The Late Republic 121-44

The Late Republic 121-44,
Post Sulla era 70s and 60s

Sulla retires and the aftermath
1. P. Servilius and App. Claudius Pulcher coss. 79 under Sulla’s eye
2. Sulla retires to the country to hunt and indulge self
3. Q. Aemilius Lepidus and – consuls in 78, a near civil war
4. Metellius Pius and Pompey sent to Spain to destroy Sertorius
5. Sertorius defeats them, but is assassinated by his lieutenant Perpenna
6. Pompey restores rule in Spain, builds ties to local towns
7. Stage set for new leaders: Pompey, Catulus, Crassus, Lucullus

I. 70s BC an era of fading few old faces - 63
1. Q. Caecilius Metellius Pius – got his father’s exile lifted, a total optimatis ally of Sulla, made Pontifex Maximus (think Pat Robertson)
2. Q. Lutatius Catulus (cos. 78) conservative, but has integrity (think John McCain)
3. App. Claudius Pulcher (cos 79) a leading elder statesmen (Dick Lugar) whose offspring would dominate the next generation
4. L. Licinius Lucullus (cos. 74) strict but first-rate commander, often overlooked by historians. Not popular, but solid, almost another Manlius Torquatus
5. Q. Hortensius (cos. 69) - best lawyer in Rome. Antonin Scalia
6. Q. Sertorius – Marian rebel who occupied Spain for a decade (Sam Houston)

II. Rising new faces
1. Cn. Pompey Magnus - (cos. 70, 55, 52) military genius, but political inconnue. Sided with Sulla and brought down many populares commanders.
2. M. Licinius Crassus (cos. 70, 55) – on the rise, his father was executed by Marius so he joined Sulla, but he is unpredictable save his greed (think a sane Ross Perot maybe back in 1980)
3. M. Tullius Cicero (cos. 63) – a rising novus homo, eager to prove himself in the courts and ingratiate himself to the old nobility
4. L. Sergius Catalina – bankrupt patrician who is desperate for power

III. The collapse of the Syrian Seleucid dynasty creates chaos in Asia. Foreign wars draw Lucullus and Pompey to the East where they conquer great territories and face down Tigran the Great and Mithridates VI. At the same time, Sertorius maintains a Popularis Res Publica in Spain that defies central authority until his assassination.

IV. Spartacus rebels in Capua, 73-71
1. Spartacus may have once been a Roman auxiliary in army, now a gladiator
2. S. breaks out of the training school in Capua w/80 friends and raided
3. Slaves begin to flock to him and join his force, Rs send a legion, he defeats it
4. After defeating a second army in 73, S marches N and defeats both consuls in his attempt to escape Italy into Gaul
5. His men insist on plundering Italy, so he turns back. A compact with pirates fails and he is trapped in Bruttium by Crassus
6. S escapes as far as Lucania, but Crassus catches his force and defeats it
7. Pompey arrives and sweeps up refugees to steal credit from Crassus.
8. After nearly coming to blows, Crassus and Pompey run for consulships of 70
9. Signif: A – risky-latifundia system, B – nearly toppled R from within, C - reform of slave management, D – do not believe Kubrick film

V. Rome in 60s
1. Literary era of Lucretius, Cicero, et al.
2. Politics remain open to 20 families in consulship
3. Cicero, a novus homo, breaks into the consulship of 63
4. Pirates plague Mediterranean until lex Gabinia
5. Revolution of Cataline foiled by Cicero (Sallust, Cicero as sources)
6. Beginning of Cato-Caesar rivalry
7. Julius elected Pontifex Maximus in 63 when Metellus Pius dies

VI. The 50’s the last decade of the republic as a free-ish representative gvt.
1. Senatorial ostracism bonds Julius, Pompey, Crassus in First Triumvirate
2. Julius as consul in 59 draws opposition of Bibulus and optimates
3. Julius governs Gauls and Illyricum,
4. Clodius forces Cicero into exile 58, P lets Cicero return 57
5. Allies of Triumvirate hold consulship until 54 when tide turns
6. Foes of Triumvirate gain consulships of 54-49 and P’s 5th wife lures him into the optimatis camp.
7. Senate deprives Julius of his command and he invades Italy (Jan 49).