Rome, Blood & Power by Gareth C. Sampson

Author:Gareth C. Sampson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Military / Ancient
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books
Published: 2019-07-30T00:00:00+00:00

Summary

It was in these crucial few years that the tensions which had been bubbling under the surface in the Republic finally broke free. The period began with an attempt by a cabal of Rome’s leading men to seize control of the Republic (through legitimate means) and attempt to bring calm to domestic politics in Rome whilst shaping her imperial ambitions. Yet even though it was a rule of three, in effect Rome itself was to be dominated by Pompeius, mastering the resources of all three Triumvirs, whilst his two colleagues fought overseas. Yet despite this attempt to modify the nature of the Republic, and despite all their combined wealth and influence, their control of Roman political life did not last beyond their year in office and was followed by political paralysis and then the total breakdown of republican government, as best exemplified by the symbolism of the Senate House burning as Clodius’ funeral pyre.

Yet throughout this chaos the position of Pompeius became even stronger. The Roman defeat at Carrhae removed his long-time rival and associated network of patronage and allowed Pompeius to cement his dominant position in Rome. The murder of Clodius brought matters to a head and plunged the Republic into a crisis so grave that even Pompeius’ opponents in the Senate felt they had no choice but to appoint a Dictator in all but name.

Thus, we can see a period of experimentation in the Republic, first with a Triumvirate of Rome’s most powerful men and then with a sole figure to act as guardian of the Republic. The first experiment proved to be short lived, though one of the great ‘what ifs’ of history concerns the ramifications for the Republic of the victorious return of Crassus from the First Romano-Parthian War. Aside from such speculation, even Rome’s most powerful men could not control Roman politics, once they had no formal office, a lesson which all who came after were to learn. The key aspect though would be the success of the second experiment in Republican government: the (temporary) appointment of one man to restore peace and act as guardian of the Republic, and what consequences that would bring.

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