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The beginning - some context - Coggle Diagram
The beginning - some context
The troubles of the 70sBC
sulla took power in 82, and almost all of his opposition was wiped out by 81, apart from Q. Sertorius
Q Sertorius was a former confidant to Marius and Cinna (enemies of Sulla)
Sertorius withdrew to his province in Spain in 83, and began a revolt there in 80, in 77 the roman senate sent lots of reinforcements
in 72, Sertorius was murdered by one of his own officers, Pompey rapidly ended the war and took his army back to Italy.
He and Crassus then joined forces and stood for consulship together in 70BC
Further opposition - Lepidus
in italy, lepidus attempted to overthrow Sulla's arrangements with support from peasants in Etruria
Lepidus was crushed by Pompey, who then continued to Spain to try and take down Sertorius there. Pompey appointed as 'proconsul' to do this
To the East...
rome annexed the provinces of Bithynia and Cyrene in 74
faced another war against Mithridates (ruler of Pontus)
The revolt of Spartacus
a thracian gladiator who escaped and assembled a force of fugitive slaves on Mt Vesuvius, eventually army of tens of thousands of slaves (some say 120,000)
they roamed italy for two years, pillaging as they went
they were finally defeated in 71 by Crassus, with a huge army. Spartcaus was killed and obver 6000 slaves crucified along the Appian Way
Pompey (the 60s)
when Pompey stood for consulship in 70BC with Crassus, he was not eligible for the position: he was only 36 (had to be 42) and had not held any other magistracy
yet, the government waived the constitution in his favour
he was powerful, and already compared to Alexander the Great
'amid his youthful bloom there was a venerable and princely air' Plutarch
his actions:
he made it clear that he intended to reform Sulla's system, and when he was elected as consul with Crassus, they supported a law which ended the senate's monopoly of the jury courts in order to reduce corruption an increase accountability
by 67 piracy had become a huge problem, and Pompey was appointed to a special command against the pirates, granted immense resources and men
within three months he had cleared the seas of pirates - very impressive
the war with mithridates continued, and the man in charge of the roman force (lucullus) had become unpopular. So, a tribune suggested that Pompey take over, a move backed by Cicero
within 4 years he beat Mithridates, conquered anatolia and syria and advanced as far as jerusalem which he captured in 63, and much more
over these 4 years, he had raised the provincial revenues of the roman state by 70%!!!!! he brought back loads of booty and paid his soldiers well
he did all of this off his own initiative and did not consult the senate - he was basically a monarch
The 60s while Pompey was absent
there was a monetary crisis in the 60s in Rome, of unknown causes
it led to a squeeze on credit, indebtedness and discontent among the poor
Pompey's rivals attempted to build up their own positions during his absence, including Crassus backed by Caesar
in 63 crassus and caesar backed the proposal to purchase land in italy for the settlement of the poor and the veterans of Pompey's campaigns
however, Cicero opposed this proposal, on the grounds that it was a threat to Pompey's interests
later, Cicero was elected as consul in 63, which incited the Catilinarian conspiracy with Catiline attempting a coup d'etat - epitomising the poor health of the state
the countryside of italy had been ravaged by war for 20 years, there had been high levels of conscription, huge displacement, resulting in violence, gangs, terrorists in Rome with no police force to stop them.
Pompey returned in 62, probably expecting glory and ease, and the provision of land allotments for his veterans, but this was not granted
the Optimates
Pompey - frustrated by his wishes being denied - entered into an informal alliance with Crassus and Caesar, a pact now known as the First Triumvirate
Pompey was popular, Crassus wealthy and Caesar politically knowledgeable
Caesar gained consulship of 59, and secured Pompey's longed for settlement of the veterans, along with lots of poor families
Pompey married Caesar's daughter Julia in 59, strengthening ties between them
Pompey and Crassus became consuls in 55 and received special commands for five years each
crassus obtained syria, and pompey was awarded the spanish provinces which he decided to govern through legates so he could stay in Rome
however the alliance began to weaken:
in 54 Julia died, severing the personal tie between Pompey and Caesar
in 53, Crassus was defeated and killed at the battle of Harran and tension increased between Pompey and Caesar
there was disorder in Rome - both 52 and 53 began without consuls
the senate appointed Pompey sole consul, and caesar neared the end of his conquest of Gaul
Pompey feared Caesar and got closer to the Optimates, trying to stop Caesar from achieving a long-term appointment, but this was vetoed by tribunes on Caesar's side (like Mark Antony)
everything came to a head when Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his army and invaded Italy