How Marcus Licinius Crassus became one of the richest people in Rome and paid for it with his life

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the most important people in the Roman Republic. Through his military exploits, shrewd and often morally questionable entrepreneurship, and influential patrons, he was able to rise to the top of the Roman political hierarchy. His wealth and influence made Crassus one of the three pillars of the First Triumvirate, along with Caesar and Pompey. However, the fateful search for prestige in the East not only led to his death, but also undermined the very foundation of the Republic, initiating a chain of events that ultimately led to its collapse.

1. Biography

Mark was born in 115 BC in the Roman province of Iberia (modern-day Spain). According to the first century historian Plutarch, Crassus's family was not overly wealthy and the boy grew up in a relatively humble environment. Plutarch could be right, since Crassus's family could not match such prestigious patrician families as Julius or Emilia. Crassus's father, Publius Licinius Crassus, was a humble plebeian. But it would be wrong to consider the future triumvir a simple man without connections. Crassus the Elder was consul in 97 BC, commanded troops, and in 93 BC he was awarded a rare honor - a triumph.

All this played an important role in the upbringing of the ambitious Roman aristocrat. Alas, in 83 BC, Crassus the elder died during the political struggle that determined the future of the Roman Republic. Publius made an unfortunate choice and supported Lucius Cornelius Sulla in his fight against Gaius Maria. When his political patron was defeated, Crassus the elder disappeared from history. He either died during the purges or committed suicide. The fate of the young Crassus would have been just as sad if he had not fled to Spain.

2. Create a state

The relative security of Spain, separated by the sea from the battlefields of Italy, not only allowed Mark to survive, but also to succeed. It was in Spain that he began his rise to power. Using the wealth of his estate and family ties, Mark began building an army for Sulla. It was this army that was to play a decisive role in ending the civil war between Mary and Sulla. With Sulla's triumph, Crassus could finally share the glory of his patron. More importantly, Mark was able to significantly increase his personal wealth by being the recipient of the assets taken from the victims of Sulla's proscriptions.

These confiscated assets became the core of his real estate empire built in the years after the war. The expensive real estate acquired after the war was sold at a bargain price to Crassus's allies, strengthening his political ties with the richest people of the Republic. It also provided him with capital, which he invested in one of the most morally dubious undertakings in Rome - property management.

By the time of the rise of Crassus, Rome had become the most important city in the Mediterranean. The growth of the capital of the Republic has been accompanied by an ever-increasing influx of new residents who come in search of work and a better life. To accommodate all new arrivals, cheap multi-storey residential buildings (insuls) were built. As with all mass construction, the insuls were of poor quality, destructible and, more importantly, flammable. According to Plutarch, Crassus paid particular attention to the fire-damaged buildings, which he bought for cheap from their terrified owners. After taking possession of the property, he rebuilt it using a slave labor force, and then rented it and sold it at a higher profit. Thus, Mark soon acquired most of Rome.

3. Crassus and Spartacus

In addition to real estate trading, Mark used another valuable commodity of that time - slaves. Considered more valuable than the mines or farmland (which he also owned), slaves were the lifeblood that kept the Republic alive. They performed various duties: they could work as hard labor or be used as teachers, doctors, stewards, or architects. While some high-ranking individuals were treated fairly well (some were better than inferior free people), for most workers, life was ruthlessly harsh. This social injustice led to several slave uprisings. But not a single uprising was as serious and dangerous as the uprising of Spartacus in 73.

A former gladiator, Spartacus was able to take advantage of the absence of the Roman legions, which were employed elsewhere. After a series of Roman defeats at the hands of Spartacus and his growing army, the Senate appointed Marcus Licinius Crassus to address this spiraling military and political crisis. Realizing this rare opportunity, Crassus gathered a large force of ten legions, taking personal command. It was a calculated risk, as the victory over Spartacus in 71 BC earned him the much-coveted military prestige. Although Mark defeated Spartacus on the battlefield and saved Italy, he did not receive the desired triumph. Instead, the Senate gave him a standing ovation. The triumph went to the man who dealt the final blow to the uprising - Pompey.

4. Benefactor of the Republic

For a Roman, being a wealthy man or a competent general was not enough. These qualities were more than desirable, but the exemplary Roman aristocrat had to be above all an educated person and an excellent orator. Mark was no exception. A charismatic orator, Crassus knew how to deal with common people, using some of his wealth to improve the lives of Roman citizens. In addition to supplying grain to the townspeople, he financed the temples, maintaining good relations with the priests and their gods. This was not done out of pure generosity. Like any other Roman politician, Mark depended on the will of the people. If he keeps the people happy and contented, then in turn he will be able to count on his support.

