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(#17) He Was Still Trying To Lead Armies At Age 60
The average life expectancy in ancient Rome was around 25-35 years of age, mostly due to a high infant mortality rate. Crassus, however, lived past sixty. He stayed active during his later years, serving as a politician and continuing to build his fortune with property schemes and foreign investments.
He was also still pursuing his military career. In his early sixties, Crassus joined his son in Syria to fight the Parthians. It would be his fatal mistake.
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(#14) He Was Intensely Greedy And Mostly Disliked
Once Crassus returned to Rome after Cinna's death, he started buying up property. In particular, he purchased homes that were once owned by victims of Sulla, the very man his father had supported. The property was cheaply auctioned, so Crassus nabbed it all to turn over for profit. The move rubbed a lot of politicians and military men the wrong way.
It seems strange that a man who was so disliked gained so much power. But the simple fact of the matter is that Crassus bought his influence. He may have been greedy, but Crassus knew which palms to grease in order to get what he wanted in life.
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(#18) A Botched Negotiation Attempt Lead To His Death
During Crassus's fight against the Parthians, things went south in a hurry. Crassus advanced too far and too fast, thinning out his men drastically. His son was killed in battle, and his men lost heart. They told Crassus that surrender was the only option, and when he refused, they threatened to mutiny. Crassus decided to go on horseback to negotiate with the Parthian leader.
The horse struggled as Crassus mounted it, and Crassus's men panicked. During the confusion, both sides resumed fighting. Many of Crassus's men were killed and, eventually, he too was felled. Some say a man named Pomaxathres was the one who eventually beheaded his fallen body, though there's some debate over exactly what happened.
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(#5) He Was The Reason Julius Caesar Came To Power
Julius Caesar likely wouldn't have come to power if it wasn't for Crassus. As a wealthy man, Crassus enjoyed playing patron to those he thought could further his political, military, and financial career.
In order to gain power in ancient Rome, one had to climb the cursus honorum, a political ladder of sequential offices. Crassus liked Caesar's drive and ambition, and decided to fund all his endeavors, since Caesar wasn't wealthy himself. Crassus paid the right people, gave Caesar all the right opportunities, and soon Caesar held the office of consul, the highest political position in Rome.
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(#10) He Might Have Gotten Naughty With A Vestal Virgin
Vestal virgins were completely off limits to the men of ancient Rome. But social taboos didn't seem to stop the married Crassus. He was accused of getting familiar with a woman named Licinia, who happened to be a vestal virgin. He was tried for this crime, and claimed that he wasn't trying to seduce Licinia - he was simply trying to get a lower property price for one of his many real estate schemes. The claim raised some eyebrows, but Crassus's greed was so well-documented that he was acquitted.
Crassus, naturally, ended up buying the property from the vestal virgin.
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(#15) He Was The Son Of A War Hero
Crassus didn't earn the entirety of his immense fortune himself. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, thanks to the exploits of his father, Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus. He was a famed politician who had helped with the agrarian reforms back in the days of Tiberius Gracchus. This had afforded him a great deal of wealth, and his family was well respected. He was also a successful general. Perhaps his father's political and military success pushed Crassus along his career paths.
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Gladiators were a very important entertainment industry in ancient Rome. Except for the huge Colosseum in Rome, there are large and small arenas in different cities. Gladiators belonged to a special group of people who were forced or voluntary. The most famous gladiator in ancient history is Spartacus, who led the largest slave rebellion in Roman history and was eventually killed by a Roman general, his name was Marcus Licinius Crassus.
Marcus Licinius Crassus was Caesar's mentor, and one of the richest people in Roman history. He has achieved success in both political and military fields. The random tool introduced 18 shocking life of this most influential Roman general.
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