No one need sell unless he chose to sell; but at this moment much land was held by no other title than that of Sulla's proscriptions.

The present possessors were in daily fear of dispossession, by some new law made with the object of restoring their property to those who had been so cruelly robbed.

These would be very glad to get any price in hand for land of which their tenure was so doubtful; and these were the men whom the "decemviri," or ten magistrates, would be anxious to assist.

We are told that the father-in-law of Rullus himself had made a large acquisition by his use of Sulla's proscriptions.

And then there would be the instantaneous selling of the vast districts obtained by conquest and now held by the Roman State.