Pompey the Great

Pompey the Great (106-48 bc), Roman general and statesman, the erstwhile ally and son-in-law of Julius Caesar, but later his arch-rival for power.

Pompey was born Gnaeus Pompeius in Rome on September 29, 106 bc, into a senatorial family; his father, Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, was consul in 89 bc. At the age of 17 Pompey fought with his father, on the side of Lucius Cornelius Sulla against the faction of Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Cinna. In 84 bc he raised three legions and defeated the Marian party, and was later sent to destroy the remnants of the Marian faction in Africa and Sicily. On his triumphant return to Rome he was honoured with the title Magnus, or the Great. Pompey subsequently defeated the followers of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, a former supporter of Sulla, driving them out of Italy, and destroyed the Marian party in Spain (76-71 bc). On his return to Italy, Pompey brought an end to the Servile War instigated by the slave Spartacus. He became the idol of the people and was elected consul for the year 70 bc, serving with Marcus Licinius Crassus.

Between 67 and 66 bc, Pompey cleared the Mediterranean Sea of pirates and was put in charge of the provinces in the east as well as the war against Mithridates VI Eupator. Pompey defeated not only Mithridates (65-62 bc) but also Tigranes the Great, king of Armenia, and Antiochus XIII whose kingdom of Syria he annexed to the Roman dominions, thus doubling the revenue of the treasury and vastly increasing his personal fortune. He also subdued the Jews and captured Jerusalem. On his return to Italy he disbanded his army and in 61 bc entered Rome in triumph for the third time. After his return he was anxious that his acts in Asia should be ratified by the Senate and certain lands be apportioned among his army veterans. The Senate, however, refused to accede to his wishes, and Pompey, turning against the aristocratic party, formed a close alliance called the First Triumvirate (60 bc) with Julius Caesar and Crassus. Caesar's daughter Julia was given in marriage to Pompey, and the following year Caesar left for Gaul, where for nine years he proceeded to conquer the region while Pompey spent his time at Rome.

Pompey's relationship with Crassus was strained and he also grew jealous of Caesar's success in Gaul. Nevertheless he renewed the triumvirated in 56 bc and obtained the governorship of Spain with seven legions to be administered from Rome. In 54 bc, Julia died and in 53 bc Crassus was killed in Syria. In 52 bc Pompey was made sole consul to overcome gang warfare and anarchy in Rome. He also gained the support of the aristocratic party, whose members were eager to check Caesar's ambitions and deprive him of his command. Caesar consented to the order to lay down his office and return to Rome, provided that Pompey, who had an army near Rome, would do the same. The Senate insisted on an unconditional resignation, but Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 bc, thus defying the Senate and its armies, which were under Pompey's command. Pompey withdrew his forces to Brundisium (now Brindisi) and then to Greece. Caesar meanwhile took control of Italy and put down Pompey's support in Spain before crossing the Adriatic in pursuit of Pompey. The latter, who had gathered a strong army, was victorious in the opening encounters, but was defeated at Pharsalus in northern Greece in 48 bc. Pompey escaped to Egypt, where he was murdered on September 28, 48 bc.