2 The consular elections of 60 BC page 6

3 Opposition to Caesar’s land bill page 8

The first triumvirate marked the fall of the Roman Republic. Power was now concentrated in the hands of three men who dominated the traditional institutions of Rome. Their dominance was virtually absolute, each one brought with him an asset allowing for political dominance which would last for more than a decade and bring about the fall of the old Republic. However the triumvirate met with potent resistance. The senate had its champions who still believed they could save the Republic of their ancestors and the mos maiorum. It is the question if they did it for their own gains, or that they truly believed they represented the only true government, what is obvious is that they fought until the end against the triumvirs. What did they do to prevent the rise of the triumvirate, how did they attempt to stop legislation and maintain control of the state, what form did their opposition t

After Pompey returned to Italy in 62 BC, once again covered in military glory, his campaigning days seemed at an end. He had achieved remarkable things, Rome’s tribute had virtually been doubled by his efforts in the east and those lands seemed now duly pacified. The arrangements he made were very profitable for the Republic. However even as the public acclaimed him a hero, the senate was already deliberating how to leash the great man. Pompey was not a revolutionary, unlike Sulla who would go to any lengths, and did, to get his way Pompey seemed content to just simply retire as the greatest Roman of his time and the first man in Rome . What he asked from the senate was nothing compared to the bounty he had presented to them, but the senate declined to accommodate him.

The alliance between Crassus, Caesar and Pompey must have been an uncomfortable one. They were three different men especially Pompey must have been somewhat at a disadvantage of the three he was the only one who did not come from an eminent Roman family, yet he was also the one who at the time held the upper hand in Rome. There was no love lost between Crassus and Pompey this was well known in Rome and most likely because of this the alliance between them came as such a shock to the Boni, the key role in the matter was played by Caesar.

The reasons behind this unreasonable attitude of the senate cannot be easily explained, it could be that simple jealousy was at the core of it. Pompey was still a relatively young man but had a long and distinguished if very unorthodox career behind him. Ever since he enlisted with Sulla at the age of 23 , he had been active in wars and campaigns stretching all the territories of Rome. To the senatorial aristocrats it must have stung to have this upstart from Picenum whose family although not new was not eminently respected, would be the first among them. For the status conscious Romans to recognise an aristocrat like Sulla as the first man in Rome was barely tolerable but to have another Marius amongst them was unacceptable. The first sign that things were going to be difficult was when Pompey arrived in Rome and asked the senate to postpone the consular elections so that he might stand for the office .

Some topics in this essay:
Caesar Pompey, Caesar Boni, Republic Power, Castor Pollux, Pompey Bibulus’, Bibulus Cato’s, Crassus Pompey, Cicero Cato, Gaius Cato, Pompey Caesar, consular elections, land bill, crassus pompey, bill passed, optimates senate, elections 60 bc, situation becoming, caesar cato, crassus caesar, caesar boni, cato bibulus, caesar’s land bill, 2 consular elections, consular elections 60, opposition caesar’s land,