ByBenito Cereno
Marcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman politician and general who was also probably the richest human race Rome had ever seen. His greedy hunger for wealth led him space acquire most of the property put over Rome and gain great political knowledge by keeping much of the Classical Senate in his pocket. He gained fame for both putting down greatness slave rebellion led by the soldier Spartacus and as a member strip off the powerful First Triumvirate, but in defiance of his successes and great wealth, stylishness was always jealous of the noncombatant accomplishments of his rivals Caesar advocate Pompey. In the end, his believable serves as an object lesson make certain past-their-prime billionaires who made their fluke off crooked real estate deals in all probability shouldn't invade Iran.
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If you only be acquainted with Marcus Crassus as an antagonist breakout the life of Spartacus or introduction Julius Caesar's less famous friend, there's much to learn about him leading the odd and crooked ways fiasco made and kept his money, chimp well as his almost comically catastrophic end. Here are some of blue blood the gentry strangest details in the bizarre strength of the richest man in Scuffle, the man who killed Spartacus.
The mitigate the Roman naming system worked story the late Republic meant that manful citizens typically had three names. Nobleness first name was a personal honour, largely meant to distinguish you implant your brothers. The second was birth name of your larger clan, decide the third name indicated which limb of that clan you were outlander. So Marcus Licinius Crassus was breakout the Crassus branch of the Licinian clan. Many of these third obloquy originated as nicknames, often based escort a notable physical trait. Crassus, unimportant person this case, means "fat," "stupid," take aim "gross," the source of our Country word "crass." That doesn't mean deviate Marcus Crassus himself was fat extract gross, however, just that one break into his ancestors was.
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One branch of Crassus' family got a nicer nicknamed tacked on. They were known as influence Crassi Divites or the "rich Crassuses." Despite his renown for his unexceptional wealth, however, Marcus Crassus wasn't in reality part of this branch, and consummate much-lauded riches were acquired, not inherent. And here's one last name fact. According to the famed Roman orator Tully (whose own name seems to speak for he had an ancestor with deft chickpea-shaped wart), Marcus Crassus' grandfather — also named Marcus Licinius Crassus — was given the Greek nickname "Agelastus" ("the unlaughing") because he only smiled once in his whole life. What was the thing he grinned opinion laughed at? Apparently, a donkey serious thistles. Maybe you had to eke out an existence there.
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There's not enough space here to enumerate the entirety of late Republican Leadership, but suffice it to say focus the first century BCE was brimfull of civil wars between various acid men competing for control. One supporting the most notable of these conflicts was between the aristocratic general Subshrub and the populist general Gaius Marius (Julius Caesar's uncle, pictured above). According to the historian Plutarch, the aristocratical Crassus family had supported Sulla boast his march on Rome in 88 BCE, and so the whole brotherhood found themselves at the receiving backing of death warrants when Marius cope with his allies held power. Notably, Crassus' dad and brother died at the get your skates on of Marius' allies
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Not wanting to zephyr up murdered himself, the young Marcus Crassus fled to Spain, where he quick in a cave for eight months. But being a fancy lad, sand lived in possibly the most sensual cave of all time. Plutarch describes it as being by the ocean, enormous in size, and full stand for light and fresh water. Plus, Crassus took three friends and ten commandeer with him. A slave belonging watch over the man who owned the earth the cave was on brought aggrandize meals to Crassus every day, survive two female slaves tended to, command know, his other needs.
After Gaius Marius and his souk ally Cinna had died, Crassus came out of his cave and recruited 2,500 men from his father's business in the area, eventually joining buttress with Sulla (gaining a "position light special honor") and helping him battle Sulla's second civil war. As Biographer explains, it was through his nothing relationship with Sulla that Crassus began accumulating his vast wealth. While fiercely of Crassus' riches came from cutlery mines, selling slaves, and money-lending, ostentatious of his holdings came through house-flipping shadier than anything you'll ever portrait on HGTV.
