Bulla Felix: Legendary Italian Leader Of Outlaws Who Robbed The Rich And Gave To The Poor

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Bulla Felix was a legendary Italian 'bandit' who reminds us of Robin Hood, a heroic outlaw from Nottingham, England, who robbed the rich and helped the poor in England.

Bulla Felix (in Latin: "Lucky Charm") was a master of disguise. He was always one step ahead of the law, but his goal was not to kill but to steal riches from wealthy people. Most details of Felix's life come from the writings of Cassius Dio, a Roman statesman and historian of Greek origin who published 80 historical works on ancient Rome.

Dio reported that a group of brigands led by Bulla Felix began to seriously trouble the Roman authorities during the reign of a despotic ruler, Emperor Septimius Severus. While he ruled from 193 to 211 AD, he founded a personal dynasty and transformed the government into a military monarchy.

Bulla's group comprised about 600 men - mostly escaped enslaved people but even former Praetorians from Rome's most prestigious military units. They raided Italy for almost two years in the early 3rd century CE (205-207 CE).

Dio's forces were sent to capture Bulla, an elusive and clever enemy. He managed to escape the authorities several times, and they tried to lure him into a trap. The Roman troops searched for him for two years.

"Although many men pursued Bulla, and Emperor Severus himself tracked the man zealously, he was never seen when seen, never found when found, never caught when caught. In part, this was because of Bulla's great generosity with gifts and intelligence," wrote Dio.

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