Plutarch’s Omission of Sulla’s Legislative Reforms

Abstract

Plutarch in his Life of Sulla hardly mentions Sulla’s extensive legislation after becoming dictator. This article examines this omission. There was no lack of sources for Plutarch, but Plutarch’s own hypomnema for the life may have omitted this material. Plutarch may also have tried to strengthen the comparison and contrast with Lysander, especially in terms of his own ethical purpose, through the omission. Moreover, a major factor would have been Sulla’s apparent omission of his legislation in his Memoirs.