After three years
of unsuccessful fighting Sertorius, much the ablest of Marius's
followers, who had raised the standard of revolt in Spain, was still as
far from being conquered as ever. Pompeius was tired of the war; so were
his troops. At last by the treachery of Perpenna and some other Romans
in his army, on whose minds secret emissaries from Rome had worked,
Sertorius was murdered. Pompeius then suppressed the revolt in Spain
with horrible cruelty and returned to Rome crowned with success.

He was made consul (70) although he had never held any of the junior
offices of State; but his consulship was marked by nothing more
important than his constant disagreements with his colleague Crassus,
who, though of patrician birth, inclined to the so-called Popular,
anti-Senatorial party. For the next two years he was little to the fore
until called upon, as the first general of the day, to deal with a
difficulty which represented a most serious danger to Rome. Rome
depended to a large extent on foreign corn. Yet this overseas corn
supply was almost suspended by the pirates of the Mediterranean.
Commander after commander failed to suppress them. Food prices in Rome
rose to famine heights. At last the tribune Gabinius proposed that a
special commander should be appointed, with unexampled power, both as
regards men and money; and that Pompeius should be the man. Caesar and
Cicero supported the plan. It was hotly opposed by those who thought
such powers dangerous; but in the end Pompeius was appointed. He showed
conspicuous energy and within forty days the seas were cleared.

[Illustration: A VASE in the shape of a galley]

A vivid account of Pompeius's operations against the pirates was given
by Cicero in the great speech he made in support of the proposal of
Manilius to give him the command in the East, in the place of Lucullus.

_Pompeius in his Prime_

You know well enough how quickly these operations against the
Pirates were conducted, but I must not on that account omit all
mention of them. What man ever existed that, either in the course
of business or in the pursuit of gain, was able to visit so many
places and to travel such long distances in so short a time as
this great blast of war, directed by Cn. Pompeius, swept over the
seas? Even when it was yet too early for a distant voyage, he
visited Sicily, explored the coast of Africa, thence crossed to
Sardinia, and protected these three great