Caesar, Julius; Rome -- History -- Republic, 265-30 B.C.
Sylla did not live to see the significance of the Sertorian revolt. He
experienced, however, himself, in a milder form, an explosion of
military sauciness. Young Pompey had been sent, after the occupation of
Rome, to settle Sicily and Africa. He did his work well and rapidly,
and when it was over he received orders from the Senate to dismiss his
troops. An order from Sylla Pompey would have obeyed; but what was the
Senate, that an ambitious brilliant youth with arms in his hands should
send away an army devoted to him and step back into common life? Sylla
himself had to smooth the ruffled plumes of his aspiring follower. He
liked Pompey, he was under obligations to him, and Pompey had not acted
after all in a manner so very unlike his own. He summoned him home, but
he gave him a triumph for his African conquests, and allowed him to
call himself by the title of "_Magnus_," or "_The Great_." Pompey was a
promising soldier, without political ambition, and was worth an effort
to secure. To prevent the risk of a second act of insubordination,
Sylla made personal arrangements to attach Pompey directly to himself.
He had a step-daughter, named Aemilia. She was already married, and was
pregnant. Pompey too was married to Antistia, a lady of good family;
but domestic ties were not allowed to stand in the way of higher
objects. Nor did it matter that Antistia's father had been murdered by
the Roman populace for taking Sylla's side, or that her mother had gone
mad and destroyed herself, on her husband's horrible death. Late
Republican Rome was not troubled with sentiment. Sylla invited Pompey
to divorce Antistia and marry Aemilia. Pompey complied. Antistia was
sent away. Aemilia was divorced from her husband, and was brought into
Pompey's house, where she immediately died.
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