The battle of the Colline Gate, fought in November of 82 BC, was the final battle of the civil war between the Populares (originally led by Marius) and the Optimates led by Sulla. Sulla having already marched into the city, a group of Samnites and Romans led by Pontius attacked at the Colline gate on the northeastern wall, and fought all night before being routed. In this battle Marcus Licinius Crassus won considerable note by containing the enemy in his sector and ultimately won Sulla the battle. The battle was swiftly followed by the extermination of the Samnite prisoners within earshot of the senate house before Sulla addressed the senate (this was the last serious action ever fought by Samnite forces). The Samnites were slaugtered in the Villa Publica, that housed the five year census. Their bodies were tossed into the Tiber River. Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC - 80s BC - 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC Years: 87 BC 86 BC 85 BC 84 BC 83 BC - 82 BC - 81 BC 80 BC 79... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... Samnite warriors Samnium (Oscan Safinim) was a region of the southern Apennines in Italy that was home to the Samnites, a group of Sabellic tribes that controlled the area from about 600 BC to about 290 BC. Samnium was delimited by Latium in the north, by Lucania in the south... Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (Latin: L·CORNELIVS·L·F·P·N·SVLLA·FELIX)[1] ( 138 BC–78 BC) Roman general and dictator, was usually known simply as Sulla. ... Marcus Licinius Crassus Dives (Latin: M·LICINIVS·P·F·P·N·CRASSVS[1]) (c. ... Pontius means marine or relating to the sea. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC - 80s BC - 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC Years: 87 BC 86 BC 85 BC 84 BC 83 BC - 82 BC - 81 BC 80 BC 79... A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight for political power or control of an area. ... Populares (Favoring the people, singular popularis) were aristocratic leaders in the late Roman Republic who tended to use the peoples assemblies in an effort to break the stranglehold of the nobiles and optimates on political power. ... Gaius Marius (Latin: C·MARIVS·C·F·C·N)¹ (157 BC - January 13, 86 BC) was a Roman general and politician elected Consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. ... Optimates (Good Men) were the aristocratic faction of the later Roman Republic. ... Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (Latin: L·CORNELIVS·L·F·P·N·SVLLA·FELIX)[1] ( 138 BC–78 BC) Roman general and dictator, was usually known simply as Sulla. ... Samnite warriors Samnium (Oscan Safinim) was a region of the southern Apennines in Italy that was home to the Samnites, a group of Sabellic tribes that controlled the area from about 600 BC to about 290 BC. Samnium was delimited by Latium in the north, by Lucania in the south... Pontius means marine or relating to the sea. ... Marcus Licinius Crassus Dives (Latin: M·LICINIVS·P·F·P·N·CRASSVS[1]) (c. ...