Caesar's Procedure Of The First Triumvirate

Caesar’s expedition in Gaul was to some extent the cause of the breakup of the First Triumvirate. While Caesar’s expedition in Gaul brought him unrivaled glory and status, which might have upset the First Triumvirate balance of power and turned the senate against him, due to instability in Roman politics, the alliance between Caesar and Pompey was already on uneasy grounds. Crassus’ death during his campaign in Parthia unsettled the First Triumvirate, resulting in a faceoff for power between Caesar and Pompey and a tip in balance that even further lessened the power of the senate. Historians such as Goldsworthy even argue that Pompey was reluctant to go to war and had not the Senate intervened, the alliance could have continued. Before Caesar’s expedition in Gaul, Caesar only a politician with little military experience (Goldsworthy 15). His background, especially compared to Pompey’s own military campaigns and victories, placed him as the Junior member in the First Triumvirate. In 50 BCE,

Caesar’s expedition in Gaul did indeed contribute to this buildup of tensions, as he gained vast amounts of wealth, influence and power. However, this was not the only factor involved. The previous instability within the Republic, including the opposition to Caesar in the senate and the volatility of the alliance between Pompey and Caesar, also contributed to the tensions building up. While Stevenson and Caesar himself blame the Optimates for the buildup to the war, Pompey ultimately made the decision to break the alliance and hence shares the blame for the split as well. Crassus death also served as a pivotal point in the breakup, as a sense of rivalry developed between Pompey and Caesar as their power and influence further increased. Therefore, it was only to some extent that the breakup of the First Triumvirate was due to Caesar’s expedition in