Core III, Roots of Western Civilization

Gnaeus Pompeius, better known as Pompey, was born on September 29, 106 BCE, four years before Julius Caesar. His father was a rich Roman noble who was elected to the consulate in 89 BCE. Pompey distinguished himself as a great leader early in his life. In the civil war between Gnaeus Marius and Lucius Sulla, Pompey sided with Sulla. Sulla made some very impressive defeats in Africa and Sicily. Pompey then spent time campaigning successfully in Rome before he was elected to consul, along with Marcus Crassus for the year 70 BCE.

After Pompey served his time on Consul, he was given command over the Mediterranean, where he did what nobody else had successfully done before: he rid it of pirates. Pompey then went to various places, establishing an ally of the King of Armenia, and making Syria a Roman duty. In 63 BCE, General Pompey and his ally John Hyrcanus successfully destroyed Aristobulos’s forces and these two entered Jerusalem unopposed. The Temple Mount, on the other hand, had its own defenses and it took three months to take the Temple. This event allowed Pompey to gain control of Judea for Rome. Pompey was a great general, but not a very good politician.

In 59 BCE Pompey returned to Rome to find that tensions between himself and Crassus had grown. Both Crassus and Pompey had large armies, but pieces of the city were also loyal to them. Cicero, the leader of the senate, allied himself with Pompey through great flattery, telling him that he shall be the protector of the republic. Crassus had other plans, and by 57 BCE both men were in Italy with their armies. Before war broke out Julius Caesar stepped in.

Caesar offered his talents as a neutral negotiator and convinced the three men, Pompey, Crassus, and Cicero, to meet. The men worked out an agreement, one which had never been made before among the leaders of Rome. Caesar convinced Crassus and Pompey to join their power and influence with his own. Caesar was a successful leader of Gaul at this time. So the three agreed, and formed what is today known as the First Triumvirate. During this time Pompey married (most likely for political reasons) Julia, Caesar's daughter.

Two of the three men returned to Rome and forced the Senate to obey them. Pompey asked for, and received, special legislation from the Senate allowing him to remain in Italy. He wanted this because he dearly wanted to become a great statesmen. Within the next five years, Julia died followed by Crassus. Crassus, in 53 BCE, went to Syria where he assembled his army. He then ordered them into the Syrian dessert after the Parthian army, for Crassus was a great financier and good politician, but a bad general. After a few days Crassus' army was out of water and they were suffering. It was then that the Parthian army attacked, killing off two full Roman legions; Crassus was among the deceased.

Pompey again allowed Cicero to work with him. Cicero named Pompey the Rector of the Republic, a title but one with no meaning. Once again Pompey showed his poor political expertise and his tendancy to easily be swayed. Pompey heard of Crassus' death and began to fear Caesar. Caesar had been campaigning, winning many allies in Gaul, and the support of the people. Pompey on the other hand had stayed in Rome while onlookers watched his once strong leadership diminish.

Pompey tried to gain allies in the senate, but it was too late. Caesar and his troops marched across the Rubicon and on to Rome on January 11, 49 BCE. Pompey had a larger army than Caesar with 40,000 men, but they were inexperienced compared to Caesar's 22,000 experienced fighters. Pompey was pressured heavily by the Senate to attack first, and he did so against his better judgment. Caesar won at the battle of Pharsalus, destroying Pompey's army and killing many senators. Pompey escaped, fleeing to Egypt, where he tried to ally Ptolemy. Caesar quickly put Rome into order and went after Pompey. The Egyptians saw Caesar coming and Ptolemy had Pompey discreetly killed.

Gnaeus Pompeius died in 48 BCE, thus ending the first Triumvirate.

1.) Oman, Charles William Chadwick. Seven Roman Statesmen of the later republic: The Gracci. Sulla. Crassus. Cato. Pompey. Caesar. New York: Longmans, Green, [1929].

2.) Exerts from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995 Compton's NewMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved

3.) Julius Caesar's War Commentaries. http://poscu.mu.edu/txt/caesar/CAECIV02.HTM

4.) Rome Takes Over. http://www.jewishgates.org/history/jewhis/rome.stm