Marcus Licinius Crassus - Chronology

Roman politician. As praetor he defeated Spartacus at the Battle of Lucania (71 BC), and in 70 BC was made consul with Pompey. The richest of Roman citizens, he became a friend of Caesar, and formed the first triumvirate with him and Pompey (60 BC). In 53 BC, as Governor of Syria, he attacked the Parthians, but was routed and killed at the Battle of Carrhae.

Marcus Licinius Crassus Dives (Latin: M·LICINIVS·P·F·P·N·CRASSVS) (c. 115 BC – 53 BC) was a Roman general and politician who suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus and entered into a secret pact, known as the First Triumvirate, with Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Gaius Julius Caesar.

Marcus Licinius Crassus was a powerful figure in Roman politics on account of his great wealth; Image:Bust Crassus.jpg,340 x 441 pixeli - 21k -jpg. The proscription of Cinna forced Crassus to flee to Spain.

Sent into battle against Spartacus [by the Senate], he gained a decisive victory, and was honored with an ovation. This caused much strife between Pompey and Crassus, which would later be mended by Caesar. Soon afterwards he was elected consul with Pompey, and (70 BC) displayed his wealth by entertaining the populace at 10,000 tables and distributing sufficient grain to last each family three months. In 65 he was censor, and in 60 he joined Pompey and Caesar in the coalition known as the First Triumvirate. In 55 he was again consul with Pompey, and a law was passed assigning the provinces of the two Spains and Syria to Pompey and Crassus respectively for five years.

Crassus received Syria as his province, which promised to be an inexhaustible source of wealth. We are told that the King of Armenia offered Crassus the aid of some forty-thousand troops on the condition that Crassus invade through Armenia that the king could provide for his troops. His legions were defeated at Carrhae (modern Harran in Turkey) in 53 BC by a numerically inferior Parthian force consisting mainly of armoured heavy cavalry and horse archers, against which Crassus was unable to maneuver, instead being stuck in the testudo defense formation or shield turtle. Crassus was reportedly the richest man in Rome, and attacked Parthia not only because of its great wealth, but because of a desire to match the military exploits of his two major rivals, Pompey the Great and Julius Caesar.

Mocking the great Crassus, they poured liquid gold down his throat after his death.

Chronology

c.115 BC - Crassus Born 97 BC - Father is Consul of Rome 87 BC - Crassus flees to Spain from Marian Forces 84 BC - Joins Sulla against Marians 78 BC - Sulla dies 74 BC - Revolt of Spartacus 73 BC - Crassus is praetor 71 BC - Crassus defeats Spartacus 70 BC - Consulship of Crassus and Pompey 65 BC - Crassus is Censor 63 BC - Catiline Conspiracy 59 BC - First Triumvirate formed. Caesar is Consul 56 BC - Conference at Luca 55 BC - Second consulship of Crassus and Pompey. In November, Crassus leaves for Syria 54 BC - Campaign against the Parthians 53 BC - Crassus dies at the Battle of Carrhae