Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo

Despite Strabo's provincial roots, he and his family were Roman citizens and therefore took up Rome's cause during the Civil War the Republic had to fight with its Italian Allies. He commanded his forces against the Italian rebels in the northern part of Italy. First he recruited three or four legions in his native Picenum then he marched them south against the rebels. In 90 BC, while marching his legions south through Picentum, he was suddenly attacked by a large force of Picentes, Vestini and Marsi.[2] Although the battle favoured neither side Strabo was heavily outnumbered and he decided to withdraw. Eventually he found himself blockaded in Picenum, but in the Autumn of 90 he launched two sorties that successfully caught his enemies in a pincer.[3] The remnants of the enemy army retreated to Asculum which Strabo decided to starve into submission.[3] Through his successful counter-offensive he became very popular and he used his fame to get elected as one of the consuls for 89 BC, his consular partner being Lucius Porcius Cato. Strabo attacked and defeated a rebel column trying to march into Etruria killing 5,000 rebels. Another 5,000 died while trying to get back across the Apennines.[4] Strabo's consular colleague Lucius Porcius Cato engaged the Marsi in battle near Fucine Lake (close to Alba Fucensis), he died in an attempt to storm the enemy camp; this left Strabo as sole consul.[5] The exact details of the siege of Asculum and the reduction of the neighbouring tribes are obscured by History. We hear of a huge Battle near Asculum, where Strabo defeated an Italian relief army of 60,000 men.[6] Soon after Asculum fell, Strabo had the rebel leaders whipped and executed and auctioned off all of their belongings.[6] He kept the proceeds of these sales, a fact which might explain his reputation for greed.[6] At the end of his term as consul, Strabo apparently sought a second immediate consulship for the year 88 BC – an act that was not illegal, as the case of Gaius Marius demonstrates in the late second century, but highly irregular nonetheless. Strabo evidently failed in his attempt, as Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Quintus Pompeius Rufus were elected consuls.

Strabo celebrated a triumph for his victories against the Italian Allies on 27 December 89. After his consulship expired a few days later, he retired to Picenum with all of his veteran soldiers. He did not disband his army but kept it in the field. The Senate soon transferred command of his army to Quintus Pompeius Rufus, one of the new consuls. However, when Pompeius Rufus arrived, he was murdered by Strabo's soldiers.[7] Strabo did not interfere when Sulla marched on and took Rome in 88 BC. He remained in Picenum until 87 BC, when he responded to the Senate's request for help against Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Cinna who were also marching their forces on Rome. Strabo took his army to Rome; he did, however, not decisively commit to either side, instead playing both against the other. For this, Rutilius Rufus referred to him as "the vilest man alive". When negotiations with the Cinna-Marian faction fell through he did, however, attack Quintus Sertorius, one of Cinna's commanders, who was positioned north of the city, but the attack was without success.[8]