Gnaeus Pompey and the fall of the Roman Republic

Events which stretch as far back as the reforms of the Gracchi brothers’ meant that the Rome was facing a Republic that was already deteriorating before Pompey had stepped into power. While Pompey’s quest for power was harmful, many other factors were also baleful to the Republic, and were hence instrumental in its decline. Gnaeus Pompeius’s measures to gain power were harmful because it was primarily a paradox to the principles of being part of a Republic with all its notions of shared and short power. The fundamental reason why there were other reasons for the decline of the system are that the military power was given to him, the already weak Senate, and the fact that Pompey was not the only player in the breakdown of the Republic due to the alliances he had made with Crassus and Caesar.

Although Pompey’s quest for power through military achievements was harmful to the Republic, this power was bestowed upon him by the Senate. Thus the already weakened Republican system must bear some responsibility for its own demise. According to the modern historian Williams, after the Gracchi, there was a “slow but discernable decline in both the prestige and authority of the Senate”. This indicates that the Senate had already lost some of its power after being challenged by these reformist brothers, which suggests its inability to stand up to the power of individuals. According to the same author, after showing “remarkable initiative by raising an army to support Sulla and fighting the supporters of Marius in Sicily and Africa, Pompey demanded a triumph” despite being well aware that he was underage and had held not military position. This is verified by Pliny who writes that after such conquests, Pompey had been given the title of “The Gr...

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...cted upon the system. Thus, though Pompey was unarguably, being part of the three way alliance, an important player in the downfall of the Republic, others like Caesar and Crassus also played part.

While Pompey’s ambitious nature and hence seeking of ultimate power was detrimental to the fall of the Roman Republic, other factors which also helped him achieve this power were perhaps the fundamental reason for its decline. The Senate was already weak for allowing Pompey to exploit the military and political system to his own advantage and hence to achieve this power, while in the final years of the Republic (which were evidently most damaging to the system) when the First Triumvirate was formed, the other individuals Caesar and Crassus also played a major part in the harm of the Republic. Now what the Romans had feared most all along was well and truly underway.