Pompey the Great: A Political Biography

Pompey the Great was one of the most important military commanders and politicians in the history of the Roman republic. Ruthless and manipulative –– "moderate in everything but seeking domination," according to the historian Sallust –– he also inspired devotion from his soldiers and friends. His achievements –– including the defeat of Rome′s most dangerous enemy, the conquest of large territories in the Near East, and the suppression of piracy in the Mediterranean – made him worthy of comparison with his namesake, Alexander the Great. This clearly written and dynamic biography is ideal for readers interested in the last generation of the Roman republic, the age of Lucullus, Crassus, Cato, Cicero and Julius Caesar. The book features a substantial introduction providing the historical background essential for understanding Pompey′s career. Its afterword assesses the most up–to–date scholarship on the age of Pompey. A chronological table and glossary orient newcomers to Roman history. Pompey the Great gives readers a look inside the political and military world of ancient Rome and at one of the characters that shaped its destiny.

Preface. Abbreviations. List of maps. Introduction: The Historical Background from the Gracchi to Sulla. 1. Cn. Pomepeius Strabo. 2. Pompeius, Cinna and Sulla. 3. The Rise to the Consulship. 4. The Commands Against the Pirates and Mithradates. 5. Pompeius in the East. 6. Rome in the Absence of Pompeius. 7. The Return of Pomepius. 8. The Consulship of Caesar. 9. The Exile of Cicero. 10. The Conference of Luca. 11. The Second Consulship and the Growth of Anarchy. 12. The Third Consulship and the Approach of Civil War. 13. The Civil War. 14. Conclusion. Afterword. Appendix 1 The Chronology of Caesar′s Legation in 59. Appendix 2 The Terminal Date of Caesar′s Gallic Command. Select Bibliography. Chronological table. Glossary. Index.

Robin Seager is Reader in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Liverpool. He has previously lectured at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and was a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of New England, Armidale and Langford Eminent Scholar Chair at Florida State University. His previous books include Tiberius (1972) and Ammianus Marcellinus, Seven Studies in His Language and Thought (1986).

"Displays a high degree of expertise and professional competence . . . an important contribution to the understanding of the late Republic and a valuable tool for future researchers." History <!––end––> "An authoritative volume which is likely for many years to remain essential reading for students of the Late Republic. . . highly recommended." Greece and Rome "The new edition makes this volume one of the most ready references on this subject in English, and the chronological table and the glossary are exemplary for a biography on a Roman topic. Seager′s work has stood the test of time and will continue to do so." Bryn Mawr Classical Review