Professor Catherine Steel

I mean, his own army, he's taken over. So there are Roman citizens there. There are quite a lot of Roman citizens based in Hispania by now. And he basically establishes an alternative locus of power and negotiates with Mithridates, who, despite Sulla's claims to have won a great victory, is still surprisingly, yes, king of Pontus. And dealing with Sertorius actually takes quite a long time.

He's a very effective military commander. He defeats various Romans who are sent to him. And this is one of the places where Pompey becomes such a great figure. So we do need to just talk about Pompey, if only to remind ourselves how conventional Caesar's career is. So Pompey is an adherent of Sulla. He's the son of a man who reaches the consulship in 89 BC.

He's a very effective military commander. He defeats various Romans who are sent to him. And this is one of the places where Pompey becomes such a great figure. So we do need to just talk about Pompey, if only to remind ourselves how conventional Caesar's career is. So Pompey is an adherent of Sulla. He's the son of a man who reaches the consulship in 89 BC.

He's a very effective military commander. He defeats various Romans who are sent to him. And this is one of the places where Pompey becomes such a great figure. So we do need to just talk about Pompey, if only to remind ourselves how conventional Caesar's career is. So Pompey is an adherent of Sulla. He's the son of a man who reaches the consulship in 89 BC.

And in fact, Pompey faces some legal challenges after that. But the important thing about Pompey is when Sulla returns to Rome, Pompey, although at that point in his early 20s, raises an army and takes it to Sulla. Okay, so complete illegality. But he turns up and Sulla is so grateful for the military forces that he kind of, with a bit of a fudge, he authorizes Pompey's power.

And in fact, Pompey faces some legal challenges after that. But the important thing about Pompey is when Sulla returns to Rome, Pompey, although at that point in his early 20s, raises an army and takes it to Sulla. Okay, so complete illegality. But he turns up and Sulla is so grateful for the military forces that he kind of, with a bit of a fudge, he authorizes Pompey's power.

And in fact, Pompey faces some legal challenges after that. But the important thing about Pompey is when Sulla returns to Rome, Pompey, although at that point in his early 20s, raises an army and takes it to Sulla. Okay, so complete illegality. But he turns up and Sulla is so grateful for the military forces that he kind of, with a bit of a fudge, he authorizes Pompey's power.

And he then uses Pompey as an important part of the team that he uses to seize control of the Roman world to the extent that Pompey triumphs, has his first triumph, even though he has never held elected office. And the basis of which he could have imperium is slightly dodgy, probably as early as 81. And then Pompey, what's Pompey going to do?

And he then uses Pompey as an important part of the team that he uses to seize control of the Roman world to the extent that Pompey triumphs, has his first triumph, even though he has never held elected office. And the basis of which he could have imperium is slightly dodgy, probably as early as 81. And then Pompey, what's Pompey going to do?

And he then uses Pompey as an important part of the team that he uses to seize control of the Roman world to the extent that Pompey triumphs, has his first triumph, even though he has never held elected office. And the basis of which he could have imperium is slightly dodgy, probably as early as 81. And then Pompey, what's Pompey going to do?

This man in his early 20s, too young really to hold any new serious elected office at Rome. Well, what the Senate eventually does is they send Pompey pro-consulate in the place of a consul, even though he's never held his office, to help deal with Sertorius.

This man in his early 20s, too young really to hold any new serious elected office at Rome. Well, what the Senate eventually does is they send Pompey pro-consulate in the place of a consul, even though he's never held his office, to help deal with Sertorius.

This man in his early 20s, too young really to hold any new serious elected office at Rome. Well, what the Senate eventually does is they send Pompey pro-consulate in the place of a consul, even though he's never held his office, to help deal with Sertorius.

So he spends much of the 70s campaigning, eventually successfully against Sertorius, though it doesn't harm his activity or that of Metellus Pius, the other Roman general, that one of Sertorius' followers actually stabs him at a banquet and then the mopping up is quite straightforward. And that's how Pompey

So he spends much of the 70s campaigning, eventually successfully against Sertorius, though it doesn't harm his activity or that of Metellus Pius, the other Roman general, that one of Sertorius' followers actually stabs him at a banquet and then the mopping up is quite straightforward. And that's how Pompey

So he spends much of the 70s campaigning, eventually successfully against Sertorius, though it doesn't harm his activity or that of Metellus Pius, the other Roman general, that one of Sertorius' followers actually stabs him at a banquet and then the mopping up is quite straightforward. And that's how Pompey

kind of is spending his 20s and then he gets back to Italy and there's something for him to do because there's the Spartacus revolt which the Romans have been making a total mess of in terms of suppressing so he turns up just in time to claim all the credit for wrapping it up Which is maybe one of the reasons why he and Crassus disliked each other so much.

kind of is spending his 20s and then he gets back to Italy and there's something for him to do because there's the Spartacus revolt which the Romans have been making a total mess of in terms of suppressing so he turns up just in time to claim all the credit for wrapping it up Which is maybe one of the reasons why he and Crassus disliked each other so much.

kind of is spending his 20s and then he gets back to Italy and there's something for him to do because there's the Spartacus revolt which the Romans have been making a total mess of in terms of suppressing so he turns up just in time to claim all the credit for wrapping it up Which is maybe one of the reasons why he and Crassus disliked each other so much.

And then, after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, does agree to dismiss his army. But surprise, surprise, he's allowed to stand for the consulship, considerably ahead of the legal age and not having held any earlier offices. So that's what a really spectacular career looks like, okay?