The Julian Paradox Movie

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Essay written by Kurt Otto Peterson.

Essay

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (The Great)

Born...106BCE
Died....48BCE

The son of Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo (Cross eyes) who, after his father was murdered by the mob (his father was detested by all) he formed legions of his own and brought them to the Dictator Sulla to fight the civil war against the Marian or Popularist faction.

The three legions ( about 15,000 men) helped Sulla defeat the Popularists after which he was sent to Spain and Sicily to wipe out the remnants of the party who had fled there to continue the war.

His victories there earned him the name Magnus (though many believe that he gave himself that name).

Next he put down a rebellion led by Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in 77BCE.

He was co-commander with Mettellus Pius in Spain against the renegade Roman General Quintus Sertorius who attempted to establish an independent Spanish republic 2000 years before General Franco did in the mid 1930's.

Not one to be backward in coming forward he played a part in the suppression of the slave revolt led by the Gladiator Spartacus. Most of the work had been done by Marcus Licinius Crassus never the less Pompeius took the credit. (or so many believe).

After these successes in 70BCE he was elected Consul with Crassus as his colleague. Pompeius at the time wasn't even a senator nor had he worked his way to the top job and just to make things really interesting, the two men loathed each other.

In 67-66 BCE he was given a 'Special Commission' to clear the Mediterranean of pirates, he was given a year to complete this mission but did it in something just over three months.

After this he was given command of the east (and replaced a competent general by name Lucius Licinius Lucullus who had fallen out of favour with the government at Rome) against Mithridates of Pontus whom he defeated soundly as well as Triganes the Great of Armenia and Antiochus XIII of Syria but only after Lucullus had done most of the hard work.

Some years later a Triumvirate was formed with Marcus Licinius Crassus and Gaius Julius Caesar. Because Crassus and Pompeius hated each other Caesar would have likely been the go between who held the alliance together.

To bind Pompeius to him Caesar offered him his daughter Julia in marriage. Caesar and Crassus were already good friends.

Although conservative in his politics he none the less joined with Caesar and the hated Crassus because the senate would not ratify his settlements in the east. Perhaps he felt betrayed by the Senate.

The purpose of the Triumvirate was to get Crassus the command in the war against the Parthians; Pompeius the ratification of his settlement in the east and to get Caesar the Governorships he wanted for as long as he wanted them.

Governors normally only served for a year unless this was extended by Senatorial Decree.

All went well until Julia died in child birth and then Pompeius drifted back, or was wooed back to the conservative faction.

On the death of Crassus at Carrae (in modern day Iran) the first Triumvirate was well and truly over.

The Senate, (with Pompeius) ordered Caesar to resign his commission, stand down his armies and return to Rome to face several treason related charges to which he would agree on the condition that Pompeius also resign his posts and stand his armies down. Pompeius and the Senate refused and once again Rome was plunged into Civil War.

It is commonly believed that neither Pompeius nor Caesar wanted another Civil War and that the Senate manipulated Pompeius into starting it and quite possibly illegally at that.

Caesar defeated Pompeius at Pharsalus in Greece even though Pompeius had a vast superiority in infantry, cavalry and auxiliary troops .He fled to Egypt in the hope of raising more troops and ships so he could continue the war against Caesar and the Popularists but when he arrived there he was murdered on the orders of the young King Ptolemy (brother/husband of Cleopatra). Later the severed head of Pompeius was given to Caesar as a good will gesture but Caesar was furious and as a result he took control of Egypt.

Pompeius had two sons, Gnaeus and Sextus and both were eventually captured and executed.
The Roman Republic was dead.