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POLTR - CHEAT SHEET79 BC - 43 BC
Background
753: Romulus and Remus founded Rome
509: King Taquinius Superbus was overthrown leading to the transition of Rome from a
monarchy to a republic.
146 BC: Social change in Rome - With the destruction of Corinth and Carthage, Rome adds two
new wealthy territories to her state. A seemingly expansionist foreign policy had increased Rome’s
wealth, particularly for the elite. However, farmer-citizens, who had spent their time in the army,
returned to unworked farms and were forced to Rome to seek alternative employment. An in ux
of slaves acquired during Rome’s conquests had meant that there was less demand for farm
labourers. Rome became overcrowded and poverty and unemployment grew. With this social
change, a new order emerged, the equites, who took advantage of the commercial opportunities
now available.
133 BC: The Land Bill of Tiberius Gracchus - By this point, two factions within the nobiles were
emerging, the optimates and populares. Tiberius Gracchus was a popularis tribune of the plebs in
133. He proposed the redistribution of public land to bene t those su ering from the
dispossession of their farms while they had been in service to the Roman army. Tiberius bypassed
the senate and took his proposal directly to the assembly of the people for con rmation. The bill
was vetoed by a fellow tribune whom Tiberius promptly suggested by dismissed. Tiberius’
proposal was passed, his opposing tribune deposed and the land bill was passed by the people
independently of the senate. Tiberius then tried to stand for re-election of the tribuneship, a
position usually held for just one year. A group of optimate sympathisers beat Tiberius and three
hundred of his supporters to death, throwing their bodies into the river Tiber by night.
88 - 87 BC: Social war - Civil war between Sulla and Marius
82 BC: Sulla - Both of the consuls had been killed, creating a power vacuum in Rome. Flaccus
was appointed ‘interrex’, mediating until a future ruler could be arranged. Sulla was then
appointed dictator. Sulla then took up the consulship in 80 BC.
80 BC: Sulla’s consulship
Pompey
• 88 - 87: Pompey supported Sulla and the optimates in the civil war.
• 82: Pompey secure Sicily for Sulla.
• After his victories, Pompey demanded a triumph but Sulla refused (it would be illegal for a young
private citizen who had never held a magistracy). Pompey refused to accept this and presented
himself at the gates of Rome with his army - Sulla gave in.
• 78: Pompey asked the senate for imperium in Hispania to deal with Sertorius.
• 76 - 71: Pompey was in Hispania.
• 73 - 71: Meanwhile Crassus was ending the Spartacus’ revolt and had defeated his army. Whilst
marching towards Rome, Pompey encountered the leftovers of Spartacus’ army. He captured
5000 slaves and claimed the glory for defeating the revolt, infuriating Crassus.
• 71: Pompey was awarded a triumph and was widely popular in Rome.
• 70: Pompey was elected consul with Crassus, despite being only 35 and holding no previous
magistracy. During his consulship, Pompey and Crassus destroyed what was left of Sulla’s
reforms. Full powers were returned to the tribunes and juries were to comprise of half senators,
half equites.
• 67: The Lex Gabinia - pro-Pompeian tribune Gabinius proposed that Pompey should be given
imperium to rid the Mediterranean of pirates who had for a long time disrupted trade and the
food supply to Rome. Pompey overrode Metellus, who was already ghting the pirates.
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, • 66: The Lex Manilia - Gaius Manilius proposed that Pompey’s imperium should be extended so
that he could ght Mithridates in the East - this included the right to declare war and make
peace. This responsibility up until now had been held by Lucius Lucullus. Caesar and Cicero (as
praetor) supported the bill. Cicero made a speech, Pro Lege Manilia, advocating for the bill and
praising Pompey’s achievements. This brought Cicero further popularity.
• 61: In early 61, Pompey reached Brundisium with his army, which he disbanded when he arrived
in Italy. His successful campaign in the East had led to the annexation of the kingdom of
Mirthridates and the Seleucid dynasty. His campaign had brought 480 million sesterces to the
Roman treasury, and his organisation of Roman territory in the East was to raise the annual tex
revenue to Rome from 200 million to 340 million sesterces. He promised to provide land for his
veterans and needed his treaties for the eastern settlement rati ed. Cicero supported Pompey,
but the senate refused his requests, led by Cato. As a nal insult, Pompey sought Cato’s niece’s
hand in marriage and Cato refused - a public denial of amicitia.
• 58: Pompey retreated from public life for the majority of 58, after being treated to public attack
by Clodius’ gangs and rumours of assassination attempts against him.
• 55: Crassus is consul with Pompey.
• 54: Caesar’s daughter and Pompey’s wife, Julia, died in childbirth with her baby.
• 52: Pompey married the daughter of Quintus Metellus Scipio, demonstrating the new bond
between Pompey and the senatorial elite. The senate, led by Cato, moved to elect Pompey sole
consul for 52, and later Pompey chose his new father-in-law to share the consulship.
Caesar
• Caesar was born into a patrician family, which claimed descent from Iulus, son of Aeneas.
Despite their impressive ancestry, the Caesars were not especially in uential except Caesar’s
aunt, who married Marius.
• Caesar supported Marius. Following Sulla’s nal victory, Caesar was stripped of his inheritance
and his priesthood and went into hiding.
• 78: Caesar returned to Rome.
• 75: Julius decided to go to Rhodes, Greece to learn the skills of oration. On the way he was
captured by pirates and held to ransom. He was in captivity for a month until the ransom was
paid. After he was released, Caesar then executed the pirates.
• 72: Caesar is military tribune.
• 69: Caesar served his quaestorship in Spain. Caesar’s aunt, Julia, dies. He parades the Marius
mask around Rome.
• 67: He married Pompeia - a grand-daughter of Sulla.
• 67-66: Caesar supported the laws giving Pompey imperium.
• 65: Caesar becomes aedile with Crassus’ support.
• 63: Caesar was pontifex maximus.
• 62: Caesar was praetor.
• 61: He governed Spain as pro-praetor. Caesar returns from Spain as wants both a triumph to
celebrate his successes and to campaign for consul the following year. He asks the senate to
campaign in absentia as he cannot cross into Rome because it would compromise his triumph.
The senate refuse, so Caesar gives up his triumph.
• 59: Consul with Bibulus, Cato’s son-in-law. Caesar’s most pressing concern was to placate
Pompey’s veteran soldiers. He brought the case for land allocation to the senate, where Cato
and the optimates rejected it. Caesar then took it to the people’s assembly where it was passed.
Bibulus, with the support of the optimates proclaimed a sacred period for all the remaining days
of the year, during which any legislation passed would be considered illegal and
unconstitutional. Bibulus stayed in his house for the following eight months, claiming that, as an
augur, he was ‘watching the skies’. Caesar later introduced the Campanian Law, which ruled
that the remaining public land of Italy, in Campania, should be divided into 20,000 pieces of and
and distributed to veterans and fathers of large urban families. This meant uprooting the rural
peasantry who had been cultivating this land. A rebate of 1/3 was agreed for Crassus’ equites
and the tax collectors. He passed legislation that restricted the exploitation of the provinces by
Roman governors and their sta , received with bitterness by the optimates.
As consul in 59, Caesar had succeeded in establishing for himself military command of Gaul and
Illyricum for ve years with three legions, the rebate demanded by Crassus for the tax-farmer and
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