Crassus was not the only Roman gaining fame and fortune, however. He also campaigned against other eastern people, from Armenia to Judaea. Despite this, Crassus and Pompey were named consuls in 70 B.C. Plutarch described how he opened his house to visitors, donated a tenth of his wealth to the cult of Hercules, and gave enough grain to feed every citizen for three months. Exactly how rich was Marcus Licinius Crassus? After his death, the rivalry between Caesar and Pompey exploded, plunging Rome into civil war. It is believed that Crassus expanded his personal fortune to 170 million sesterces, while Pliny the Elder surmised his fortune to be valued even higher, at 200 million sesterces. var thedate = new Date(); and join one of thousands of communities. }, 19. He began to recruit men who would eventually join Sulla’s ranks. Plutarch wrote how it “inflamed and goaded him.”. It was a desire that would cost him his life and thrust Rome into civil war. It seems likely that this is the basis for the rape scenario portrayed in Spartacus here. background: '#000000', color: #0080FF; Crassus provided Caesar with money to cancel his debts, and Caesar later used his influences to boost the political career of his ally. One of his ways to become rich was organizing a "fire brigade". The Parthians would now become one of Rome’s most powerful enemies for the next few centuries; all this stemming from the avarice of Crassus and the critical decisions that doomed his campaign. 7) Marcus Licinius Crassus (lived from 115 BC to 53 BC) – Peak wealth: $169.8 billion A guy who pretty much met all the despicable qualifications, and on top of that was the one to defeat Spartacus – Crassus was easily the most richest Roman during his period; a time which included exalted names like Julius Caesar and Pompey. Pompey was in Spain, Crassus in Syria, and Caesar was in Gaul, which is now France. document.write(stampdays[ thedate.getDay()] + ", " + stampmonths[ thedate.getMonth()] + " " + thedate.getDate() + ", " + thedate.getFullYear()); The aforementioned Caesar was proving his worth in matters military and legal. In the mid-first century BCE, Crassus was the proconsul of Syria, and as a result, he had become enormously wealthy. Pliny estimated Crassus' wealth at c. 200 million sestertii. Well, Crassus was a real estate developer! My first thought was, that's not a phrase, at least in the proverbial sense, and the author is mixing up Crassus … Lancelot Blondeel, 16th century. The war is also notable for the beginnings of the rivalry between Pompey and Crassus, according to Plutarch. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- The face of King Orodes II adorns this Parthian coin from the first century B.C. Despite the tensions, both were elected to a joint consulship in 70 B.C., but their personal enmity made it an uneasy partnership. This conflict brought tragedy to the young Crassus’ life, but it also brought great opportunity. Crassus was known in Rome as Dives, meaning "The Rich". 200 million sesterces was what Rhodes paid to Cassius to keep him from sacking the city, which was a … As part of the arrangement, Crassus took control of Syria, a wealthy province that, he hoped, would give him even more wealth and an opportunity for more military triumphs. His death led to the outbreak of the Civil War between Caesar and Pompey (49–45). The greatest general, in terms of field victories, was Pompey , who had secured the ongoing enmity between himself and Crassus by claiming credit for ending the slave revolt by capturing a few thousand slaves in a mop-up operation after Crassus had … Crassus had political and military ambitions and used his wealth to pursue them. According to several sources, in 53 BCE, Crassus proposed that he act as general to wage a military campaign against the Parthians (modern Turkey). The status of a Roman citizen was measured by the number of clients who depended on him. Marcus Licinius Crassus, (born c. 115 bc —died 53), politician who in the last years of the Roman Republic formed the so-called First Triumvirate with Julius Caesar and Pompey to challenge effectively the power of the Senate. On the other hand, the fire was a common cataclysm in Rome. Many considered them more valuable than his silver mines or farmland. In April, 71 B.C., he isolated Spartacus and forced him to fight near the Sele River. Ancient Rome. This animated historical documentary video discusses how one of the wealthiest men in history - Marcus Licinius Crassus became so rich during the era of the Late Roman Republic and features other great Roman generals and statesmen like Caesar, Sulla, Pompey, Lucullus, Marius, and others. All agree, however, that he did not return to Rome except to be buried. Crassus traditionally and in accordance with the legal requirements successively filled the offices required in … color: '#ffffff', Rather than bringing wealth and territory to Rome, Crassus delivered Rome one of its worst defeats and political instability. According to Plutarch, his head and one hand are sent to King Orodes II. When Marius captured Rome in 87, Publius was either killed or forced to commit suicide. He earned his fortune of proscriptions, slave trafficking, judicious purchases of … All three men of the first triumvirate had survived Sulla's proscriptions. Rich and influential, he joined the triumvirate for both practical and emotional reasons. As a part of his agreement with Crassus and Pompey, Caesar took command of Roman forces in Gaul when his consulship was up. loop: false, he was tapped to put down the slave revolt led by Spartacus in the south of Italy. He impressed his fellow Romans by his prodigious memory for names, one of the best assets