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Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), usually known as Pompey or Pompey the Great was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic. He was born into Roman nobility and achieved, at a young age, great success as a general. He was consul of Rome three times and celebrated an equal number of triumphs. Late in life he chose to oppose his former ally of the First Triumvirate, Julius Caesar, and was soundly defeated at Pharsalus. His days ended in Egypt, a victim of assassination while on the run following defeat.
Sulla had dubbed Pompey as “Magnus” (the Great) following success in defeating the Marians in Sicily and in Africa in 82-81 BC. Soon thereafter, the Senate called on him to suppress the revolt of Lepidus after Sulla’s death. In 76 BC, he was named as proconsul of Hispania to end the significant revolt of general Sertorius.
Pictured on the left my Sextus Pompey. Denarius (Silver, 3.65 g 12), Military mint in Sicily, 42-40 BC. Obv: MAG.PIVS.IMP.ITER Bare head of Cn. Pompeius Magnus to right; behind, jug; before, lituus. Rev. PRAEF / CLAS.ET.ORAE / MARIT.EX.S.C Neptune standing left, holding aplustre in his hand and with his right foot on a prow; to left and right, one of the Catanaean brothers bearing his parent on his shoulders.
The commemorative AR denarius issued by Pompey’s son Gnaeus Pompeius (see right) depicts Hispania extending a symbol of peace to a Roman soldier (Pompey the Great?) as he disembarks a ship. The insurrection in Spain actually took years to quell after the arrival of Pompey due to the tactics of Sertorius. In 71 BC, Pompey returned to Rome, and while en route, captured the remnants of Spartacus’ army of rebellious slaves. Thus, Pompey took credit for ending the Third Servile war much to the anger of Crassus. A triumph and a consulship followed.
Through negotiations, bribery, tributes and the like, Pompey diminished the threat of piracy in the Mediterranean Sea although, again, he took credit as a great victor of the “war”. With support of Julius Caesar he was named to command the Legion against Mithridates VI of Pontus in the East. After forcing an alliance with Tigranes the Great of Armenia, Pompey commanded a series of victories against Mithradates, the Syrian King Antiochus XIII Asiaticus, and the defenders of civil war torn Jerusalem in the south. The victories, annexations of Bithynia et Ponus, Syria, Cilicia and Crete, and political settlement in Judea in the East on behalf of Rome led to this third triumph in Rome in 61 BC on his 45th birthday.
Pompey, victorious in reality and in hyperbole, would later find himself no match as a general against his former ally Julius Caesar.