The Demonic Dictator - the Sulla Biography by Karl Christ. Karl Christ's fascinating portrait of Sulla reveals a demonic personality characterized by extreme risk-taking, sober political calculation, and ruthless hardness in dealing with enemies. The author succeeds in illuminating the completely different, seemingly contradictory facets of the protagonist's life, while still creating a coherent character portrait without harmonizing them. He depicts Sulla as a playful aristocrat seeking the dubious company of actors, but also as the brave cavalry officer who outmaneuvers his rival Marius, as well as the revolutionary who dares to march on Rome with his troops. He also portrays the purpose-driven dictator who is able to stabilize Rome for a brief period.