The First Triumvirate

The First Triumvirate

"3 paragraphs, why did Caesar, Pompey and Crassus need the (amicittia) First Triumvirate."

Crassus' motives for the need for the First Triumvirate according to Scullard are as follows,

"Crassus supported a request from a company of tax-gatherers that the Senate should adjust a bad bargain which they had made in contracting for the taxes of Asia."

His supporters had found out that Asia had been 'economically raped' due to the Mithradatic wars, where Asia was sandwiched. Cato, basically turning Crassus' political career towards the wall and going nowhere, rejected the one-third rebate. This was really bad in political terms his career had stagnated for such a politically ambitious man.

Pompey's motives for the need of the First Triumvirate are according to Scullard both political and personal. As Scullard seems to suggest,

" ... Pompey had been rebuffed by the Optimates in both his private and public life. Cato rejected a suggestion that Pompey should marry one of his relations, but of greater importance was Pompey's double request that his eastern settlement should be ratified by the Senate and that land should be provided for his veterans."

Pompey who had promised his veterans land. The way he disbanded his army and approached the Senate alone requesting his reasonable requests seems to suggest that he was fairly confident that he had achieved enough, and that the Senate would pass the request, but instead the Senate rejected his requests. A few attempts where made to pass the land bill for his troops with the use of Afranius and Metellus Celer both proved ineffective. His political career had too stagnated and hit the wall, this would be going nowhere. The senate rejecting the ratification of the eastern settlement, which is perfectly normal due to the fact that sources suggest that Pompey did it on his own, will and did not consult the senate, so the even though what he did was an extraordinary achievement the Senate can say no and so they did.

Caesar upon arriving back from his outstanding success, in Spain he paid back his enormous debt to Crassus and still a multi millionare. On his return he wanted a triumph and the consulship, but since he could not as a commander enter the city to stand for election, he asked the Senate for permission to stand in absentia.

"Though there were precedents, the Senate refused."

Caesar abandoned his triumph and entered Rome as an ordinary candidate.