Strabo was a prominent member of the
Pompeii, a noble family in
Picenum, in central Italy. The Pompeii had become the richest and most prominent family of the region, and had a large
clientele and a lot of influence in Picenum and Rome. Despite the anti-rural prejudice of the
Roman Senate, the Pompeii could not be ignored. After serving in the military, probably as a
military tribune, Strabo climbed the
cursus honorum and became
promagistrate in Sicily 93 BC and
consul in the year 89 BC, in the midst of the
Social War.
Social war 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 fought against 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 Picenum, he was suddenly
attacked by a large force of
Picentes,
Vestini, and
Marsi. 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. The remnants of the enemy army retreated to Asculum, which Strabo decided to starve into submission. Strabo's consular colleague Lucius Porcius Cato engaged the Marsi in battle near
Fucine Lake (close to Alba Fucensis), but he died in an attempt to storm the enemy camp; this left Strabo as sole consul. The exact details of the siege of Asculum and the reduction of the neighbouring tribes are obscure. We hear of a huge
battle near Asculum, where Strabo defeated an Italian relief army of 60,000 men. Soon after Asculum fell, Strabo had the rebel leaders whipped and executed, and auctioned off all of their belongings. 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,
Publius 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. ==Death==