Pompey

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and leader. He lived from 106 BC to 48 BC and became well-known during the last years of the Roman Republic.

As a young man, Pompey supported the leader Sulla and quickly became important in the military.

Pompey had a very successful career. He became consul three times, which was unusual at the time. He led soldiers in many wars, including the Sertorian War, the Third Servile War, and the Third Mithridatic War. Because of his early success, Sulla called him “Magnus,” meaning “the Great,” after his childhood hero Alexander the Great.

Later, Pompey joined with Crassus and Caesar in a group called the First Triumvirate. After Crassus died and Pompey’s wife, Julia, also died, Pompey and Caesar became rivals. This led to a civil war. Pompey was defeated at the Battle of Pharsalus and had to run away. He went to Ptolemaic Egypt, but sadly, local leaders killed him there.

Early life and career

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, known as Pompey, was born on 29 September 106 BC in Picenum. He was the son of Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, a noble who became a consul in Rome. Pompey started his career serving with his father in the Social War (91–87 BC).

After his father's death in 87 BC, Pompey faced some legal problems but was cleared. During this time, political fights caused civil wars. Leaders like Sulla were trying to control the Roman army and the Roman Senate.

Pompey during Sulla's civil war

Main article: Sulla's civil war

Pompey was very important during Sulla's civil war. He gathered a whole legion from his father's old friends in Picenum and joined Sulla's army. Pompey helped defeat many enemy groups and was praised by Sulla as a winning general.

Later, Pompey helped another of Sulla's leaders, Metellus, fight enemies in Cisalpine Gaul. They won several fights together. Pompey also led horse soldiers and helped stop enemies from getting to Praeneste. By the end, Sulla controlled Italy and became the ruler.

Sicily, Africa and Lepidus' rebellion

Pompey landed in Sicily with a large force, and his opponent Marcus Perperna left the island. He then sailed to Africa, where he defeated and killed Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus at the Battle of Utica. Pompey also subdued Numidia and executed its king, Hiarbas, before restoring Hiempsal to the Numidian throne. Around this time, his troops began calling him Magnus, or "the Great," after Alexander the Great.

Later, Pompey supported Marcus Aemilius Lepidus as consul. After Sulla died, Lepidus tried to change some of Sulla’s laws and was ordered back to Rome. When he refused, he gathered an army and marched toward Rome. Pompey was given a military command and raised troops to oppose him. He besieged Mutina, which was held by Lepidus’ ally Marcus Junius Brutus. After a long siege, Brutus surrendered. Pompey then caught up with Lepidus near Cosa, forcing him to retreat to Sardinia, where Lepidus eventually died.

Sertorian War

Main article: Sertorian War

The Sertorian War began in 80 BC when Quintus Sertorius, a Roman general, started a rebellion in Hispania. He had support from local Iberian tribes and controlled parts of Spain.

Pompey was chosen to lead the forces against the rebellion, even before he held a public office. He gathered an army and went to Hispania. Although he faced many difficulties and losses, he kept fighting. Eventually, problems inside Sertorius' group led to his assassination. Pompey defeated the remaining rebels, ending the war and helping to bring peace to the area.

First consulship

Pompey returned to Italy after a big slave rebellion led by Spartacus, called the Third Servile War. Another Roman leader, Marcus Licinius Crassus, had already beaten most of the rebels. Pompey fought some rebels who had run away, and he said this finished the war.

Pompey was too young to be a leader, but he became consul in 70 BC with special permission from the Senate. He worked with Crassus, but they often disagreed. Together, they helped give more power back to the plebeian tribunes, including the right to stop Senate decisions.

Campaign against the pirates

Pirates were a problem in the Mediterranean Sea. Sometimes they worked with Rome's enemies. They had grown stronger because older sea powers like Rhodes had weakened. In 68 BC, pirates reached Ostia, Rome's port, and took two important senators hostage.

Pompey was given special powers to stop the pirates. He organized his forces across the Mediterranean to trap them. Within 40 days, he secured the western part of the sea and moved east toward their base in Cilicia. His forces won a key battle and ended the pirate threat in three months. Many pirates gave up because they trusted Pompey to be fair. Those who surrendered were given new homes in places like Soli, which was renamed Pompeiopolis, and other towns.

Third Mithridatic War and re-organisation of the east

Third Mithridatic War

Main article: Third Mithridatic War

In 73 BC, Lucius Licinius Lucullus led the Third Mithridatic War. He fought against Mithridates VI of Pontus and Tigranes the Great of Armenia. In 66 BC, Pompey took charge of the war. He worked with Phraates III, king of Parthia, to move against Armenia. Pompey defeated Mithridates at Lycus. Mithridates ran away and was later killed by his own son.

Re-organisation of the East

After the war, Pompey reorganised many places. He added Syria to Rome’s lands in 64 BC. He helped settle problems in Judea, supporting Hyrcanus II. He also reorganised areas such as Bithynia and Pontus, helping rulers like Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia and changing borders to make Rome stronger.

Return to Rome and the First Triumvirate

Pompey returned to Rome in 62 BC after his military campaigns. People welcomed him everywhere, showing his popularity. He celebrated a big victory on his 45th birthday in 61 BC. He said his new lands in the East brought more money to the state.

When Julius Caesar wanted to become consul in 59 BC, Pompey teamed up with him and Crassus. They formed the First Triumvirate. This group helped pass important laws. Caesar became important and helped Pompey and Crassus. Even though some senators disagreed, the triumvirate passed new laws and got important lands for its members.

From confrontation to civil war

In 54 BC, big changes happened in Rome. Pompey's wife Julia died, and leaders changed.

