Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Support of Pompey's Command
Against Mithridates 66 BC
- Context
- The campaign had previously been led by
one of Rome's leading citizen: Lucullus
- However he had stretched his troops too far
+ they were in disarray
- Manilius proposed the command
should be transferred over to Pompey
- Pompey was already in the area following his
campaigns against the pirates + his military
successes made him the obvious choice
- Cicero's support
- In his speech, On the Command of
Pompey, Cicero urged the people to
support Manilius + Pompey
- Cicero claimed it was an easy
task winning the people's goodwill
- as he was praising their hero
- Speaking against the bill was a
handful of influential senators (the
optimates)
- But Cicero had chosen his time
wisely - as enough of the senate
were in favour of the proposal
- He also could not
alienate the
optimates
- The line of action was very
popular with the people +
equestrians as the war was
having a negative effect on their
revenues
- 1 of Cicero's themes in his speech was to make
Asia Minor a safe + prosperous province - both for
Roman finances + her businessmen
- His speech was a masterpiece of tact - he
argued Pompey should replace Lucullus,
but was generous in his praise of the man
- He won favour with the crowd, fought for
the businessmen's favour + remained
cautious not to offend the powerful men
supporting Lucullus
- Significance
- Cicero's first ever political
oration - he urged the people
to support Manilius + Pompey
- It was a political move on
Cicero's behalf to support the
command - he was proclaiming
the alliance between him +
Pompey