J.C.
Armstrong
Honors 141
Character Report
September 19, 2002
Gnaeus Pompey
I. Historical Context for Pompey's life
A. First Triumvirate formed with Caesar and Crassus 60 BC
B. Assassinated in Egypt in 48 BC
C. Key Role in Rome's expansion
D. Major actor in world affairs
II. Brief Biography of Pompey
A. Born 106 BC to Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo
B. Fought civil war at age of 17
C. Major victories
1. Recovered Sicily
2. Destroyed Marian Party in Spain 76-71 BC
3. Ended Servile War 70 BC
4. Cleared the Mediterranean on Pirates 66-67 BC
5. Conquered Mithradates 66 BC
D. Elected Consul with Crassus in 70 BC
E. Part of "First Triumvirate" 60-54 BC
F. Civil war with Caesar begins in 49 BC
G. Pharsalus on August 9, 48 BC
H. Asks Ptolemy XIII for help
I. Murdered on September 28, 48 BC
III. Assessments of Pompey
A. Military Genius
B. Poor Politician
C. What if?
IV. Principle Sources
A. Dr. Gregory Daugherty, Professor of Classics, Randolph-Macon
College
B. Greenhalch, Peter. Pompey: The Roman Alexander. Columbia, 1981.
C. Leach, John. Pompey the Great. Dover, 1978
D. Plutarch. Roman Lives. Oxford, 1999.
E. Pompey the Great http://library.thinkquest.org/11402/bio_pompey.html
F. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus http://heraklia.fws1.com/contemporaries/pompey/
V. Relationship with Cleopatra
A. Roman leader
B. Caesar's Rival
VI. Casting
A. Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Field of Dreams)
Summary:
Pompey
Michelle Orton
Gnaeus Pompey was a key figure in this time of Rome's history. He
played the largest role in Rome's expansion. Pompey was part of
the First Triumvirate along with Caesar and Crassus in the year
60 BC. He ended up being assassinated in Egypt in the year 48 BC.
Pompey was born in 106 BC to Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo who was killed
in battle during the civil war. During that same civil war Pompey,
age 17, also fought and became a leader of many victories at a very
young age for a warrior. He had 3 official triumphs but in reality
there were more than that. His major victories were recovering Italy,
destroying the Marian Party in Spain, ending the Servile War, clearing
the Mediterranean of Pirates and Conquering Mithradates. In 70 BC
Pompey was then elected for the council with Crassus. From 60-54
BC he was also a part of the first triumvirate but it began to fall
apart when Pompey's wife (Caesar's daughter) died and Crassus died.
In 49 BC Pompey started a civil war with Caesar and was unable to
hold Italy. With huge losses he began a run through the Mediterranean
with Caesar chasing at his heals. Pompey went to Egypt to ask for
Ptolemy XIII for help with money and troops. However, he went to
shore alone and as he stepped onto shore he was murdered, on September
28, 48 BC. He was a military genius and his weakness was being a
poor politician but if Cleo had been in power at the time who's
to say how great Pompey's power could have gotten.