In 52 BC, Pompey became the sole ruler of Rome, a very important job.

As ruler, Pompey made new laws. These laws made it hard for his friend Caesar to stay safe from trouble. This caused tension between them.

When Caesar refused to give up his army, it led to disagreement in Rome. The tension grew into a big conflict called civil war. Caesar crossed a river called the Rubicon, which started the war.

The Road to Pharsalus

Main article: Caesar's civil war

When civil war began, Caesar had few soldiers and no navy. Pompey had more power because he had Rome's government and many allies. But Pompey's position was not very strong. He had to follow what Rome's senators wanted, and they often disagreed or did not trust him. His plans needed approval, and sometimes they were ignored.

Caesar acted quickly, surprising Pompey and taking control of Rome with little fighting. Pompey escaped to the south, taking many leaders with him. He crossed the sea to get more troops. Caesar followed later. Pompey used his larger army and navy to get ready for battle. Finally, the two sides fought near Pharsalus. Even though Pompey had more soldiers, Caesar's forces won the battle, changing the course of the war.

Death

Pompey ran away after losing a battle and went to the island of Mytilene. There, he met his wife Cornelia again. Many of his friends were lost in the battle. He decided to sail to Egypt to ask for help from its ruler, Ptolemy XIII.

When Pompey arrived in Pelusium, he was sadly killed by a soldier from the Egyptian army. His body was later buried at his home in the Alban Hills.

Marriages and issue

Main article: Wives of Pompey the Great

Pompey married five times. His first wife was Antistia. They married in 86 BC but later divorced in 82 BC and had no children. His second wife was Aemilia Scaura. She was already expecting a baby from another marriage when they wed in 82 BC, but she died during childbirth that same year.

His third wife was Mucia Tertia. They married in 79 BC and divorced in 61 BC. They had three children: two sons named Gnaeus Pompeius and Sextus Pompeius, and a daughter named Pompeia. His fourth wife was Julia, the daughter of Julius Caesar. They married in 59 BC, but she died during childbirth in 54 BC, and the baby did not survive. Finally, he married Cornelia Metella in 52 BC, but they did not have any children.

Generalship

Pompey was known for his strong leadership and good planning in battles. Some people thought his tactics were not very creative, but he was very good at organizing his armies and making smart plans. He often won by outsmarting his enemies instead of just fighting directly.

Pompey could change his plans when situations changed, and he acted quickly when needed. He used different strategies in different wars, sometimes avoiding big battles and sometimes fighting directly. Even when he faced tough opponents, he kept working hard to achieve his goals.

Literary heritage

Pompey was a very important and exciting person. Many writers told stories about him. A famous poem by Lucan, called Pharsalia, talks about the big fight between Pompey and Caesar. During the Renaissance, several plays in Britain were written about "Caesar and Pompey." Famous writers like George Chapman and Thomas Kyd wrote these plays. Later, a French writer named Pierre Corneille wrote about how Pompey died. His story was also made into English plays.

In the 1700s and 1800s, poets wrote about different parts of Pompey's life, like his last days in Egypt. In the 1900s, Colleen McCullough included Pompey in her novels called Masters of Rome. Steven Saylor also wrote about him in his Roma Sub Rosa mystery books. Robert Harris wrote about Pompey in his books about Cicero.

Chronology of Pompey's life and career

• 29 September 106 BC – Born in Picenum;
• 86 BC – Marriage to Antistia;
• 89 BC – Serves under his father at Asculum (during the Social War);
• 83 BC – Aligns with Sulla, after his return from the First Mithridatic War against King Mithridates VI of Pontus;
• 83–82 BC – Fights for Sulla during the war in Italy.
• 82 BC – Divorce by Antistia and marriage to Aemilia at the behest of Sulla;
• 82–81 BC – Defeats Gaius Marius' allies in Sicily and Africa;
• 81 BC – Returns to Rome and celebrates first triumph;
• 79 BC – Pompey marries Mucia Tertia, of the Mucii Scaevolae family;
• 79 BC – Pompey supports the election of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, who openly revolts against the Senate a few months later. Pompey stops the rebellion with an army raised from Picenum;
• 76–71 BC – Campaign in Hispania against Sertorius;
• 71 BC – Returns to Italy and helps stop a slave rebellion led by Spartacus, obtaining his second triumph;
• 70 BC – First consulship (with Marcus Licinius Crassus);
• 67 BC – Defeats the pirates and goes to the province of Asia;
• 66–61 BC – Defeats King Mithridates of Pontus, ending the Third Mithridatic War;
• 64–63 BC – Marches through Syria, the Levant, and Judea;
• 61 BC – Divorce by Mucia Tertia;
• 29 September 61 BC – Third triumph;
• April 59 BC – The so-called first triumvirate is constituted. Pompey allies with Julius Caesar and Crassus, marrying Caesar's daughter Julia;
• 58–55 BC – Governs Hispania Ulterior by proxy, while the Theater of Pompey is constructed;
• 55 BC – Second consulship (with Marcus Licinius Crassus), and the Theater of Pompey is finally inaugurated;
• 54 BC – The first triumvirate ends;
• 52 BC – Serves as sole consul for an intercalary month, but has a third ordinary consulship with Metellus Scipio for the rest of the year, marrying his daughter Cornelia Metella;
• 51 BC – Forbids Caesar (in Gaul) to stand for consulship in absentia;
• 49 BC – Caesar crosses the Rubicon river and invades Italy, while Pompey retreats to Greece;
• 48 BC – Caesar defeats Pompey's army near Pharsalus, Greece. Pompey retreats to Egypt.