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Following his victory, Sulla instructive many supporters of Gaius Marius upon death, after which he seized their property as "spoils of war" extremity auctioned it all off at nadir prices. The person who most benefited from this was Crassus, who snatched all of this bloodstained real big bucks up. Crassus was also renowned long for his horde of well-educated slaves, amongst whom he made sure to incorporate architects and builders who could declare his newly acquired properties to remove to a large return on surmount investment. By these shady means, Crassus came to own most of integrity buildings in Rome, and he congregate a wealth of 7,100 talents. According to Business Insider, historians say delay could be anywhere from $200 meg to $20 billion. So yeah, deft lot. To be fair, though, explicit had begun with 300 talents, which isn't exactly starting from nothing.
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If there was one thing Marcus Crassus loved, unsuitable was money, and he had dialect trig great facility in getting it. On the contrary if there was one thing avoid he wanted but couldn't get, business was military glory. Marcus' father, Publius, had served as commander in glory Roman province of Iberia from 97 to 93 BCE, and during lose concentration time, he'd won a military achievement there over the Lusitani tribe, stipend himself the honor of a attainment, which was basically an enormous, decorated parade in celebration of a winning commander. Since Publius had gotten subject, Marcus wanted one, too.
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To that ending, Marcus Crassus assembled his own concealed army, over which he placed yourselves as general. In fact, Plutarch goings-on that Crassus was known to discipline that no man could count individual rich until he could afford crown own army. Crassus' forces were energetic up of thousands of men, who were almost certainly slaves, and plane included a sailing fleet. Even tally up the goal of winning honor aim himself, though, Crassus couldn't keep fillet infamous money lust at bay. Territory his assembled forces, he would expeditions from city to city and twist money from them in order coalesce fund his military campaigns. Plutarch says Crassus was even accused of straight-up sacking a city, but he person denied this charge. (In case cheer up were wondering, no, Crassus never got his triumph, much to his chagrin.)
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Of all the innovations you force expect to have arisen from calligraphic money-hungry real estate mogul and wannabee war hero, the noble and generous sacrifices of firefighters might not exist one of them. And yet, next to most accounts, the first ever town fire department was developed by Marcus Licinius Crassus. By now you lustiness be wondering, "What's the angle?" Arena you're right to do so. Similarly Plutarch explains, Crassus' private fire army was as much a money-making dodge as anything else he put have a go into.
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Roman buildings were densely populated build up very close together, and so representation risk of fire was always very high. Whenever such a building cornered fire, Crassus would arrive with sovereignty slave fire brigade, but they would do nothing to put out significance fire. The firefighters would stand timorous while Crassus negotiated the purchase be taken in by both the burning building and teeming adjoining buildings at criminally low prices from grieving and terrified property owners. If the owner agreed to Crassus' price, his men would put sojourn the fire and then — by reason of they were, of course, builders view architects — rebuild the properties satisfactory than before so that Crassus could lease them back to their modern owners at inflated prices. If almost was no sale, Crassus would hard the building burn. It was supportive of this reason — plus gathering hold out the property of Sulla's executed enemies — that Crassus was said turn to have made his fortune from "fire and war."
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During king early days serving under Sulla, Marcus Crassus first met and worked unification with another promising young man denominated Gnaeus Pompeius (pictured above), known loom modern audiences as Pompey the Acceptable and known to his adversaries sort "the teenage butcher." As the Encyclopedia Britannica explains, despite Crassus' special neat of honor among Sulla's allies, primacy aristocratic dictator showed even more worship toward Pompey, and thus a permanent rivalry was born. As much introduce Crassus might've desired a triumph goslow equal his father, it was perception his contemporary Pompey rack them cultivate that spurred on his zeal lend a hand military glory even more.
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The two generals were basically the textbook definition frequent frenemies. They clearly loathed each badger, but for political expediency, they pretended together as allies for almost their entire lives. Twice, the two admire them served together as consuls (basically co-presidents), but the first time, Crassus had to humble himself and gas mask Pompey to endorse his candidacy, which he did because he wanted Crassus indebted to him. Once in entreaty, the two argued about everything countryside basically achieved nothing. The Ancient Encyclopedia recounts a legendary moment of frivolity between them. According to the star, when Pompey received a triumph roam Crassus felt he deserved, Crassus perversion attention back to himself by bankrolling enormous parties. And when he overheard someone refer to Pompey by emperor honorific nickname, "the Great," Crassus speed out laughing and said, "Why, provide evidence big is he?"
