Quintus Pompeius Rufus (consul 88 BC) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Quintus Pompeius Rufus
A portrait on an old Roman coin from 54 BC
Children	Quintus Pompeius Rufus

Quintus Pompeius Rufus (died 88 BC) was an important Roman leader. He served as a consul in the Roman Republic in 88 BC. A consul was like a top elected official, similar to a president. His partner in this role was Sulla, who later became a powerful ruler.

Quintus Pompeius Rufus's Life

Early Career and Public Service

Quintus Pompeius Rufus was the son of another Quintus Pompeius, who was a Plebeian Tribune in 132 BC. A Plebeian Tribune was an official who protected the rights of ordinary Roman citizens.

In 99 BC, Rufus was elected as a Tribune of the Plebs himself. He tried to help bring back Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus from exile. Exile meant being forced to leave the country. However, another official named Publius Furius stopped this plan.

Later, in 91 BC, Pompeius became a Praetor urbanus. This was a high-ranking judge in Rome. After that, he was elected as a consul in 88 BC, working alongside Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

Working with Sulla and Challenges

During their time as consuls, a big war called the First Mithridatic War began. Sulla was chosen to lead the Roman army in this war. However, a famous general named Gaius Marius disagreed with this choice.

Marius used a Tribune of the Plebs, Publius Sulpicius Rufus, to try and take away Sulla's command. Sulpicius wanted to pass a law that would give more voting power to new Roman citizens. This would help Marius get enough votes to remove Sulla from his position.

Pompeius and Sulla tried to stop this by declaring a Justitium. This was a special time when no new laws could be passed. But riots broke out in the city. During these troubles, Pompeius's son died. Pompeius and Sulla were forced to cancel the Justitium. The people then passed the law that took Sulla's command away.

Pompeius continued to support Sulla in Rome. But Publius Sulpicius then removed Pompeius from his consulship. Pompeius had to leave Rome and went to Nola, where he met up with Sulla and his army.

March on Rome and New Laws

Pompeius joined Sulla when he marched his army into Rome. This was a very unusual and serious event. Pompeius fully supported Sulla's actions against Sulpicius and the occupation of the city.

Together, the consuls passed several new laws. They sent Marius and his supporters into exile. They also limited some of the powers of the Tribunes. They added about 300 new members to the Senate. They also made a rule that all new laws had to be checked by the Senate before people could vote on them. Most importantly, laws could now only be passed in the Centuriate Assembly, which was a voting group mostly made up of wealthy citizens and soldiers.

Soon after, Sulla was put back in charge of the war against Mithridates. Pompeius was left in charge of Italy.

Later Life and Family

The Senate then gave Pompeius a special command to lead the Roman armies in the ongoing Social War. He was told to take over the armies of Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, who was fighting against the Marsi tribe.

Quintus Pompeius Rufus had at least one child, a son also named Quintus Pompeius Rufus. His son married Cornelia Sulla, who was Sulla's first daughter. Pompeius was also the brother of Aulus Pompeius, who was a Tribune.

Quintus Pompeius Rufus was likely the first in his family to use the name Rufus. The reason he got this name is not fully known. It might simply be because he had red hair. A famous Roman speaker named Cicero said that he had heard Pompeius speak when he was young. Pompeius might also have been a member of the Decemviri Sacris Faciundis, a group of ten priests, until he died.

In Stories

Quintus Pompeius Rufus is a character in the book The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough. In the story, Pompeius dies after Sulla supposedly asks another general, Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, to have him killed. This is because, in the book, Pompeius was unhappy with Sulla's actions when he marched on Rome.

See also

In Spanish: Quinto Pompeyo Rufo para niños