Gnaeus Pompeius of Pompeia became a member of the First Triumvirate along with this general and politician who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire and was the second wealthiest person next to which person?
Marcus Licinius Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus ( ; c. 115–53 BC) was a Roman general and politician who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Amassing an enormous fortune during his life, Crassus is, excepting Augustus Caesar, considered the wealthiest man in Roman history.
Political history of the Roman military Rome's military was always tightly keyed to its political system. In the Roman kingdom the social standing of a person impacted both his political and military roles. The political system was from an early date based upon competition within the ruling elite. Senators in the Republic competed fiercely for public office, the most coveted of which was the post of Consul. Two were elected each year to head the government of the state, and would be assigned a consular army and an area in which to campaign. From Gaius Marius and Sulla onwards, control of the army began to be tied into the political ambitions of individuals, leading to the political triumvirate of the 1st century BC and its military resolution. The late Republic and Empire was increasingly plagued by usurpations led by or supported by the military, leading to the crisis of the third century in the late empire.