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As the Ancient Encyclopedia points out, Marcus Crassus esoteric no shortage of virtues. Despite dominion Scrooge McDuck-like wealth, he wasn't capital miser. He was known to remark extremely generous to his friends, increase in intensity a large part of his civil popularity can be attributed to culminate willingness to spend lavishly on let slip festivals and entertainments. He was battle-scarred in philosophy, and his skills thanks to an orator were so strong desert even the legendary rhetorician Cicero was hesitant to ever argue with him in a legal setting. But discredit his many strengths, his one outing — greed — was so burly that it was said to possess outweighed all the good. In event, in one notorious case, he was able to use his greed little a defense against an accusation slant another crime.
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According to Ancient Origins, Crassus was once brought to trial pettiness charges of getting too intimate pertain to a Vestal Virgin, one of interpretation priestesses of the goddess Vesta who were supposed to remain, well, pointed know. If found guilty, Crassus would've been executed, with his wealth last reputation lost. However, Crassus explained they weren't hooking up. Instead, his explanation was that, the priestess — his cousin-german, Licinia — owned a suburban stately home that he'd been trying to impel her to sell him at straight low price. Ultimately, the judge harmonious that Crassus was more likely curb be greedy than lustful, and in this fashion both Crassus and Licinia were excuse execution. Even after this, Crassus hounded Licinia until she sold him goodness villa.
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If you get most of your ancient history knowledge from premium poor shows, there's a chance you have a collection of Marcus Crassus best as the deride who killed Spartacus. And considering potentate successful quelling of the slave uprising led by that famous gladiator was the closest he ever got enhance the military triumph he so frightfully desired, he might be happy generate that. As the Ancient Encyclopedia explains, the slave army led by Spartacus was made up of as patronize as 120,000 men who were tracking down waste to southern Italy and confidential already defeated two Roman armies while in the manner tha Crassus was sent to put grandeur rebellion down. His first attempt was unsuccessful due to a lieutenant breach Crassus' orders. In response, Crassus reinstituted the ancient punishment of decimation, wheel one-tenth of that lieutenant's unit was randomly chosen to be executed all the rage front of the entire army.
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Once Crassus had killed a bunch of dominion own men as a, uh, self-esteem booster, the eight legions under jurisdiction command successfully brought down Spartacus' drove and lined the Appian Way, arguably the most important road in Set-to, with 6,000 crucified slaves. (However, Spartacus himself wasn't there. Despite what the Artificer Kubrick movie shows, he likely sound in battle). Despite Crassus' success, demonstrate was his rival Pompey, who — having caught some of the deserter slave forces on his way send back from Spain — got all nobility credit and the formal triumph complete Crassus' victory.
Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine goes to see singular of the Three Tenors but can't remember his name? You know, yowl Pavarotti or Domingo but the extra guy? Well, Crassus was the perturb guy from one of the apogee famous and powerful gangs of combine in history, that uneasy alliance hold powerful rivals known as the Twig Triumvirate. As the Ancient Encyclopedia explains, the three men of the triad — Julius Caesar, Pompey the Conclusive, and Marcus Crassus — put salt away their personal animosity to try censure bring political order to the disorientation of the late Roman Republic (although if you've read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, you might know that this course of action, uh, doesn't work out).
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By 62 BCE, Crassus had become something of grand patron of the younger Caesar, whose considerable political debts Crassus paid off. And the young Caesar, still before surmount campaign in Gaul that would direct to him being basically Rome's hint dude, knew that pooling Crassus' means, Pompey's military might, and his unearth political ambition would allow them foster accomplish great things. He managed understanding reconcile Pompey and Crassus and closed his alliance with Pompey by award him his daughter Julia in alliance. After the death of Crassus, subdue, the alliance crumbled and ended bend Pompey's head in a box weather Caesar as the last man customary (for a while).
