| Bio |

Who they were

Gnaeus Pompeius, known to history as Pompey, was born in 106 BC^[1]. His father, Pompeius Strabo, was consul in 89 BC^[1]. Plutarch says the Romans hated Strabo for his greed, yet felt a strong and early affection for his son^[1]. At seventeen Pompey fought beside his father against the Italians in 89 BC^{[3, p. 7]}. Strabo was killed by lightning, according to Plutarch^[1]. The young Pompey then had to answer a charge of misusing public funds that had been made against his father^[1].

At twenty-three, Pompey raised three legions in Picenum, a region of eastern Italy, on his own authority^[1]. He joined the general Sulla, who greeted him with the title Imperator, an honour for a victorious commander^[1]. Pompey was then sent to Sicily and on to Africa^[1]. In forty days, Plutarch says, he defeated his enemies and subdued Libya, in his twenty-fourth year^[1]. Sulla saluted him as Magnus, meaning "the Great"^[1]. Pompey triumphed, a victory parade, before he was even a senator^[1]. Later he was sent to Spain to fight Sertorius, who held much of the country^[1].

Pirates had made the Mediterranean unsafe, and Pompey was given wide powers over the sea and its coasts to end the threat^[1]. He drove the pirates from the sea in no more than three months^[1]. He then took over the war against King Mithridates from the general Lucullus^[1]. Mithridates died, and the war was over^[1]. Pompey made Syria a Roman province, subdued Judaea and took its king, Aristobulus, prisoner^[1]. His triumph over Asia completed a set, after Libya and Europe, as if he had triumphed over the whole world^[1]. In the consulship of Caesar, Pompey married Caesar's daughter Julia^[1][1].

Julia died in 54 BC after giving birth^[1]. In 52 BC, with Rome in disorder, the Senate made Pompey sole consul^[4][1]. When Caesar invaded Italy, Pompey left Rome and shipped his army out from Brundisium^[4]. At Pharsalus, on 9 August 48 BC, Caesar's army defeated him^[2]. Pompey fled to Egypt, hoping to borrow a mercenary army from its government^[4]. Its advisers chose to kill him^[1]. Septimius, once a centurion under Pompey, stabbed him as he rose to step ashore^[1][1].

When Caesar reached Egypt, Plutarch says, he turned away from the man who brought him Pompey's head, as from a murderer, and wept when handed Pompey's seal ring^[1]. Pompey's wife Cornelia buried his remains at his Alban villa^[1]. His building outlived him. Beside his theatre stood the Curia of Pompey, a hall used for Senate meetings, with a colossal statue of him inside^{[5, p. 1]}. Caesar was killed there on the Ides of March, 44 BC^[6], at the foot of that statue^[7].

Plutarch tells a story about Pompey's plain tastes. When he was ill, his doctor prescribed a thrush to eat, but none could be found out of season^[1]. Someone said Lucullus, the general Pompey had replaced against Mithridates, kept thrushes all year round^[1]. Pompey joked that he supposed he could not live if Lucullus were not luxurious, ignored the doctor and ate whatever was to hand^[1].

| Legacy & Reputation |

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