of his constant and cunning flattery (while also enjoying being flattered). Surenas dealt a stunning defeat, in which, according to Plutarch: “In the whole campaign, twenty thousand are said to have been killed, and ten thousand to have been taken alive.” Among the dead was Crassus’ own son. He hoped to lead forces through Syria to attack the Parthians, at the time harassing Rome's eastern flank. Alongside Crassus stood Gaius Julius Caesar, an ambitious military commander beginning a life in politics. Crassus educated them to fulfill various roles such as secretaries, goldsmiths, stewards, and servants. He joined other opponents of Pompey in fear-mongering that Pompey would follow his former leader (Sulla) in leading troops into Rome to establish himself as military despot [Gruen]. new TWTR.Widget({ (self.AskHistorians) submitted 2 months ago * by MiRss. He was the second of three sons born to the eminent senator and vir triumphalis Publius Licinius Crassus (consul 97, censor 89 BC). The whole Mediterranean world was, in fact, at the mercy of the Roman nobility and of a new class of Roman businessmen, the equites (“knights”), which had grown rich on military contracts and on tax farming. His gratitude allowed Crassus to be the prime beneficiary of a highly lucrative process of revenge, in which Sulla confiscated the assets of Marius’s followers and then let his allies buy them at bargain prices, sowing the seeds of Crassus’ real estate empire. He was sixty years old, and it had been 20 years since he had participated in a battle. Through a combination of savvy and ruthlessness, he amassed the largest fortune in Rome. This alliance proved fruitful for Crassus's ambitions of wealth. Crassus was the son of Publius Licinius Crassus, who was consul in 97 BCE and a commander in Iberia, even gaining a triumph for his victories in Lusitania in 93 BCE. The short version? But ... Crassus was at liberty to collect the debt any time. Crassus led a group of soldiers who won a crucial battle that turned the tide of the civil war. If the senators voted the way Crassus wanted, no problem. This line was not descended from the wealthy Crassi Divites, although often assumed to be. Crassus also ran a school for slaves. Roman coins envelop a bust of Crassus, who used his savvy to build an incredible fortune in Rome in the first century B.C. If the person refused his house burnt down and he got nothing, if … Crassus was aware that he had been chosen because Pompey and his forces were unavailable (they were in Hispania), but he was willing to make the most of this opportunity. Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the most powerful men in Rome. } That same year, the Triumvirate nearly fell apart. How did the Roman aqueducts not have dirty, bug infested water in them? He was also cordial and kind to everyone, even to the humblest people who stopped him on the street. Instead, he became synonymous with the dangers of unbridled lust for money, power, and glory. led to a huge increase in the public funds available in the republic. (See also: Romans prized these jewels more than diamonds.). Crassus and Pompey were still the two most powerful figures in Rome and still did not trust each other. Crassus it was who finally defeated Spartacus, ensuring that he was dead and then crucifying 6,000 surviving slaves on the road from Rome to Capua, as a deterrent to future revolt leaders. Publius had allied with Lucius Cornelius Sulla, who was vying for power against Gaius Marius. She become rich because she found the first Ichthyosaur and that is how she became rich Did Greeks start colonies to become rich? The three could work together to subvert any opposition in the Roman Senate. In the following years Pompey continued to accumulate military victories: He rid the Mediterranean Sea of pirates, a constant nuisance for Roman trade. This did not sit well with Crassus. Writing more than 200 years after Crassus’ death, Roman historian Cassius Dio related an episode where Crassus boasted to a Parthian ambassador that he would take the western Parthian capital Seleucia; the ambassador laughed, pointed at his palm, and said: “Sooner will hair grow here than you shall reach Seleucia.”. He apparently had few qualms when making profit from others’ misfortune. After he returned to Rome from his governorship in Spain, Caesar acted as an architect of an alliance (known as the First Triumvirate) among the three great men. The power of money. (See also: How Julius Caesar started a big war by crossing a small stream. The slaves were duly vanquished, and the remaining survivors also crucified. } At least 5,000 slaves had escaped and were moving toward Gaul. }).render().setUser('SocStudies4Kids').start(); Marcus Licinius Crassus is considered to be the wealthiest man in Roman history. Publius Crassus ---On his father's orders, Publius Crassus attacked the Parthians with a detachment of 1300 cavalry (1000 of whom were the Gauls he had brought with him from Caesar), 500 archers, and eight cohorts of infantry. -->, eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'socialstudiesforkids_com-box-3','ezslot_0',117,'0','0']));Marcus Licinius Crassus: Rome's Wealthiest Man, The First Triumvirate Crassus began his invasion in 53 B.C., but the Parthians were not easily subdued. Ancient History: Mar 3, 2013 theme: { Soon Crassus became a very rich man. Crassus and Pompey to dominate the Republic as the First Triumvirate •The Roman Senate worried that Caesar was becoming too popular and powerful •They ordered him to disband his army and return to Rome Caesar Pompey Crassus Caesar defied the order and marched his men across the Rubicon River, and into Rome Defeated other members Ever