The First Triumvirate

Caesar, Crassus and Pompey were part of what is known as the First Triuvirate, a triumvirate being a legal governmental shackle between iii work force. Paterculus describes the triumvirate as a partnership of power. Cicero regarded the triumvirate as uniformly odious to all sorts and classes and ages of men Cicero to a fault regarded the political coalition as the main cause for the well-be wealthy persond war in 49BC. The coalition lasted for approximately seven years- from about 60BC until 53BC. This secret, non-official alliance should not be called the first triumvirate because it was non-offical.The triumvirs- Pompey, Crassus and Caesar each utilize different methods in invest to achieve their respective goals- whether it was for their personal liaison or the inte placidity of the political and social group of populares these men represented and were close to . few of these varying methods were sound, and some were not. Each triumvir had different aims, or a telephone number of goals. Each man wanted to shape up something different from the coalition. Pompey wished for work for his veterans, as well as his eastern settlement canonic or clear en bloc, or altogether.Crassus wanted a rebate for the horse fancier tax uttermostmers. Caesar needed a consulship for 59BC, as well as a province for 58BC to give scope for his military ability and in order to gain glory alike. Caeasr passed his land bill (lex Campania) using the threat of force, ignoring the large omens as well as ignoring the veto of Biblius, Biblius was the optimates representative and it shows the prolongation of the struggle between deuce main poltical and social classes in capital of Italy over power, wealth and equal rights. He was Biblius the second consul. The lex Campania aimed at providing land for Pompeys veterans.Pompey was apparently unhappy with the way the law was passed. Cicero, in a letter to Atticus said regarding Pompeys position Pompey has fenced so far with the important questions. When asked, he said that he agreed with Caesars laws. only what about his methods? Caesar must answer that for himself, he replied. During Julius Caesars first consulship (59BC) a tribune, Vatinius was made to good use, He passed a bill and thus ratified Pompeys settlement en bloc, he gained a rebate for the equestrians in telation to the loss to the tax contract.Vatinius also proposed to the assembly that Caesar should be given Illyricum and both gauls for five years as well as an army of three legions, this was passed despite unfavourable omens. Due to vatinius help as a tribune in 59bc, each triumvir gained most of what they wanted. Julius Caesar also assisted in changing Clodius Pulchers status, so that clodius could help the triumvirate. Caeasr helped Clodius change from the patrician to plebeian status. Clodius became a tribune and introduced tetrad laws.He also introduced free maize as a bribe, this obviously benefited the abject and masses, but had negative effects in politics since it was often utilise to manipulate the plebs as a form of bribe for their vote. Free corn was usually used by populares leaders to bribe the people for political interests. The two censors were able to expel senators only when they were both in covenant and and after a judicial enquiry had been held. No magistrates could stop familiar business by the use of auspices or observing ill-omens. Clodius pulcher as tribune in 58BC also exiled Cicero because of the threat he imposed on the triumvirs.Clodius introduced to free any magistrate who had put to death a Roman citizen without trial- this was obiously aimed at Cicero, because he had put to death the Catilinarian conspirators in 63VC, against Julius Caesars wishes (warnings on the law). After Ciceros exile, according to Plutarch, it was obvious to others that Cicero was a shattered man- he remained for most of the sequence miserable and disconsolate, keeping his eyes fixed, like a distressed lover, on Italy. The triumvirate became under pressure between 58 and 56 BC for mixed reasons.The enmity between Pompey and Crassus contributed largely. As Crassus and Pompey both achieved their goals, Pompey was embarrassed by Caesars methods and Crassus was eager to humiliated Pompey was a reason for the triumvirate being under pressure. Cicero also attacked one of Caesars bills in the senate- the lex Campania which threatened the unity of the coalition. Cicero continued to examine to win Pompey away from the coalition with Crassus and Pompey. Cicero also undermined the coalition further by speaking for Pompeys special command by appointment.The people were kick about the high price of the corn as well as the shortage of it. It means that Clodius law to provide free corn was unsuccessful. Cicero spole for pompeys command of the grain supply as the people demanded that Pompey should be name in charge of the supplies of grain. Plutarch suggests that the appointment made Pompey o nce again the overtake of all ROMAN possessions by sea and by land, and Crassus and Caesar would have not been happy woth the appointment because Pompey would have more power than the rest of the triumvirs.The conference at luca in 56BC had the aim of solving these problems, and it successfully modify the postion of the coalition between the three men overall- a public balancing between Pompey and Crassus largely achieved this. At the conference it was also agreed that Crassua nd Pompey would stand for a ocnuslship the following year- 55bc- a joint one. To achieve their aims of having a consulship together, Crassus and Pompey used some dodgy tactics in order to be elected.They had powerful ptimates enemies, Domitius Ahenobarbus in particular. They tried their best to delay the elections being held and also preventing the consuls in hilding the election unitl the ened of the term. tHEY BOTH resorted to violence , among other things. By the close of the year no elections wre held. aN interrex was appointed- however this was a poltical friend- friendly to Pompey. This interrex suggested that only two candidates for the joint consulship be elected, obviously aiming at Crassus and pOmpey as candidates.During the elections, Anhenobarbus was wounded in a riot, and Pompey and Crassus were elected for a second time as consuls. POMPEY and Crassus aimed to gain valuable proconsular commands, and with the help of tribune c. trebonius he awarded Crassus the province of Syria and Pompey the two Spains, as well as Caesars Gallic command extended. Throughout the years 60-53bc, the span of the triumvirate, the political coaltion between these three men used a variety of methods to achieve their poltical goals/aims.These three men met their goals theough the use of tribunes- Vatinius and C. Trebonius. Both of these methods were effective as their goals were granted however they were mostly short lasting resolutions because in short the triumvirate broke down and the civil w ar following which had devasting effects. ahOWEVER, the violence that Crassus and Pompey used in order to be elected for their joint consulship in 55BC was wrongly and illegal. Caesar also used violence- the threat of force- to pass his lexCampania during his first consulship in 59BC. Pompey became genuinely unahappy with the way that Caear passed his lex Campania. The threat of force was a very strong cistron in preventing the triumvirs opponents from resorting to violence themselves, and many argue that it was a necessity for any of the three men to resort to threats, violence or illegal bodily function in order to achieve their political goals/or aims. The mehods used by the three men were on the effective, howevr sometimes the methods they used is not justified.