Pompey

Q. Sertorius

• Major supporter of Cinna and Marius in 87
• Held Spain during Sulla's invasion of Italy
• Holds Spain against forces sent by Sulla
• Spain refuge for those threatened by Sulla
• Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius cos. 80 sent against Sertorius
  • Metellus colleague of Sulla as cos. 80
  • Major supporter of Sulla
• Metellus makes no headway
• Pompey joins Metellus in 77
• War ends only in 72 when Sertorius is assassinated

Rome in 70s

• Agitation against Sullan settlement; by end of decade:
  • Tribunate restored
  • Court juries split with equites
• Spartacus leads slave revolt in 74-71
  • Starts with gladiators in Campania
  • Spreads to rural slaves, huge armies formed
  • Several raw Roman armies defeated (including both consuls of 72)
  • M. Licinius Crassus pr. 73 ends revolt
• Pompey returns from Spain in 71
  Ends vestiges of Slave Revolt
  • Extorts consulship though never held office before, underage
• Pompey and Crassus cos. 70
  • Don't get along

Third Mithridatic War

• "Second War" not worthy of name
• Starts in 73 as result of Rome inheriting kingdom of Bithynia
• Major commander L. Licinius Lucullus cos. 74
  • Sulla's loyal quaestor in 80s
• Lucullus pursues Mithridates to Armenia
• Spectacular Roman victories
• No conclusion to war after years of campaigning
• Mithridates sneaks into Pontus in 67, defeats legate of Lucullus
• Roman troops mutiny
  • Lucullus not popular b/c of strict discipline

Pirates

• Problem starts with Roman weakening of Rhodes back in 167
• Cilicia pirates attacked by M. Antonius pr. 102
  • Lcoal victories no permanent solution
  • Cilicia province from 90s on
• M. Antonius pr. 74 given major command but fails
• Pirates threaten grain supply of Rome
• Special election gives Pompey extraordinary powers
• He is allowed to create independent legates with own imperium
  • Precursor of system used by emperors
• Pirates crushed in only 40 days
  • Shows how empire needs centralized coordination and control

Pompey in East

• War against Mithridates transferred to Pompey by law in 66
• Pompey makes peace with king of Armenia
• Creates province of Bithynia and Pontus
• Annexes Syria as province in 64
• Makes huge number of administrative decisions
• Acquires vast wealth
• Rome has now assumed administrative and military responsibility for all of Asia Minor and of Syria
• Pompey finally returns to Italy in 61
  • Much anxiety in Italy
  • Will he return as invader like Sulla?