Pompey's Road to the Empire
After Pompey served his time on Consul he was given command over the
Mediterranean, where he did what nobody else had successfully done before:
he rid it of Pirates. Pompey then went to various places, establishing an
ally of the King of Armenia, capturing Jerusalem, and making Syria a Roman
duty. Pompey was a great general, but not a very good politician.
In 59 BC Pompey returned to Rome to find that tensions with himself
and Crassus had grown. Both Crassus and Pompey had large armies, but also
pieces of the city that were loyal to them. Cicero, the leader of the senate,
allied himself with Pompey through great flattery. Cicero told Pompey that
he shall be the protector of the republic. Crassus had other plans, and
by 57 BC both men were in Italy with their armies. Before war broke out
Julius Caesar stepped in.
Caesar offered his talents as a neutral negotiator and convinced the
three men, Pompey, Crassus, and Cicero, to meet. The men worked out an agreement.
One which had never been made before among the leaders of Rome. Caesar convinced
Crassus and Pompey to join their power and influence with his own. Caesar
was a successful leader of Gaul at this time. So the three agreed, and formed
what is today known as the First Triumvirate. During this time Pompey married
(most likely for political reasons) Julia, Caesar's daughter.