Chapter 49: Pirate Extermination (2)
Chapter 49: Pirate Extermination (2)
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“Impressive…”
Marcus muttered to himself as he watched the pirates being dragged away one by one.
“Indeed.”
Spartacus nodded reflexively.
‘I knew they would finish it quickly, but seeing it in person makes me realize how remarkable it is.’
It was a historical fact that Pompey had cleared the western Mediterranean of pirates in just 40 days.
Marcus had anticipated this outcome before the war began.
But witnessing the reality of what he had only known as knowledge made him understand why later strategists praised Pompey so highly.
Pompey’s strategy was straightforward in principle.
Instead of directly confronting the pirates, he occupied their ports and cut off their food and water supplies, isolating them.
Then he directed the desperate pirates into a single area and wiped them out all at once.
The plan might sound simple, but executing it was another matter entirely.
Ancient maps and charts were often inaccurate, and communication between allies was limited.
Coordinating simultaneous operations over a wide area required meticulous planning.
A single minor variable could disrupt the entire plan.
There was no guarantee the pirates would be lured as intended, so backup plans were essential.
Just considering these factors made Marcus’s head spin.
He had to admit he had been underestimating Pompey.
He had subtly devalued Pompey due to his defeat to Caesar in the crucial battle.
‘In reality, that battle wasn’t entirely Pompey’s fault.’
The Battle of Pharsalus, where Pompey lost to Caesar, was one Pompey had tried to avoid.
His original strategy was to avoid direct confrontation and starve Caesar by cutting off his supply lines.
But pressured by the senators with him, Pompey had no choice but to engage in the decisive battle.
As a result, Caesar’s extraordinary field command led to Pompey’s defeat.
While losing is losing, it is fair to say that Caesar’s tactical ability surpassed Pompey’s.
However, Caesar’s ability to reverse strategic failure through superior command doesn’t diminish Pompey’s potential as a strategist.
Pompey might have a higher strategic ability overall.
‘If only I could have such a strategist under me…’
“Marcus, you were here.”
Pompey approached Marcus, who was lost in thought.
He didn’t seem very excited despite successfully completing such a large-scale operation.
It wasn’t because there were still the south and east regions left to address.
He simply felt this was to be expected and didn’t see a need for any fuss.
“Is everything taken care of regarding the aftermath of the battle?”
“What aftermath? I instructed them to execute the lower-quality pirates among the prisoners and keep the rest for now since they still have some use.”
Normally, all prisoners would be sold into the slave market.
However, many of these pirates had lost their livelihoods due to conflicts in the eastern dynasties.
If they didn’t address the underlying issues, the same problems would recur.
Pompey had a clear plan to end the chaos in the east.
He surveyed the shattered pirate base.
“It’s a bit dull when things go too smoothly. I suppose it’s because I made such a perfect plan.”
He didn’t seem to realize he was boasting, which was typical of Pompey.
“Ha, haha… Of course, pirates are just stepping stones for Pompey. It’s natural you don’t feel much emotion.”
“It’s ridiculous that the entire country was shaken by these pirates, but that reflects poorly on the republic’s talent. Don’t you think?”
“But that’s why the tide of the times favors Pompey.”
“I agree. But the old foxes in the Senate refuse to admit that fact. They’re useless and only prideful.”
If the republic had been functioning properly, pirates wouldn’t have caused such trouble.
But that’s not the case now.
Pompey had to wait two years to obtain the imperium.
During that time, citizens suffered and used their anger to pressure the Senate.
Without that agitation, he wouldn’t have been able to secure the imperium even during a national crisis.
The current situation was far from normal by any standard.
“The Senate must know it deep down. They are more desperate to check Pompey because they understand this.”
“That’s why it’s even more absurd. Do they think Pompey Magnus would truly harm the republic? Me, who has been gaining experience under Sulla since I was young?”
“Africanius also loved the republic, but he was impeached by the senators. And the current Senate is even more incompetent than before. They fear Pompey’s very existence.”
Pompey was undoubtedly a member of the optimates, given his background.
He came from a noble family with a history of consuls, and he himself was almost a disciple of Sulla.
Despite this, the Senate was frustrated by their inability to diminish Pompey’s prestige.
