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On September 28, 48 BC, Pompey the Great was assassinated on the orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. An excerpt from the article:
"On the 9th August (the reason why he was persuaded to do so is unclear) Pompey met Caesar in pitched battle at Pharsalus in Thessaly and suffered terrible losses and a cruel defeat. Caesar had become a formidable general, having gained much valuable experience from his campaigns in Gaul. Pompey then fled to Egypt, but was stabbed to death as he disembarked at Alexandria on the 28th September 48 BCE. With the defeat of Pompey and the victory of Julius Caesar, the foundations of Imperial Rome were dug and any sentiment of a 'democratic' Rome was buried with it.
Sincere belief in Rome's freedom died long ago, when Marius and Sulla were admitted within the walls; but now, when Pompey has been removed from the world, even the sham belief is dead.
(M. Annaeus Lucanus, On the Civil War, 9.204-6)
Pompey's career was to some extent typical of a new type of Roman statesman that came to the fore in the late Republic, that of the 'military dynast', which could be seen to have had its origins in the careers of Marius and Sulla. However, in the end, Pompey tends to be seen by history as one of the great losers, which tends not to give true credit to his earlier career and what he achieved during it."
"On the 9th August (the reason why he was persuaded to do so is unclear) Pompey met Caesar in pitched battle at Pharsalus in Thessaly and suffered terrible losses and a cruel defeat. Caesar had become a formidable general, having gained much valuable experience from his campaigns in Gaul. Pompey then fled to Egypt, but was stabbed to death as he disembarked at Alexandria on the 28th September 48 BCE. With the defeat of Pompey and the victory of Julius Caesar, the foundations of Imperial Rome were dug and any sentiment of a 'democratic' Rome was buried with it.
Sincere belief in Rome's freedom died long ago, when Marius and Sulla were admitted within the walls; but now, when Pompey has been removed from the world, even the sham belief is dead.
(M. Annaeus Lucanus, On the Civil War, 9.204-6)
Pompey's career was to some extent typical of a new type of Roman statesman that came to the fore in the late Republic, that of the 'military dynast', which could be seen to have had its origins in the careers of Marius and Sulla. However, in the end, Pompey tends to be seen by history as one of the great losers, which tends not to give true credit to his earlier career and what he achieved during it."
Pompey
Posted from worldhistory.org
Ancient History
World History
Military History
Warfare
Murder
Posted 3 y ago
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I remember studying about him in high school, and yes he was decidedly portrayed as a loser.
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Wow, that was an informative paragraph or two.... That was back when they had brutal bloody battles... They made the Taliban look like a bunch of little sissies lol...
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I can't remember all the ways Emperors were removed. Emperor removed by the next emperor. I think an emperor lost the war thus his his life. I believe the Praetorian Guard removed emperors that were out of control.
My favorite emperor is Vespasian. He was upper middle class as a horse trader. He had to earn his way to the top, unlike the more politically connected peers whose sons just went to the top. He became an outstanding commander and tactician. His army was loyal to him alone. I believe it was the year of 4 emperors, the number I am not certain of, is when Vespasian sent his army from Africa to Rome to seize the throne. He had so much power and control that he did not go to Rome until a year after seizing the throne.
He actually cared about his people and created reforms for the benefit of the people. He started a lot of building projects like the coliseum. He was a powerful man, but he was also a good man.
My favorite emperor is Vespasian. He was upper middle class as a horse trader. He had to earn his way to the top, unlike the more politically connected peers whose sons just went to the top. He became an outstanding commander and tactician. His army was loyal to him alone. I believe it was the year of 4 emperors, the number I am not certain of, is when Vespasian sent his army from Africa to Rome to seize the throne. He had so much power and control that he did not go to Rome until a year after seizing the throne.
He actually cared about his people and created reforms for the benefit of the people. He started a lot of building projects like the coliseum. He was a powerful man, but he was also a good man.
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