Roman Historia

To anyone entering the arena of Roman politics, the need to forge and maintain political alliances was a key skill to master. Whether it was for a bitterly fought election over the Consulship, or the direction of a senatorial debate, the use of political alliances has remained a constant theme throughout Roman history. Within the sphere of Roman politics, various different factors could be used to bring individuals together under the banner of a political faction – such as family ties, financial commitments, personal friendships or simply just mutual interests.  For any young senator looking to advance through the cursus , it was vital that they were able to navigate through the centuries old traditions of faction building to ensure that they could gain the required political support. Whilst these traditions were often highly complex, an insight into the art of alliance building can be gleamed from a highly publicised event in the history of the late republic – ...

By 52 BC, Rome found itself in a state of chaos. Endless bouts of street fighting between the mobs of two political heavyweights – Milo and Clodius – had paralyzed the city and left the Senate House in flames. Governmental business had ground to a standstill, consular elections were suspended, and the city had become unsafe as the rival mobs wreaked havoc. To many in Rome, the republic appeared to be under direct threat, and urgent action was demanded in the Senate. Under these circumstances, an extraordinary step was taken to tackle the situation – Pompey the Great was established as a sole consul for the year, giving him an absolute level of power to restore authority in the city. With the constraints of a consular colleague removed, Pompey was tasked with confronting these bloodthirsty gangs head on and bringing justice to the people of Rome. However, whilst such a command may appear truly incredible within the context of the Roman Republic, as we shall see, this step did...

Above: Julius Caesar receives the surrender of Vercingetorix For Julius Caesar, the conquest of Gaul would prove to be his greatest triumph. Spanning a multitude of barbarian tribes and local factions, Gaul had long invoked fear within the Roman psyche. The thought of giant, long haired and unruly Gallic chieftains marauding across Rome had remained a longstanding fear within the city, with the tribes of Gaul themselves becoming an almost mythical being in the Roman imagination. Caesar’s conquest of Gaul – encompassing parts of modern day France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg – would immortalise his name in Roman history as one of the all time great conquerors. However, on the battlefield outside of Alesia (modern day Dijon), Caesar’s troops, alongside his legacy, faced its biggest challenge. The Great Uprising As the January cold settled across the Gallic landscape, in 52 BC Caesar was well on his way to completing his conquest of Gaul. Having...

In the highly competitive and vicious world of Roman politics, the art of alliance building was a well established tradition. Whether it be the competing factions of Marius and Sulla or the tightly knit alliance of conservatives in the Senate (known as the Optimates) led by Cato, both clientelism and patronage were accepted as part and parcel of political strategy. Despite this, the alliance between Pompey, Crassus and Caesar that formed in 60 BC sent shockwaves across the Roman world – and would eventually bring the Republic to its knees. To understand what made this alliance just so powerful, we must first look to how it came about. Forming the Triumvirate By 60 BC, tensions were rising within the world of Roman politics. Pompey, having successfully waged a war in the East against Mithridates, was looking to consolidate his gains and have the veterans that served under him given land as a reward for their services. Whilst Pompey saw this as a fair and reasonable demand...

The late Roman Republic has long been a source of fascination - whether for the great historical figures it produced (think Caesar or Cicero) or for the resulting empire that would emerge from its ruins. Although the generation of Caesar and Pompey became synonymous with the republics fall, we must look further into the past to see the start of its deterioration. The role of the Gracchi brothers provided the first spark of revolution that would continue  over the next century.  By the late 2nd century BC, Rome had established itself as the dominant force in the Mediterranean world - conquering Carthage, large parts of Spain (Hispania), Macedonia and Greece (among others). However, despite the vast wealth generated from these conquests, not all within Rome were content with society back home. The Gracchi Born c. 168 BC, Tiberius Gracchus made a name for himself through a spell of successful military service. He participated in the Siege of Carthage (146) and held the Quae...