Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 135 BC |
| Died | 87 BC |
| Nationality | Roman |
| Office | |
| Children | Pompey andPompeia |
| Parents |
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| Military service | |
| Battles/wars | Social War Bellum Octavianum |
| Awards | Triumph |
Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo (c. 135 – 87 BC) was a Roman general and politician, who served asconsul in 89 BC. He is often referred to in English asPompey Strabo, to distinguish him from his son, the famousPompey the Great, or fromStrabo the geographer.
Strabo, thecognomen, means "cross eyed". He lived in theRoman Republic and was born and raised into a noble family inPicenum (in the south and the north of the modern regions ofMarche andAbruzzo respectively) in centralItaly, on theAdriatic Coast. Strabo's mother was called Lucilia. Lucilia's family originated from Suessa Aurunca (modernSessa Aurunca) and she was a sister of satiric poetGaius Lucilius. Lucilius was a friend of Roman generalScipio Aemilianus. Strabo's paternal grandfather was Gnaeus Pompeius, while his father was Sextus Pompeius. His elder brother wasSextus Pompeius and his sister wasPompeia.
Strabo was a prominent member of thePompeii, a noble family inPicenum, in central Italy. The Pompeii had become the richest and most prominent family of the region, and had a largeclientele and a lot of influence in Picenum and Rome. Despite the anti-rural prejudice of theRoman Senate, the Pompeii could not be ignored. After serving in the military, probably as amilitary tribune, Strabo climbed thecursus honorum and becamepromagistrate in Sicily 93 BC andconsul in the year 89 BC, in the midst of theSocial War.
Despite Strabo's provincial roots, he and his family were Roman citizens and therefore took up Rome's cause during thecivil war the Republic fought against its Italian Allies. He commanded his forces against the Italian rebels in the northern part of Italy. First he recruited three or fourlegions in his native Picenum; then he marched them south against the rebels. In 90 BC, while marching his legions south through Picenum, he was suddenlyattacked by a large force ofPicentes,Vestini andMarsi.[2] Although the battle favoured neither side, Strabo was heavily outnumbered and he decided to withdraw. Eventually he found himself blockaded in Picenum, but in the autumn of 90 he launchedtwo sorties that successfully caught his enemies in a pincer.[3] The remnants of the enemy army retreated to Asculum, which Strabo decided to starve into submission.[3] Through his successful counter-offensive he became very popular, and he used his fame to get elected as one of the consuls for 89 BC, his consular partner beingLucius Porcius Cato. Strabo attacked and defeated a rebel column trying to march into Etruria, killing 5,000 rebels. Another 5,000 died while trying to get back across the Apennines.[4] Strabo's consular colleague Lucius Porcius Cato engaged the Marsi in battle nearFucine Lake (close to Alba Fucensis), but he died in an attempt to storm the enemy camp; this left Strabo as sole consul.[5] The exact details of the siege of Asculum and the reduction of the neighbouring tribes are obscure. We hear of a hugebattle near Asculum, where Strabo defeated an Italian relief army of 60,000 men.[6] Soon after Asculum fell, Strabo had the rebel leaders whipped and executed, and auctioned off all of their belongings.[6] He kept the proceeds of these sales, an action which might explain his reputation for greed.[6] At the end of his term as consul, Strabo apparently sought a second immediate consulship for the year 88 BC – an act that was not illegal, as the case ofGaius Marius demonstrates in the late second century, but was highly irregular nonetheless. Strabo evidently failed in his attempt, asLucius Cornelius Sulla andQuintus Pompeius Rufus were elected consuls.
Strabo celebrated atriumph for his victories against the Italian Allies on 27 December 89. After his consulship expired a few days later, he retired toPicenum with all of his veteran soldiers. He did not disband his army but kept it in the field. TheSenate soon transferred command of his army toQuintus Pompeius Rufus, one of the new consuls. However, when Pompeius Rufus arrived, he was murdered by Strabo's soldiers.[7] Strabo did not interfere when Sulla marched on and took Rome in 88 BC. He remained in Picenum until 87 BC, when he responded to the Senate's request for help againstGaius Marius andLucius Cornelius Cinna who were also marching their forces on Rome. Strabo took his army to Rome; he did, however, not decisively commit to either side, instead playing both against the other. For this,Publius Rutilius Rufus referred to him as "the vilest man alive". When negotiations with the Cinna-Marian faction fell through he did, however, attackQuintus Sertorius, one of Cinna's commanders, who was positioned north of the city, but the attack was without success.[8]
In 87 BC, Strabo and his army established their camp outside the Colline Gate. The unsanitary conditions of the camp led to an outbreak of disease among his troops. Strabo himself caught dysentery and died a few days later, still in his camp outside the Colline Gate. His avarice and cruelty had made him hated by the soldiers to such a degree that they tore his corpse from the bier and dragged it through the streets.[9] Another story expounded by Plutarch claimed that the general died after being struck by lightning.[10]
His son, Pompey the Great, took the legions back to Picenum. He would use them to support Sulla a few years later.
Strabo had at least two children: a son,Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, and a daughter,Pompeia, who married Gaius Memmius and thenPublius Cornelius Sulla.[11]
In his honour his name was given to the cities ofAlba Pompeia andLaus Pompeia.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Pompey".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 56–58.
| Preceded by | Roman consul 89 BC With:Lucius Porcius Cato | Succeeded by |
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