The same was true of his fellow aristocrats. The political life of Rome was a complex labyrinth. To reach the top of this political hierarchy and stay in this place, the rich and powerful had to have a number of clients who depended on their patron. Supporting a promising client and helping him to achieve influential position could enhance the status of the patron and allow him to receive services later. Sometimes the result of such a relationship could be a formidable union. This is exactly what happened between Crassus and Julius Caesar. Realizing his potential, Crassus paid off Caesar's debts and took the young man under his wing to care for and look after him. His calculation paid off, as Caesar later used his influence to boost his mentor's political career.

5. The road to the triumvirate

Julius Caesar's mentorship led to a lifelong friendship between two powerful people. However, in Roman political life, not everyone could be a friend. The roots of Crassus's rivalry with Pompey go back to the revolt of Spartacus, when it was Pompey, not Crassus, who was given the honor of triumph. Determined not to fall for tricks anymore, Mark used his most important asset - a huge fortune and organized several big holidays to win the favor of the people. He managed to cash in on his military victory and thus retained the consulate with Pompey in 70 AD Surprisingly, both rivals found a common language and together changed the political structure of Rome.

Despite his wealth and position, Mark was unable to impose his will on the Senate. His reforms were rejected, and his attempt to secure a consulate for his protege, the notorious Senator Catiline, failed. To make matters worse, while Crassus suffered political defeat, his rival Pompey was gaining military honors. Having just won a brilliant victory over Mediterranean piracy, Pompey won a quick victory over the Kingdom of Pontus in the East. It was Crassus's former student who would bring the two rivals together in 60 BC. The result was an open alliance known as the First Triumvirate, which allowed three nobles to take joint control of the state. The union was not easy, but it gave Crassus the much-desired opportunity to rule. An opportunity that would ultimately lead him to death.

6. End of triumph

Under the influence of the Triumvirate, three of its members received three corresponding commands. While Caesar got Gaul and Pompey got Spain, Crassus got the most prestigious of them. In 55 BC, Mark was sent east to Syria, a recently annexed province bordering the mighty kingdom of Parthia. From the point of view of Rome, the East was more developed, more prosperous and therefore more attractive than any western province. The region was filled with cities linked by extensive road networks and abundant resources.

This made him an attractive target for a potential Roman invasion. And starting with Crassus, the vaunted East became a place of death for many Roman rulers and military leaders. For Marc Crassus, the first year in Syria was very profitable. He managed to seize the vast wealth of the region and, more importantly, won several military victories. It is difficult to say whether these early successes of Crassus prompted a fateful adventure or whether the powerful Roman planned to cross the Euphrates from the very beginning. In 53 BC, the legions of Crassus invaded the territory of the Parthian kingdom.

Was it arrogance, an attempt to secure a quick win, or was it the result of a misjudgment? Hard to say. It is only known that Crassus's expedition was doomed to failure from the very beginning. With no cavalry to counter the mighty Parthian cataphracts and horse archers, the Roman army found itself under constant attack and without any supplies. Given the harsh conditions of the desert, the expedition never stood a chance.

His army was surrounded, destroyed and forced to surrender. The last blow to the pursuit of military glory was the loss of the eagle standards (August will return them decades later). The reckless commander Mark Licinius Crassus was captured and killed by the Parthian commander. The infamous story of how Crassus was executed by pouring molten gold down his throat is probably a rumor. But that could have been a fitting end for the richest man in Rome.

7. The legacy of Mark Licinius Crassus

The chaos that gripped the Roman Republic, Mark viewed as an opportunity to accumulate enormous wealth. Using cunning and often morally questionable methods, Crassus became the ruler of Rome. A skilled orator and politician, he knew how to deal with people, both the population and the Roman nobles. When he reached the very top of the socio-political ladder of the young Republic, there was one thing that eluded the man who had all this - military prestige. The problem was compounded by the warlike honors of his main rival Pompey, as well as the successes of his former protégé, Caesar. Thus, jealousy put Crassus on the path of no return.

The sudden death of Mark Licinius Crassus in the East dealt a blow to the prestige of Rome. The ambitions of the nascent world power were contained, albeit briefly. Rome could and will take revenge, and this scheme will be repeated many times, centuries after the death of Crassus. What Rome could not do was curb the ambitions of powerful people. When Crassus was removed from the political arena, his two allies were set on a course of confrontation that would plunge the Republic into a bloody civil war. Its exodus was to overturn the old order and usher in the imperial era. The name of Marcus Licinius Crassus will not be remembered as a successful politician, businessman and commander, but will be perpetuated as a synonym for the danger of unbridled ambition, pride and greed.

And in continuation of the topic about Rome, read also about how Seleucus I founded one of the most powerful and influential empires and what it ultimately led to.