Pompey the Great: A Political Biography (Blackwell Ancient Lives) [Paperback]

Robin Seager (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631227210 | ISBN-13: 978-0631227212 | Publication Date: September 23, 2002 | Edition: 2

Pompey the Great gives readers a look inside the political and military world of ancient Rome and at one of the characters that shaped its destiny

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Displays a high degree of expertise and professional competence . . . an important contribution to the understanding of the late Republic and a valuable tool for future researchers." History

"An authoritative volume which is likely for many years to remain essential reading for students of the Late Republic. . . highly recommended." Greece and Rome

"The new edition makes this volume one of the most ready references on this subject in English, and the chronological table and the glossary are exemplary for a biography on a Roman topic. Seager's work has stood the test of time and will continue to do so." Bryn Mawr Classical Review

From the Back Cover

Pompey the Great was one of the most important military commanders and politicians in the history of the Roman republic. Ruthless and manipulative -- "moderate in everything but seeking domination," according to the historian Sallust -- he also inspired devotion from his soldiers and friends. His achievements -- including the defeat of Rome's most dangerous enemy, the conquest of large territories in the Near East, and the suppression of piracy in the Mediterranean - made him worthy of comparison with his namesake, Alexander the Great.

This clearly written and dynamic biography is ideal for readers interested in the last generation of the Roman republic, the age of Lucullus, Crassus, Cato, Cicero and Julius Caesar. The book features a substantial introduction providing the historical background essential for understanding Pompey's career. Its afterword assesses the most up-to-date scholarship on the age of Pompey. A chronological table and glossary orient newcomers to Roman history.

Pompey the Great gives readers a look inside the political and military world of ancient Rome and at one of the characters that shaped its destiny.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (September 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631227210
• ISBN-13: 978-0631227212
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,173,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredibly detailed look at a fascinating man and era, September 16, 2005

By 

BK (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pompey the Great: A Political Biography (Blackwell Ancient Lives) (Paperback)

The story of the rise and fall of Pompey is the story of the fall of the Roman Republic and its eventual rebirth as an Imperial empire. Both coincide with each other with ones gains coming at the expense of the other. However, Pompey did not initiate the events that began the Republics downward spiral. Rather he helped hasten them to their inevitable conclusion. And so begins Robin Seager's historical biography on Pompey.

Seager begins first at the events that set in motion the decline of the Republic and the rise of Pompey (and others sharing the same limitless ambitions) by discussing the popular reforms attempted by the Gracchi brothers to return land to the landless. Over the years, war service and an influx of slaves through military conquests had led to many Romans losing their farm lands and losing the ability to work in the agricultural sector. On top of this, once Romans lost their land, they no longer qualified for military service and thus the state lost a soldier. The reforms attempted to correct this reality by providing recently conquered land to the landless. The Senate, greatly opposing this as it would affect them financially, ensured that the reforms failed. This event marked the growing conflict between the Senate and the Tribunes (who directly represented the peoples interest, theoretically) over control of the Republic. An event that sparked bitter rivalries between equites (a sort of merchant class who were wealthy but until recently stayed out of politics) who demanded recognition and respect from the Senate and the aristocrats who believed it was their innate right to govern through exclusion.

Seager continues to set the stage for Pompey's entrance by discussing his father (Pompeius Strabo) and Sulla, both of whom had strong influences on Pompey. They reinforced the value of loyal troops and the value of maintaining multiple connections in the Senate, something Pompey would never forget (although he wasn't very skilful in the latter leading to problems later on). Over time, as Pompey built a reputation for himself, he won numerous accolades from the Senate on his victories in Spain, his successful war against the Mediterranean pirates and his accomplishments in the East against Mithradates. He also shrewdly took credit for the defeat of Spartacus even though he arrived too late for the final battle. With these victories he expected to be no less then worshipped by the people and the Senate. However, the reality proved different. Being humiliated and shunned, as the Senate wanted to ensure Pompey understood his rightful place in the Republic's hierarchy (he was from a relatively young wealthy family and thus did not have the long-established family history other Senators had); Pompey allied himself with another brash rising star, Caesar. All these events, as Seager discussed, amplified the decay of the Republic's core foundations. Rather then upholding the Republics values (regardless of how suspect and imaginative they were), these men began placing their importance and prestige first. With this change in focus, it would only be a matter of time when the Republic would be torn apart into rival factions vying for its crown. Seager brilliantly brings all these events to light. He covers every step of the deterioration through the life of Pompey who had an integral part in ushering in this new era. From his first salute to Sulla as imperator to his final stand in Greece, Seager, in a comprehensive narrative, outlines Pompey's many decisions, the reasoning behind them and their eventual consequences to himself and the Republic.

