Decimus Cornelius Sulla Ahala
    • Fabus Cornelius Sulla
    • Persicus Cornelius Sulla Maximus
    • Quintus Cornelius Sulla