Definition

Proper noun * Pompey the Great: The common name for Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, a prominent Roman military leader and politician during the late Roman Republic. He is historically significant for his military conquests, his role in the First Triumvirate, and his eventual conflict with Julius Caesar.

Usage and Examples

• As a historical figure:
  • Pompey the Great was a key rival of Julius Caesar in the Roman civil war.
  • The biography detailed the rise and fall of Pompey the Great.
• Referring to his title or legacy:
  • The senate granted him the title "the Great" after his military successes.
  • Historians often compare the strategies of Pompey the Great and Alexander the Great.

Advanced Usage and Context

• Historical Context: The name "Pompey the Great" is intrinsically linked to the fall of the Roman Republic. His defeat by Caesar at the Battle of Pharsalus (48 BC) was a pivotal moment.
• In Literature and Drama: The character appears in numerous historical plays and novels, most famously in Shakespeare's and George Bernard Shaw's , where he is a central, though often off-stage, figure.

Variants and Related Words

• Pompey: A common shortened form used to refer to the same historical figure, especially in less formal historical writing or when the context is clear.
  • Pompey formed a political alliance with Caesar and Crassus.
• Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus: The full Latin name.
• The First Triumvirate: The informal political alliance between Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Marcus Licinius Crassus.

Synonyms

• Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (formal Latin name)
• Pompey (common abbreviated reference)

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "Crossing the Rubicon": While this phrase is directly associated with Julius Caesar's act of defiance, it is often used in narratives describing the point of no return in the conflict between Caesar and .
• "The die is cast" (): Another phrase linked to Caesar, marking the commencement of the civil war against .

Noun

1. Roman general and statesman who quarrelled with Caesar and fled to Egypt where he was murdered (106-48 BC)