Raising the Bar
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, better known as
Pompey the Great, had taken the triumph tradi-
tion to new heights, exceeding anything the Ro-
mans had experienced before. First-century A.D.
historian Plutarch described how the last of his
three triumphs, which Pompey celebrated on his
45th birthday in 61 B.C., lasted for two days. Pom-
pey paraded 300 high-ranking hostages through
the city, and displayed placards boasting that he
had killed or captured 12,183,000 enemies, put
out of action 846 warships, and given 1,500 de-
narii to each of his soldiers, an amount they
would normally take a decade to earn.
Writing in the second century A.D., Greek
historian Appian detailed Pompey’s expensive
tastes, including entering the city on a diamond-
studded chariot and wearing a cloak that alleg-
edly belonged to Alexander the Great. Golden-
horned bulls were sacrificed, and the people of
Rome were gifted parties, banquets, and games.
The number of triumphs was certainly un-
usual, but Pompey’s victories had unusual
qualities. Each of his victories took place on a
different continent: He earned his first triumph
in Africa (Libya), in 81 B.C.; his second, in Europe,
in 71 B.C.; and the third, about 10 years later, in
Asia Minor, where he defeated both the eastern
pirates and Mithradates VI, king of Pontus and
a long-standing menace to the Roman Republic.
Julius Caesar’s career was just beginning
when Pompey’s was peaking. In 60 B.C.,
Caesar had earned enough acclaim and
power to form a powerful political alli-
ance, the First Triumvirate, with Pom-
pey and Marcus Licinius Crassus. Al-
though these men were allies, they were
also wary of one another, for each one
had great power and influence. After
Crassus’s death in 53 B.C., the relation-
ship between Pompey and Caesar dete-
riorated into enmity. Confrontation
eventually became unavoidable, and
they finally faced each other in a
four-year civil war.WHITE IMAGES/SCALA, FLORENCEJULIUS CAESAR. MARBLE STATUE BY NICOLAS
COUSTOU, 18TH CENTURY. LOUVRE MUSEUM, PARIS