Publius Cornelius Sulla (praetor 186 BC)

Publius Cornelius Sulla was a Roman politician and member of the patrician gens Cornelia. He served as praetor in 186 BC. Our primary knowledge of him comes from Livy's account of the Bacchanalian conspiracy. As praetor, Sulla was assigned the jurisdictio inter cives, meaning he was responsible for legal matters between Roman citizens within the city of Rome.

During his praetorship, a senatorial decree ( senatus consultum ) was issued concerning the suppression of the Bacchanalia, a religious cult associated with the Greek god Bacchus. This decree was prompted by concerns about the alleged immoral and subversive activities taking place within the cult's gatherings, as reported to the Senate by Postumius, and the perceived threat it posed to Roman social order and state authority.

Sulla, along with his colleague Quintus Aelius Paetus (praetor peregrinus), was tasked with enforcing this decree. Sulla's role focused on Rome itself, where he worked to dismantle the cult's organization, apprehend participants, and investigate the extent of the conspiracy. He worked with Postumius to uncover the leaders and members of the cult, leading to numerous arrests, trials, and executions. He publicly addressed the Roman people, outlining the dangers the Senate perceived in the spread of the Bacchanalia and justifying the severe measures taken against its adherents. The senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus is one of the best-preserved senatorial decrees from the Roman Republic.

The suppression of the Bacchanalia under the direction of figures like Sulla is a significant event in Roman history, demonstrating the Senate's authority and its willingness to intervene in matters of religion when perceived as a threat to the state.