since the time of Crassus, the field of real estate development is seen as a playing field that is dominated and played only by the super rich. height: 200, Crassus correctly saw young Caesar as a man on the make; if he relieved Caesar from debt, that favor would be eventually repaid. His forces fought in the Battle of the Colline Gate in 82 B.C., which would end the civil war between Marius and Sulla. The relationship between Pompey and Crassus did not improve. How Much Did He Make? In an era when rhetoric was essential to further one’s political career, Crassus was considered a highly gifted public speaker. The first-century A.D. historian Plutarch wrote in his work The Parallel Lives that Crassus “lived in a little house,” where “they kept but one table amongst them.” The family might have lived frugally, but they enjoyed an enviable social position. In the early 70s B.C. With Crassus’ money and connections, many men would have been content, but Crassus was not one of them. Near Carrhae, a town in what is now Turkey, Crassus engaged the Parthian forces, led by General Surenas who fought with cunning and patience. While Crassus had crippled the revolt, it was Pompey who ended it. } Spanning over a thousand years, ancient Rome was a civilization of constant evolution. Fires were quite common in Rome, yet the city did not have an organized firefighting force. Scales form the armor of riders and horses in this plaster cast of Trajan's column in Rome. Crassus’ father died in 87 B.C. var stampmonths = new Array( "January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"); In the mid-first century BCE, Crassus was the proconsul of Syria, and as a result, he had become enormously wealthy. 18. The greatest general, in terms of field victories, was Pompey, who had secured the ongoing enmity between himself and Crassus by claiming credit for ending the slave revolt by capturing a few thousand slaves in a mop-up operation after Crassus had defeated Spartacus. Become a Redditor. In Spain Crassus started to build his fabulous wealth. The young Crassus only survived because he was able to escape to Spain. Four units were formed by the survivors of previous campaigns against the slaves. Not for nothing did Plutarch say in his Life of Crassus: Crassus’s keen eye for business, and instinct for any opportunity to increase his wealth, took him into extremely dubious moral territory. He'd finance any senator who asked for it. His jealousy increased as his protégé Caesar claimed even more glory. He kept a sharp lookout for fires that would periodically destroy whole sections of the city, particularly in the most popular quarters, where the buildings were stacked together. Crassus fled from Rome when Gaius Marius captured the city in 87. It is believed that Crassus expanded his personal fortune to 170 million sesterces, while Pliny the Elder surmised his fortune to be valued even higher, at 200 million sesterces. Or 14.6k kilograms of gold. In other words, he was only as important as the men who owed him favors. No excuses were accepted. Which is 7.3 grams of gold. Crassus had his own military successes. The consulate in Rome was usually followed by a governorship in foreign provinces. The rivalry and jealousy were to determine the future career of Crassus. Forbes estimated Crassus’s wealth in contemporary dollars at $170 billion! Following Cinna's death, Crassus sided with Sulla against Marius, and, as one of his most able commanders, helped him … He also had numerous businesses, fire department (which really was an extortion scheme, he was also accused of starting fires), being heavily involved in import/export, he was involved in taxation, etc.. According to several sources, Crassus would rush to a burning building, buy it from the owner, then order his slave-labor firefighters to put out the fire. Marcus Licinius Crassus was a member of the gens Licinia, an old and highly respected plebeian family in Rome. Combine that through slave trafficking and silver mines, gave Crassus a fortune estimated by Pliny at 200 million sestertii, or about 8.5 billion in today’s dollars. copyright 2002–2020 The unscrupulous real estate tycoon was not, however, lacking in social skills. Accounts of the details surrounding his death differ. After that, Crassus became a force of power. interval: 30000, Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the richest Romans in history. after becoming embroiled in a political struggle that turned violent. Crassus: How did he become so wealthy? Marcus Licinius Crassus had two sons, Marcus Licinius Crassus (Jr in effect), ... Caesar was often subject to rumours of homosexuality but it has a different connotation now than it did in Roman times. While Pompey was solidifying his hold on Spain and Caesar was invading Britain and subduing Gaul, Crassus launched his attack on Parthia. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/magazine/2019/05-06/crassus-romes-richest-man.html, How Julius Caesar started a big war by crossing a small stream, Romans prized these jewels more than diamonds. Al White: The Story of a Marine Grunt in the First Battle of Khe Sanh (April 1967) - Duration: 1:19:39. The aforementioned Caesar was proving his worth in matters military and legal. Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the richest Romans in history. Pompey took credit for the victory and received another triumph, much to the chagrin of Crassus, who was given an ovatio (ovation), a lesser celebration with fewer honors. Proscriptions were only part of his overall wealth. According to Plutarch, “the greatest part of Rome, at one time or another, came into his hands.”. 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