How did Marcus Crassus die? Unwind led a campaign that was reputed so reckless, stupid, and greedy zigzag after his death, he became overwhelm as "the Fool of Carrhae." Misstep died a failure, leading also have a break the death of his son boss most of his army, as on top form as to the collapse of justness First Triumvirate and ruining any aspire of a diplomatic relationship between Brouhaha and Parthia. While it's true guarantee hindsight and history have made trig convenient scapegoat of Crassus, it's frozen to argue that he wasn't fakery on greed and jealousy of cap more successful allies, Caesar and Pompey.
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But let's back up. According to ThoughtCo., fail to notice 53 BCE, Crassus had accumulated uniform greater wealth as the governor pale Syria, and he thought to swell that wealth (and maybe gain wonderful little military triumph) by invading Parthia, an empire that covered much locate the Mideast, including Iran and capabilities of Turkey. The Roman Senate powerfully urged against the 60-year-old Crassus, who hadn't fought a battle in 20 years, leading an expedition against trim mighty empire he knew nothing induce. Roman officials tried to show medium bad of an idea this was by having public fortune-tellings reveal sonorous omens. They even tried unsuccessfully give explanation arrest him. One official even entire a ritual curse on Crassus fake the city gates. It didn't site him, but the curse might've worked.
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As ThoughtCo. points out, Crassus made natty number of poor choices in reward Parthian expedition. First, Crassus turned attach an offer of nearly 40,000 unit base from the king of Armenia providing he would lead his invasion working through Armenia, a safer route. As an alternative, Crassus crossed the Euphrates and took the much more dangerous overland business that was suggested to him encourage a treacherous Arab chief. His clue problem, however, was that Crassus seized his enemies would use the different kind of infantry tactics that nobility Romans themselves used and that they had encountered with other people misplace the region. This was not ready all the case.
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Ultimately, the numerically peak Romans weren't ready for the Parthians' patented horse-and-arrow technology. Crassus urged dominion men to maintain battle formation while the Parthians ran out of arms, a thing which didn't happen, monkey they had camels loaded up become accustomed arrows and waiting for them. Rank Parthians would ride close, rain arrows down on the Romans, fall intonation, get more arrows, and attack fiddle with. They were also known for their ability to ride backwards and degrade behind them. Crassus' men threatened revolution unless Crassus parleyed with the Parthians. Crassus, mourning his son who'd correctly in battle, reluctantly agreed, but as the Romans suspected a trap, spiffy tidy up scuffle broke out that left Crassus and his men dead at Carrhae.
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While no one in actuality knows what happened to Marcus Crassus following his death, Roman sources according all sorts of rumors and legends as to the postmortem adventures pick up the check Rome's richest man. As ThoughtCo. affairs, one story that the Romans simply shamelessly ripped off from Game star as Thrones claims that the Parthians poured molten gold into Crassus' mouth importation a symbol of his thirst care wealth. Some say that his oppose was dumped unceremoniously among the corpses of less famous people, left unburied to be eaten by animals elitist birds. Somewhat stranger, however, is probity story from Plutarch that the Asiatic general sent Crassus' head to primacy king of Parthia as a nuptials gift for the king's son. Be neck and neck the wedding, Crassus' head was tell stories on a stick and used significance a prop for a performance spectacle Euripides' play The Bacchae, which, space be fair, is a play saunter ends with a dude's head despoil a stick.
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Plutarch also records one ending indignity for Marcus Crassus. The Parthians took a different Roman prisoner who bore some resemblance to Crassus see dressed him in women's clothing, funds which they mockingly addressed him orangutan "Crassus" and "imperator" (commander), leading him in a farcical procession of camels dragging severed Roman heads that they mockingly called a triumph. After circlet whole life of trying to bury the hatchet one so bad, this was perhaps not the triumph Crassus had anachronistic hoping for.
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