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The Roman Revolution

The First audio gifTriumvirate

Pompey and Crassus did not get along with each other very well. By 57, their differences had boiled to the point that Rome was again on the brink of civil war. Both men had not only their armies, but had factions within the city that were loyal to them. Cicero, leader of the senatorial faction, allied himself with Pompey. He flattered Pompey with the prospect of acting as the protector of the Republic.

But Crassus was determined to be granted certain prizes and favors, and Pompey was determined to oppose him. Both men were in Italy in 57, with their armies.

At this point, Julius Caesar intervened. He offered his services as a neutral negotiator, and the three men met to work out a settlement.

The agreement worked out was quite extraordinary. Caesar persuaded the other two to combine their power and influence with his own (remember, he was enjoying great success in Gaul), and the three of them would dictate terms to the Senate.

So the three men (Latin=triumviri) forced the Senate to obey them. Crassus got command of an army and the province of Syria. He wanted this because the Parthian Empire was threatening Rome's eastern provinces and this would be his opportunity to win military glory (which Caesar and Pompey had won already).

Pompey, who was a successful general but who dearly wished to be a great statesman, got the province of Spain but received special permission to remain in Italy. Proconsuls were always required to go to their province, so this permission required special legislation from the Senate.

Caesar got Gaul for another five years. He knew that Gaul would provide him the resources he would need. And he knew that he was not yet in a position to enter directly into the political fray in Rome. Besides, he was as yet very much the junior member of the Triumvirate.

The 50s mark the effective end of the Republic, if not its official end. Political anarchy reigned in Rome at the hands of the triumvirs. Even as partners, their factions quarreled, and of course the Senatorial faction was at odds with all of them. All sides did not hesitate to use violence, with the result that there was more or less open gang warfare. The city was filled to overflowing with the unemployed, who found ample work by joining the gangs.

Cicero worked with Pompey once more, naming him Rector of the Republic, a grand-sounding title, but an empty one. In truth, Pompey was an excellent general and a poor politician. He was too easily swayed by others and too anxious to be accepted by the old guard of the Senate. In the end, he was little more than their pawn.

Crassus, on the other hand, was an outstanding financier, a reasonably good politician, and a poor general. He went to Syria, ordered affairs there, and assembled his army. Then, in 53, he pursued a Parthian army into the Syrian desert where he found himself trapped without water. After days of misery, the Parthians attacked and cut to pieces two full Roman legions. Crassus himself was killed.