Pompey
the Great
(106-48BC), 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 Magnus in Rome on September 29, 106BC, into a
senatorial family; his father, Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, was consul in
89BC. At the age of 17 Pompey fought, along with his father, on the side
of Lucius Cornelius Sulla against the faction of Gaius Marius and Lucius
Cornelius Cinna. In 84BC he raised three legions and defeated the Marian
party, and he was later sent to destroy the remnants of the Marian
faction in Africa and Sicily. On his triumphant return to Rome he was
honored with the title Magnus, or the Great. Pompey subsequently
defeated the followers of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, a one-time Sulla
partisan, whom he drove out of Italy, and destroyed the Marian party in
Spain (76-71BC). Returning to Italy, Pompey brought an end to the
Servile War instigated by the slave Spartacus. He was now the idol of
the people and was elected consul for the year 70BC, serving with Marcus
Licinius Crassus.
In
67-66BC, Pompey cleared the Mediterranean Sea of pirates and was
subsequently given control of the provinces in the east and put in
charge of the war against Mithridates VI of Pontus. Between 65 and 62BC,
Pompey conquered not only Mithridates but also Tigranes the Great, king
of Armenia, and Antiochus XIII of Syria, annexing the territory of the
latter to the Roman dominions. He also subdued the Jews and captured
Jerusalem. On his return to Italy he disbanded his army and in 61BC
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 veterans. The Senate, however,
declined to accede to his wishes, and Pompey, turning against the
aristocratic party, now formed a close alliance with Julius Caesar, and
the two men, together with Crassus, formed in 60BC the coalition
commonly called the First Triumvirate. Caesar's daughter Julia was given
in marriage to Pompey, and the following year Caesar repaired to Gaul,
and there for nine years carried on a career of conquest while Pompey
spent his time at Rome.
Jealousies,
however, arose between the two leaders. Julia died in 54BC, and Crassus
was slain in Syria the following year. Pompey then returned to the
aristocratic party, whose members desired 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 49BC, 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 made himself master of Italy and defeated a
strong army in Spain commanded by Pompey's legates and then crossed the
Adriatic to attack Pompey. The latter, who had gathered a strong army,
was victorious in the opening encounters, but was defeated at Pharsalus
in 48BC. He escaped to Egypt, where he was murdered on September 28,
48BC.