Pompey
Pompey the Great (106-48 BCE): his commands in Spain, against the pirates and in the East, and his later rivalry with Caesar.
Category: Figures
- c. 80 BCESertorius rebels in Hispania
The Marian general Sertorius, proscribed by Sulla, controls Hispania from c. 80 BCE with Roman exiles and Iberian allies. Pompey and Metellus wear him down; he is murdered at a banquet in 73 or 72.
- 71 BCECrassus defeats Spartacus
In 71 BCE Crassus routs Spartacus's army at the Silarius; Spartacus presumably dies. About 6,000 prisoners are crucified along the Appian Way. Pompey claims credit for finishing the war.
- 70 BCEPompey and Crassus are consuls
Pompey and Crassus, rivals after the Spartacus war, are elected consuls for 70 BCE partly because their armies camp outside Rome.
- 67 BCEHyrcanus II and Aristobulus II go to war
Near the end of Salome Alexandra's life, her younger son Aristobulus II seizes fortresses and declares himself king. After she dies in 67 BCE a civil war with his brother Hyrcanus II, backed by Antipater, draws in Rome. It ends in 63 with Pompey.
- 67 BCEPompey is given command against the pirates
The Lex Gabinia of 67 BCE gives Pompey sweeping powers against Mediterranean piracy. He clears the western Mediterranean in 40 days and ends the war in about three months.
- 66 BCEPompey takes the Eastern command
The Lex Manilia of 66 BCE gives Pompey command against Mithridates VI. He beats him at the Lycus, makes Tigranes of Armenia a Roman ally while Mithridates flees to the Crimea.
- 64 BCESyria becomes a Roman province
Pompey annexes the Seleucid-held cities of Syria in 64 BCE, creating the Roman province of Syria. Judea becomes a client state of Rome.
- 63 BCEMithridates VI dies; the Third Mithridatic War ends
Cornered in the Crimea by a revolt of his son Pharnaces, Mithridates VI dies in 63 BCE after a failed suicide attempt. Pontus becomes Roman and the Third Mithridatic War ends.
- 63 BCEPompey captures Jerusalem
After a three-month siege Pompey takes Jerusalem in 63 BCE. Judea becomes a client state of Rome.
- c. 60 BCEThe First Triumvirate takes shape
Caesar, Pompey and Crassus form an informal alliance, between July 60 and January 59 BCE. It has no legal standing, unlike the later Second Triumvirate. Ancient sources disagree on whether it came before or after Caesar's election as consul.
- 59 BCECaesar's consulship; Pompey marries Julia
Caesar holds the consulship in 59 BCE, allied with Pompey and Crassus. Pompey marries Caesar's daughter Julia the same year.
- 56 BCEConference at Luca
Caesar, Pompey and Crassus meet at Luca in summer 56 BCE to renew their alliance.
- 54 BCEJulia, wife of Pompey, dies
Caesar's daughter Julia dies in childbirth in 54 BCE. Some ancient writers saw her death as making a rift between Caesar and Pompey inevitable, but modern scholars treat this cautiously.
- 52 BCEClodius killed; Pompey sole consul
Clodius is killed near Bovillae on 18 January 52 BCE. Unrest blocks the elections for weeks, and Pompey is elected sole consul, an irregular office.
- January 49 BCECaesar crosses the Rubicon
After the Senate demands on 7 January 49 BCE that he give up his command, Caesar crosses the Rubicon on 10 or 11 January with his army, starting a civil war against Pompey and the Senate.
- 49 BCECaesar's civil war
The war between Caesar and Pompey's senatorial side runs from January 49 to Caesar's victory at Munda on 17 March 45 BCE. It is fought in Italy, Spain, Greece, Egypt, Asia Minor and Africa.
- 48 BCEPompey is murdered in Egypt
Pompey is killed on arrival in Egypt on the orders of Ptolemy XIII. Caesar reaches Alexandria on 2 October 48 BCE and learns of the murder there.
- August 9, 48 BCEBattle of Pharsalus
On 9 August 48 BCE Caesar defeats Pompey at Pharsalus in central Greece. Pompey flees disguised as a commoner and sails to Egypt.
- March 17, 45 BCEBattle of Munda
On 17 March 45 BCE Caesar defeats the Pompeians under Gnaeus and Sextus Pompeius in southern Spain, in the last battle of the civil war. Labienus is killed, and Gnaeus is hunted down afterward.