50 MAY/JUNE 2019
tenth of his wealth to the cult of Hercules, and
gave enough grain to feed every citizen for three
months. He was also generous when it came to
lending money to his friends. He would charge
them no interest but expected payment in full
at the end of the loan.
Crassus’ generosity served an important politi-
cal purpose. The status of a Roman citizen was
measured by the number of clients who depended
on him. In other words, he was only as impor-
tant as the men who owed him favors. Lending
money to a promising protégé could prove to be
a wise investment. If he served the republic with
a military command abroad, he could come back
with an enhanced reputation, a bulging purse,
and a debt to his patron.
The relationship between Crassus and
Gaius Julius Caesar grew out of such an
arrangement. Crassus correctly saw
young Caesar as a man on the make; if
he relieved Caesar from debt, that favor
would be eventually repaid. Crassus
took care of Caesar’s debts before he
left on his governorship of Hispania
Ulterior (in southern Spain) in 62 B.C., further
solidifying the relationship between the two men.Roots of Rivalry
Crassus had no problems in dealing with men
of different political beliefs, particularly if there
was a personal benefit to be made (Julius Caesar
had belonged to a different political party). There
was, however, one exception to this principle: his
rival, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, better known
as Pompey or Pompey the Great.
When a Roman general achieved a significant
military victory, the city would organize a cer-
emony, known as a triumphus (triumph) in his
honor. Sulla had begrudgingly granted one to
Pompey for a victory in the war against Marius
despite the fact that Pompey was too young even
to be a senator. Eaten up by envy, Crassus be-
came more and more frustrated as Pompey
chalked up yet more victories. His jealousy
increased as his protégé Caesar claimed
even more glory.
Crassus had his own military successes.
In the early 70s B.C. he was tapped to putUNFORGIVING
DISCIPLINE
O
NE OF THE MOST important val-
ues in the Roman military was
strict adherence to discipline.
As a commander, Crassus
never hesitated to employ it. When his
forces were sent to put down the slave
rebellion of Spartacus, one of Crassus’
soldiers, Mummius, disobeyed orders. He
had been instructed to observe enemy
positions and avoid confrontation. Mum-
mius disregarded the order, attacked, and
was soundly defeated by the slaves. Af-
ter severely reprimanding him, Crassus
decided to apply a punishment that had
fallen out of practice: the decimatio. Five
hundred of Mummius’s men were divided
into groups of 10. The members of each
group drew lots, and the loser would be
beaten to death by his companions as
Crassus and the army watched.A ROMAN MILITARY EXECUTION IN
AN ENGRAVING BY JOHN BEAVER, 1725.
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK
ALAMY/ACIMONEY AND
INFLUENCE
Julius Caesar
(shown below on an
aureus) and Crassus
had a relationship
based on mutual
interest. Crassus
provided Caesar
with money to
cancel his debts, and
Caesar later used his
influences to boost
the political career
of his ally.
ROGER VIOLLET/AURIMAGES