POMPEIUS, GN.r's MAGNUS, commonly known as or POMPEY THE GREAT (B.c. 106-48). A famous Roman general and states man. He was a son of Omens Pompeii's Strain). At the early age of seventeen he be gan to learn the military art under his father by service in the field against the Italians in the Social War. Though so young, he gave proof of extraordMary valor and of remarkable energy of character. On the death of his father in B.C. 87, when he was only nineteen years of age, he was left without a protector, and during the temporary triumphs of the Marian party he was for some time in considerable danger. When Sella, to whose side he was attached, returned from Greece to Italy to oppose Marius, Pompey hastened into l'ieenum, where he had considerable estates and influence, and there raised an army of three legions, with which he successfully opposed the forces of the :Marian party, compelling them to quit the district, and effecting a junction with Saila. During the rest of the war he conducted himself with great prudence and valor, and with such remarkable success, that on the restoration of peace in Italy. the conduct of the war against the remains of the :Marian faction in Africa and Sicily was intrusted to him. He speedily per formed this commission. and on his return to Rome was honored with the name of Magnus (i.e. 'the Great'), and with a triumph. which, for one who had not yet held any public office, and was merely an (vies, was an imprecedented distinction. His next exploits were the reduction of the followers of Lepidus, whom he drove out of Italy, and the extinction of the Marian party in Spain, led on by the brave Sertorius. This latter work was one of no small difficulty. Pom pey suffered some severe defeats at time hands of Sertorins, and it was only after Sertorius had been assassinated that he was able to put an end to the war. In returning to Italy, he fell in with and defeated the remnants of the army of Spar tact's, and thus claimed the credit of concluding the Servile War.
He was now the idol of the people. and, though legally ineligible to the consulship, was elected to that important office for the year 70, the senate relieving him of his disabilities rather than provoke him to extremities. Hitherto Pom pey had belonged to the aristocratic party; but, as lie had of late years been looked upon with suspicion by some of the leading men, lie publicly espoused the people's cause. lie carried a law restoring the tribunician power to the people. aml aided largely in introducing the bill of Au relius Cotta (lex Aurelia), that the judiccs should for the future be taken from the senate. the equitcs, and the tribuni acrarii. instead of from the senate alone. In B.C. 67-66 Pompey per formed a noble service for the Republic in clearing the Mediterranean of the Cilician pirate, who infested it in immense numbers; and during the next three years, 65-63.11e conquered Mithridates,
King of Pontus. and Tigranes. King of Armenia, annexed Syria to the Roman dominions, took Jerusalem, and made .Judea tributary to Rome. On his return to Italy lie disbanded his army, and entered Rome in triumph for the third time in 61. After his return he was anxious that his acts in Asia should be ratified by the senate and certain lands apportioned among his veteran sol diers. But the senate declined to accede to his wish, and he therefore formed a close intimacy and mutual alliance with Caesar. Cras,us. who possessed enormous wealth, and who exercised a wide influence at Rome, was induced to forego his grudge to Pompey. and thus these three men formed among themselves that coalition which is commonly called 'the first triumvirate,' and which for a time frustrated all the efforts of the aristocratic party. This small oligarchy carried all before them.
Caesar's daughter, Julia, was given in marriage to Pompey, and private relationship was thus made to bind tighter the tie of political interest. And now, for some years following. Ciesar was reaping laurels in Gaul. and rising higher in pop ular esteem as a warrior and statesman, while Pompey was idly wasting his time and his ener gies at Rome. But Pompey could not bear a rival. Jealousies sprang up: Julia died in 54. Pompey returned to his former friends, the aris tocracy, whose great desire was to check Caesar's views and to strip him of his command. Caesar was ordered to lay down his office and return to Rome, which he consented to do. provided Pom pey. who had an army near Rome, would do the same. The senate insisted on an unconditional resignation, and ordered him to di-hand his army by a certain day, otherwise he would he declared a public enemy. To this resolution two of the tribunes in vain objected : they therefore left the city and cast themselves on Ca-sal- for protection. It was on this memorable occasion that he crossed the Rubicon, and thus defied the senate and its armies, which were under Pompey's command. The events of the civil war which followed have been recorded in the life of Cesar. It remains only to mention that after being finally defeated at Pharsalia in 48 Pompey escaped to Egypt, where, according to the order of the King's min.
inters, he was treacherously murdered by a for mer centurion of his own, as he was landing from the boat. Ilis head was cut off, and afterwards presented to Ca'sar on his arrival in Egypt. But Cesar was too magnanimous to delight in such a sight. and ordered that the murderer be put to death. Pompey's body lay on the beach for some time, but was at length buried by a freedman, Philippus, who had accompanied his master to the shore.