POMPEYS RISE TO POWER AN EXTRA ORDINARY RISE

POMPEYS RISE TO POWER AN EXTRA ORDINARY RISE IN A SOCIETY THAT VALUED MOS MAEORUM

SOURCES OF POWER ‘THE GLORY OF MEN’S ANCESTORS IS…. LIKE A SHINING LIGHT ON THEIR DESCENDENTS WHICH ALLOWS NEITHER THEIR VIRTUES NOR THEIR VICES TO BE HIDDEN” SALLUST Confident Learnt by His fathers mistakes Wealth Land Inherited veteran Soldiers Military experience Pompey Family legacy Clientale Marriages PLUTARCH 139 -141 Ambitious

ATTRIBUTES • RESOURCEFUL • OPPORTUNISTIC • IMPUDENT/BOLD • FORTUNATE • COERCIVE “ He asked Sulla to bear in mind the fact that more people worshipped the rising sun than the setting sun…” Plutarch

MARRIAGE-AN EXTENSION OF AMICITAE Antistia Daughter Of his lawyer Julia, daughter of Caesar PLUTARCH 142 - Aemilia Scaura Step daughter Of Sulla Mucia Tertia, Daughter of Pontifex maximus Cornelia, Daughter of Crassus, Brought Wealth, Metelli connections

Pro Praetorian Command Against Lepidus Pro LEX MANILIA Make war on own initiative Extended Power LEX GABINIA Consular Command Against Senate Empowe rs Pompey Imperium infinitum To eliminate piracy First Consulship 7 years to young No qualifying magistracies PLUTARCH 145 -167 Sertorius Second Triumph for Assisting Crassus in Slave revolt

Pro Praetorian Command Against Lepidus Pro LEX MANILIA Make war on own initiative Extended Power LEX GABINIA Consular Command Against Senate Empowe rs Pompey Imperium infinitum To eliminate piracy First Consulship 7 years to young No qualifying magistracies PLUTARCH 145 -167 Sertorius Second Triumph for Assisting Crassus in Slave revolt

GRANTED PROPRAETORIAN COMMAND AGAINST LEPIDUS. GIVEN PROCONSULAR COMMAND AGAINST SERTORIUS. “it was totally unprecedented when two eminent and gallant consuls were available, for a Roman knight to be sent out with consular powers…all the same he was sent. ” Cicero.

ELECTED TO CONSULSHIP AND GIVEN SECOND TRIUMPH BY THREAT OF FORCE. • He was “elected to a consulship actually before he had the legal right to hold any office at all. ” Cicero. • Refused to take a provincial command after his year as consul.

POMPEY AND CRASSUS AS CONSULS 70 BC • The changes made to the Sullan constitution in 70 BC weakened the Senates position; • Power of the tribunes were restored • The courts were reconstituted so that the Senate had only one third of the places • Power of the censor was revived. Sixty four senators were removed and new ones from the equestrian order were admitted • Citizenship granted to wider areas of Italy which meant that there were masses of new voters not bound by previous patron client obligations PLUTARCH 157 -159

COMMANDS AWARDED BY THE SENATE, THESE WERE DESPITE THE OPPOSITION OF THE SENATE PROPOSED BY TRIBUNES AND PASSED BY THE PEOPLE. Caesar speaks For it Roscius tries to speak But is Drowned out Lex Gabinia Use of force Consul attacked Catulus opposes it

Cicero Speaking for The interests Of the equites Catulus Opposes it Lex Manilia “THEIR HEARTS FAILED THEM, SO FRIGHTENED WERE THEY OF THE PEOPLE” Aristocrats Thought it amounted To tyranny ‘ So Pompey, who was not even in Rome at the time, was vested with powers almost as great as those which Sulla had exercised after he had conquered the city by force of arms”.

POMPEY MAKES ENEMIES • According to Plutarch Lucullus accuses Pompey of “ …. following his usual custom of settling down, like some crazed carrion bird, on the bodies that had been killed by others and tearing to pieces the scattered remains of wars. ” • To what and whom is Lucullus referring ?

CICERO ON POMPEY’S COMMAND • Read Cicero’s speech and discuss Cicero’s view of Pompey. Consider a variety of possible reasons for Cicero supporting the Lex Manilia • To what extent does Cicero’s support of an unconstitutional command undermine the Cursus Honorum ? • Who carries the blame; Manilius, Pompey, Cicero, the Senate as a whole ?

VOTED BY PEOPLE FOR LEX GABINIA (PIRATES) AND LEX MANILIA (MITHRIDATES) • Imperium infinitum for 3 years. • Pirates - powers over the whole Mediterranean and 50 miles inland, unlimited funds, men and ships. • Mithridates - permission to make war or peace on his own initiative. • Takes command of all forces under Lucullus as well as his own existing army

RAISED HIS OWN ‘PRIVATE’ ARMY TO AID SULLA AT 23, GAINED PROPRAETORIAN IMPERIUM AND FIRST TRIUMPH. • “That someone of extreme youthfulness, who held no public office, should raise an army in a time of national crisis was innovation. Yet that is what Pompeius did. ” Cicero. PLUTARCH 143 -145

WHAT WERE THE COMMANDS? • There were the early ones against the Marians, Lepidus, Sertorius and Spartacus. • Then came his consulship (70 BC) • Then there were the great commands of the 60 s against the pirates (lex Gabinia) and Mithridates (lex Manilia)

WHAT POWER DID HE HAVE AND WHY WAS IT EXTRAORDINARY ON EACH OCCASION? • Against the Marians and Lepidus he was granted propraetorian imperium. He was not old enough even to be a quaestor and had not held any magistracy. He had no legal right to be given command of an army. • Against Sertorius he was granted proconsular imperium, the highest power which could be bestowed on a Roman, while still not old enough to enter the senate. He had still not held any magistracy. He held this power for five years. This and the previous command were granted by the senate. • He was granted triumphs over the Marians and then over Sertorius. These honours were only granted to praetors or consuls. • • After his consulship he did not take the usual proconsulship. The great commands of the 60 s against the pirates and Mithridates provided Pompey with greater power than a single Roman had previously enjoyed. These commands were granted through tribunes’ laws approved by the people and were opposed by most of the senate.

WHAT WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE COMMANDS IN HIS CAREER? • Pompey’s whole career was extraordinary. He did not follow the customary path to power through the cursus honorum. There was no precedent for a person gaining power the way he did. His success with each command led to further honours and commands being granted. This led to his being awarded the consulship despite being under the required age and having not held any previous magistracy. He relinquished the opportunity of the usual proconsular position. Instead, having restored the tribunes’ powers during his consulship, he waited for a crisis worthy of his attention and for a friendly tribune to propose new extraordinary commands. His early commands had been granted by a senate desperate to confront a crisis, however his great commands of the 60 s were opposed by the senate which by this time realised the personal power which would accrue to him

WHAT DAMAGE HAS POMPEY DONE TO THE REPUBLIC • USE OF FORCE TO GET WHAT HE WANTS • USE OF CLIENT ARMY TO ACCELERATE HIS CAREER • IN CONSULSHIP, UNDOING OF SULLAN REFORMS • ACCEPTED COMMANDS FROM THE SENATE TO WHICH HE WAS NOT ENTITLED • USED TRIBUNES TO PASS LEGISLATION IN THE ASSEMBLIES WHEN OPPOSED BY THE SENATE • WHO IS THE SENATE?