Although I strongly recommend this book (6 stars if it existed), a prospective reader needs to keep a few things in mind before purchasing this book. The books, at-many-times, excessive details does have its failings mainly being that the book can at times drag on. Add in Seager's obsession with including every Consul's name (many which are similar to others via familial relationships) and you can easily have one chaotic and confusing mess. I should know as I threw down this book in frustration on my first attempt at a read-through. This book needs to be read careful paying attention to the fine detail Seager adds in as most of it ties into later parts of his book. Doing this rewards the reader with an essential and absorbing look at the later Republics political life with all its rewards and treachery. As well, Seager's primary focus is on Pompey's political achievements and failures with a nod towards his campaigns, hence the books subtitle: A Political Biography. As you can probably tell at this point, this is a scholarly work with its main focus being on providing and critiquing information and sources rather then providing a quick and exciting narrative (see Tom Holland's excellent book, Rubicon: the Last Years of the Roman Republic for that).

If one wants a simple narrative of Pompey's actual military campaigns, this book is not the source. If one however wants a better understanding of all the characters directly involved in the downfall of the Republic including its main protagonists, Pompey, then I strongly recommend this book. Thank you Mr. Seager for providing us with an exceptional work. If you do end up liking this book, I would strongly recommend Seager's other work, Tiberius, as well.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Firm grasp on the complexities of Pompey, November 13, 2005

By 

B. Blanchard (California, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pompey the Great: A Political Biography (Blackwell Ancient Lives) (Paperback)

Seager's Pompey is an excellent book that is a necessity for anyone wanting to fully understand the political career of Pompey Magnus. Over the years, countless books have been written on Caesar and the fall of the Republic, and I find it interesting that very few (at least very few in English) book have been written on the life of Pompey.
Seager's book does a fantastic job of explaining how Pompey was able to rise to power through the use of the army and his military victories. An interesting point that Seager makes about Pompey's rise is that since Pompey skipped many of the offices that most Romans needed to obtain before becoming consul he did not have the political acumen of others in his position. This explanation does much for enlightening the reader as to why Pompey made some decisions (which in hindsight) which damaged his reputation within the Republic.
Another interesting point that Seager makes in his book is that he believes that Cicero may have exaggerated the threat of Catiline to galvanize the Republic against the return of Pompey. After all Sulla's return from the east was still fresh in many Romans' minds (the proscriptions had effected most of the patrician families in one way or another) and since Pompey had been a lieutenant of Sulla there was speculation that he too would make a grab at supreme power over the Republic.
Seager has produced a thorough biography of Pompey's life in this book and it should be read by those interested in the complexities of Pompey and the late Roman Republic. However, be aware that Pompey's military exploits are glossed over in this book and Seager's primary focus is on Pompey's political career.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A dry account of Pompey's political career..., July 25, 2010

By 

Brian Hawkinson (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pompey the Great: A Political Biography (Blackwell Ancient Lives) (Paperback)

I sure am going against the grain here. Although I believe Seager certainly is knowledgeable on Pompey, it wasn't presented to the reader in any way that could have been enjoyable.

Seager tackles a difficult subject on a very important Roman figure. It is difficult because of of the subject, which excludes his military exploits and focuses solely on his political accomplishment. Although this may be necessary area to focus on, it certainly is not interesting to read about. The fault lies in that the mechanism of the historical narrative was removed from the style of writing when you focus on something that involves the listing of names and laws passed. When you are constantly citing consuls and other political figures with little to no background you are left with nothing to sink your teeth in to. I found I was constantly unable to really get a good grasp on Pompey's political life because there were too many names thrown at me, and too many laws passed, that I was constantly playing catch up.

Not focusing on his military exploits is one thing, but you can certainly talk about them a little in order to build the greater picture. For example, the Battle of Pharsalus. It was basically talked about in about 2 sentences, saying nothing more than Pompey lost to Caesar. This all important clash between two of Rome's greatest generals was relegated to nothing more than a few words in passing. This to me is a huge oversight and something that certainly could have been expanded upon if only to talk more about the political ramifications more in depth.

Ultimately you have a subject and author that are both very in depth and knowledgeable, but didn't quite execute on the level that makes the subject accessible. Granted, maybe the book is intended for those who are already familiar with the subject in something more than passing, but background is always needed no matter the subject. Additionally, a little narrative history would have gone a long ways with making the book more enjoyable. We see a little bit of this when Caesar is talked about, but for the most part it is absent. Overall I was disappointed. Good for a serious scholar looking for an in-depth view of Pompey's political life, but not so good for an amateur historian or lay reader.

3 stars.