. The grandeur that was Rome; a survey of Roman culture and civilisation:. ecret of his career. LikeMarius he was a general and no statesman, but he was a verygreat general, and one of the few honest men, one might almostsay one of the few gentlemen, of his period. The tragedy of hislife was to be born in such a period. He had disdained theminor ofiices of state, and relying on his military renown but indefiance of the law, he stood for the consulship in 70 Asthe official aristocracy objected he went over to the democrats,and allied himself with Crassus. These two, elected underthreat of
. The grandeur that was Rome; a survey of Roman culture and civilisation:. ecret of his career. LikeMarius he was a general and no statesman, but he was a verygreat general, and one of the few honest men, one might almostsay one of the few gentlemen, of his period. The tragedy of hislife was to be born in such a period. He had disdained theminor ofiices of state, and relying on his military renown but indefiance of the law, he stood for the consulship in 70 Asthe official aristocracy objected he went over to the democrats,and allied himself with Crassus. These two, elected underthreat of Pompeiuss army, straightway repealed most of theSullan constitution, and restored the balance of power to theknights and the assembly. At the end of the year Pompeiusretired into private life. This was characteristic of him; hewas capable of grandiose schemes but he lived in fear ofpublic opinion, and he was really moved when orators spoke ofillegality. Meanwhile there was a loud demand for somecomprehensive scheme of attack upon the pirates. No ordinary * Plate 14. 108. Plate 15. BUST OF CICERO{See p. 146) LAST CENTURY OF THE REPUBLICconsular command would do. Even the Roman senate was bythis time convinced that it was useless to send legions andcavalry against pirate ships. Accordingly a Gabinian Law of67 gave to Pompeius a command of unprecedented of money were voted to him, he was to be supremeover all the seas and all the coasts for fifty miles inland for threeyears, with a staff of twenty-five legates, and all governors wereto obey his orders. The price of corn fell at once: Pompeiusdiscovered abundance of it in the granaries of the Sicilian corntrust. Then he began a systematic drive of the seas, and inabout three months had cleared them. Thousands of pirateswere caught and crucified. All this made Pompeius the mostpowerful and the most dangerous man in Rome. Next the tribune Manilius, in whose favour that risingnovtis hojno the friend of our youth, Ma
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