Untersuchungen zu den außerordentlichen Imperien des Cn. Pompeius Magnus im Jahre 77

Abstract

The paper deals with some highly debated questions about the extraordinary imperia of Pompey, which he held during the wars against Lepidus and Sertorius. The authors posit that Pompey was appointed propraetor after the beginning of the bellum Lepidanum. This command was assigned to him by the Interrex Ap. Claudius Pulcher. After the suppression of the so-called revolt of Lepidus, Pompey was invested with the proconsular imperium and sent to Hispania Citerior, where he succeeded to the office of proconsul M. Domitius Calvinus (and not propraetor Q. Calidius, as is usually held). Despite Cicero’s testimony that the two consuls of 77 refused the Spanish command, the authors conclude that it will hardly have been offered to them and that, by all appearances, they did not want to seize the initiative either. The widely held view that Pompey demanded proconsular governorship of Hispania Citerior from the senators and led his army to the walls of Rome to put pressure on the Senate is not very plausible. Most likely, he secured the assistance of a group of influential senators from the outset, who were led by L. Marcius Philippus and agreed to support Pompey’s claim to the proconsulship. The Senate probably yielded to Philippus and his supporters without much resistance. In view of the difficult military situation on the Iberian Peninsula, the senators probably had no better option, especially since Pompey had not only already proven himself a competent and successful general, but also had a large battle-hardened army at his disposal, most of which was being paid by Pompey himself and was willing to follow him to Spain.