Pompey and the Pirates Trivia Quiz

Answer: Magnus

As a young man, Pompey had served in his father's army; at the age of twenty, when his father died, Pompey inherited his wealth, as well as his army. Although in reality he was a private citizen who had never held political office, he was an extremely popular general who had won several victories while fighting in Sicily and Africa at the time when he was given the title "Magnus", or "the great".

The ancient rule of succession for public office, "cursus honorum", was eventually waived, as well as the age requirement, when Pompey became co-consul in 70 BC with the older, more experienced Crassus.

It was after holding this prestigious office that Pompey was given the power to deal with the pirates.

Answer: Civil wars in Rome left the seas mostly unguarded.

A nasty power struggle between two generals, Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla, left Romans divided. Having served under Marius during the Jugurthian War and led a successful campaign during the Social Wars, Sulla was elected consul in 88 BC; he was subsequently given command of the Asian province where Mithridates was leading a revolt against Rome.

When Sulla left Rome, Marius took over the city with his army and began murdering those who had supported Sulla. After the defeat of Mithridates, Sulla returned to Rome, where he began proscribing his enemies, publishing a daily list of those who were to be killed. Having a name on Sulla's list meant not only death to the individual, but also seizure of property that belonged to the person and his descendants.

Answer: Patrician

Piracy became a very lucrative occupation with the seas being left unguarded. Plutarch said that "men of wealth and noble birth and superior abilities" joined the pirates. In fact, the pirate ships that had gilded masts, sails woven of purple, and oars plated with silver.

Answer: 400

Plutarch estimated that there were 1,000 ships in the pirates' fleet. Of course, the cities that they seized were plundered and looted; in addition, they would travel the roads inland and destroy villages and country houses. Several sacred temples were violated by the pirates, and it was noted that the pirates offered strange sacrifices on Mt. Olympus and performed secret rites related to the worship of Mithras.

Answer: Fear of famine

If the Romans could not carry on trade in the Mediterranean, they could not receive grain from the provinces. Without grain from the provinces Rome would not be able to feed its people. The pirates so totally controlled the sea that it was impossible to carry out peaceful trade. Grain prices had sky-rocketed.

However, it is interesting to note that as soon as people heard that Pompey had been appointed to take care of the pirate problem, prices immediately stabilized because "the very name of Pompey ended the war".

Answer: All the seas within the pillars of Hercules.

The task must have seemed daunting. Pompey divided the entire region into thirteen parts, each with an appointed general, along with an allotment of the provisions, men, and ships, that he had been given. In dispersing his power in this way, the pirates were easily surrounded and subdued. Those pirates who escaped, fled to their base in Cilicia, which was in Pompey's appointed region.

Answer: True

Plutarch made a comment that there were not very many areas of the Roman empire that did not fall under this law, and one can image that he was correct! According to the Gabinian Law, which legally granted such absolute power to Pompey, all kings and kingdoms that occupied the mainland area were under his jurisdiction as well.

Although there was opposition to the law, Pompey was given three years to dispose of the pirates.

Answer: True

Originally the decree provided for, among other things, 200 ships and the power for Pompey to choose as many soldiers and sailors as he thought he needed. With this unprecedented allocation of power, however, there were those in the Senate who feared they had created a more dangerous situation that the pirates had, as well as those who were envious.

After much debate, a second decree was made; ironically, it gave Pompey even more power.

Answer: 3 months

Plutarch said that Pompey first used his allocation of ships and men to clear the sea in his appointed region, which included Rome, and "by his own indefatigable industry and the zeal of his lieutenants" completed that task in forty days. Afterwards, he turned his attention to Cilicia, where many of the pirates had fled. Within three months Pompey accomplished the task which he had been given three years to complete.

Some sources are quick to say that Pompey would not have been able to complete the work he did so quickly without the help of predecessors, especially Publius Servilius Vatia, who had made previous attempts to rid of the sea of pirates, but had not broken their power completely. Nevertheless, Pompey was the one who achieved the victory and earned the credit for the miraculous feat.

Answer: He gave them land and settled them as farmers.

Plutarch wrote that while Pompey and his generals took over 20,000 prisoners, it was never his intention to put them to death. He determined that a change of lifestyle was what they needed, so he settled them on land away from the sea, and made them - farmers! Some were resettled in towns of Cilicia, but the majority were relocated to Dyme, the town of Achaea, which had an abundance of good land and was in need of settlers.

While turning the pirates into farmers may seem odd to some, it must be remembered that the Romans knew their beginnings were based on agriculture, and farming was a highly respected occupation.

In addition, the Romans needed the grain!