2016-09-28 Wed

In life and also in death Pompey, of ancient Rome was always on the tip of peoples tongue.

Death of Pompey, in itself was a tragic affair. After his defeat to Julius Caesar at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC, he made for Egypt. The king of Egypt, Ptolemy, who was a former client of Pompey, ordered him to be executed in order to curry favour with Caesar. In Plutarch’s vivid account of the event, Pompey sailed to shore in a tiny skiff. Just as he reached the shore, and in full view of his men and his wife Cornelia, he was murdered by those in the boat with him. His assassins dumped his body on the shore and took his head away to be presented to Caesar. Such a cruel tragedy it seems!

During his long career, Pompey the Great displayed exceptional military talents on the battlefield. He fought in Africa and Spain, quelled the slave revolt of Spartacus, cleared the Mediterranean of pirates, and conquered Armenia, Syria, and Palestine. Appointed to organize the newly won Roman territories in the East, he proved a brilliant administrator. He also issued coins by his birth name ‘Magnus’.

Pompey earned the reputation of a great general and politician and instead of campaigning for the highest order he joined up with two of Rome's most outstanding men, Crassus and Caesar. He even married Julius Caesar's daughter Julia in 59 BC, a marriage which was made for political purposes, but which became a famous affair of true love.

Julia was Pompey's fourth wife, and not the first he had married for political reasons, and yet she was also not the first one he had fallen in love with. He was ridiculed by his political opponent for his loving side. If he was in love, then, no doubt, so too was his wife. Over time Pompey had won quite a reputation as a man of great charm and a great lover. The two were utterly in love, while entire Rome laughed. After her death, Caesar was threatened that he would abdicate power from his hand and ordered his assassination after the war.

Even after his death Pompey’s name cast a lasting shadow. His end inspired some of Lucan’s finest verses. His love life and tragedy have become a centre topic of many great plays. In the empire he acquired official respectability, and the greatness of his achievement was a subject of the great writers.