POMPEY THE GREAT
a brief bio
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Three-time consul, with three military triumphs: "Pompey Magnus" (a.k.a. Pompey the great)
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Pompey was an ambitious man with an impressive start to his career. When he was 23, he raised a three-legion army to fight for Sullia in civil war against Marius. (Sullia's second civil war, the one in 84 BCE)
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Before Sullia even knew that Pompey was going to join him, Pompey faced Carrinas, Cloelius, and Brutus (not that Brutus) in a three-VS-one battle.
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By the time Sullia finally ran into Pompey, he had defeated four enemy armies and a multitude of enemy squadrons.
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Sullia sent Pompey to Gaul, where he impressed and reinvigorated General Metellus.
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Afterward, Pompey was sent to Africa to take care of the remaining Marius Supporters.
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He recaptured Spain.
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When he returned to Rome, he defeated a fleeing group of Spartacus' army.
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Crassus, who actually defeated Spartacus, was not happy.
In 55 BCE, he was elected Co-consul with Crassus.
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Following his Consulship, he was sent to take care of the pirate problem in the Mediterranean.
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Then, he was sent to settle the Third Mithridatic War in the Middle East.
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Here's to invading
Armenia, Albania, and Judea.
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Pompey actually prolonged the war by letting Mithridates (the main target of the war) get away, allowing Pompey to freely run amok in the Middle East.
In 49 BCE, Pompey returns to Rome and buddies up with Julius Caesar and Crassus, forming a political alliance called-
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The trio worked together, helping one another get what they each wanted. Pompey even married Caesar's daughter Julia.
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But after Crassus died in his military campaign, and Julia died in childbirth, Pompey and Caesar's friendship started to fall apart.
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The senate encouraged tensions to rise between the two...
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Ultimately leading to civil war.
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Pompey retreated from Rome.
Caesar pursued, but was defeated at the battle of Dyrrachium.
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Well, actually Pompey got away...
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and Caesar continued to pursue Pompey,
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However, Caesar's loss was not decisive -
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eventually defeating him at the battle of Pharsalus.
He escaped to Egypt.
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But was he was double-crossed.
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They say Caesar cried when he heard the news.
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sources
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Lloyd, James. "Pompey." World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 27 Jan 2013.
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Plutarch, et al. Fall of the Roman Republic. Penguin, 2005.
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"Pompey." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Encyclopedia.com
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"Pompey and the Cilician Pirates." UNRV.com
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Rickard, J (16 December 2008), Third Mithridatic War, 74-63 B.C., Historyofwar.org
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Rickard, J (2 May 2018), Siege of Lauro or Lauron, 76 BC , Historyofwar.org
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"What was the Contribution of Pompey the Grat to Roman History?" Dailyhistory.org
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