WI Pompey is proclaimed Dictator in 67 BC?

in 67 BC Pompey was granted proconsular powers in any province within 50 miles of the Mediterranean Sea with a fleet of 500 warships, 120,000 infantry and around 5,000 cavalry to fight the growing problems of pirates disrupting trade in the Mediterranean Sea on provision with the hastily passed Lex Gabinia.
Pompey enjoyed huge popularity amongst the plebs of Rome, but the Roman Senate was wary of him and his growing power. The Senate were reluctant to give massive powers to any one man, fearing it would allow another Dictator to seize power as Sulla had done just fifteen years before. The Tribunes though, were able to pass a law conferring huge powers on Pompey to deal with the pirates. The law was proposed by the Tribune Gabinius and therefore was named Lex Gabinia.
Because most Roman territory was within the 50-mile limit around the Mediterranean, the law gave Pompey, who was then just 39, power over almost every province. This kind of power could easily be exploited, and in fact led to the legions being loyal to him personally, strengthening his position in the state.
WI Pompey used this vast power to turn against the Senate? Could he had become an "early Julius Caesar"? How is that altering History? Any thoughts?
 

maverick

Banned
I don't think he would have turned against the Senate on such an early stage of his career and with so limited support...

This is nonetheless an interesting scenario...
 
I don't think he would have turned against the Senate on such an early stage of his career and with so limited support...

This is nonetheless an interesting scenario...

I have to disagree with you on that, at this point in his career, he has the support of the army totally behind him, and he had the support of the people after his great victory in the east. His support was far beyond limited, in fact, was more greater at this point, then when he does take on Caesar. He is not likely to go with this, because he would of just been seen as the next Sulla, and not anything close to Caeser. He did make a mistake in disbanding his forces before asking the senate to give them land. If he would of got the land first, I think he would of been stronger against Caeser later on.
 
If Pompey turned against the Senate by that time i think that the Senators would have to comply with his demands or risk a popular (plebeian) uprising... Perhaps Julius Caesar could make his bid for power then by naming himself Champion of the Senate and the Republic...
 
If Pompey turned against the Senate by that time i think that the Senators would have to comply with his demands or risk a popular (plebeian) uprising... Perhaps Julius Caesar could make his bid for power then by naming himself Champion of the Senate and the Republic...

Interesting though, maybe he could of successfully gotten Cicero to join forces with him, and Cato would of seen Pompey as the more dangerous of the two.
 

bard32

Banned
Rome couldn't stamp out piracy completely. Julius Caesar, as a young man, was captured by pirates and talked his way out of it by having Rome pay a
ransom. That started his political career. It pays to be a politician. :D Seriously, back to the subject. If Pompey had used all the forces at his disposal in 67 BC, the pirates would have gone underground.
 
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