For Marcus, it was advantageous to exploit the rift between the factions, but for Pompey, it was a source of frustration.
“But once I cleanly defeat the pirates, even the old men of the Senate will lose their momentum. How can they challenge me when they have no leverage?”
“…That would be logical.”
It was a curious remark, but Pompey didn’t notice it.
It was typical of someone who had never faced failure.
He naturally expected the situation to be favorable to him because he had succeeded in everything he undertook.
“By the way, you seemed to be watching my command with interest. Did you learn anything?”
“To be honest, I was once again reminded of your genius. It’s not something I can emulate. But it reinforced for me that neutralizing the enemy before engaging is fundamental to warfare.”
“That’s right. Someday you’ll lead a legion, so remember this well. A war cannot be won by a single decisive battle, like Alexander the Great or Scipio Africanus. Of course, people admire the miraculous reversals of great strategists.
But relying everything on one battle puts immense pressure on a commander. Winning means there’s nothing more to ask for, but losing can be disastrous. Even if you win a battle, if you don’t fully neutralize the enemy, the war may continue.”
“That’s true.”
Not everyone can win every battle like Alexander or Caesar.
Hannibal, one of the greatest strategists of ancient times, is a good example.
He crossed the Alps, invaded Rome, and won three consecutive battles.
But he failed to deliver a decisive blow to Rome.
Eventually, he had to retreat to counter Scipio’s army in Africa and lost at the Battle of Zama.
No matter how heroic his victories, he could not secure overall victory.
Pyrrhus, considered one of the top strategists after Alexander, faced a similar fate.
He won several battles against Rome but couldn’t overcome the accumulated damage and had to withdraw.
Later, a victory that comes at such a great cost was called a Pyrrhic victory.
Pompey studied these historical examples intensively and developed his own strategic perspective.
“So remember this: a battle should be a means to confirm the war’s victory, not a gamble to decide it. If you keep this in mind, you won’t see your legion annihilated in vain in the future.”
“A battle is a means to confirm the victory of war…”
Marcus repeated this several times to ensure he wouldn’t forget it.
It was crucial advice for him, given his lack of tactical genius.
Pompey proved his theory through his actions.
As soon as the aftermath of the western front was complete, Pompey moved his legion immediately.
Speed was crucial for the sweep operation.
He needed to strike quickly before the pirates realized they were being targeted.
In fact, the pirates could not effectively respond to the incredible speed of the Roman legions.
By the time the eastern pirates heard rumors of the Roman legions sweeping through the west, the western region had already been cleared.
Pompey’s strategy tightened the net, narrowing from the west and south towards the east.
The pirates had no choice but to be driven into Cilicia, like fish trapped by a wave.
“We’re finally going for the final assault. The target is the pirate stronghold on the south coast of Cilicia.”
Spartacus seemed nervous about how quickly the war could end.
His only experiences with war were the rebellion led by Crixus and the ongoing Mithridatic War in the east.
The Mithridatic War had lasted seven years and was still ongoing.
Even Crixus’s rebellion on the Italian peninsula took over a year to suppress.
But now, the pirates who had been causing chaos across the Mediterranean were about to be eradicated in less than three months.
It was understandable that Spartacus found it hard to believe.
He had sworn to protect Marcus even in the fiercest battles, but now he felt somewhat foolish.
“You’re not alone. Most people probably feel the same way.”
Marcus’s words were not false.
Even the Senate was astonished by Pompey’s remarkable speed.
When they received the report that Pompey had pacified the entire western Mediterranean in just 40 days, they initially doubted its accuracy.
If even allies who observed the situation were stunned, imagine the feelings of those who had been driven away.
The pirates struggled to accept their predicament.
Yet, some still clung to their pride, threatening the Mediterranean world as their final act of resistance.
The pirates gathered in large numbers at their base, preparing for one last stand.
With 500 Roman warships launching a full assault and legionaries with high morale, the final phase was set to begin.
The march proceeded smoothly.
Exhausted by relentless pursuit, the pirates did not dare to confront the formidable Roman forces.
Instead, they fortified their defenses in a natural fortress that was difficult to approach from land.
Pompey observed the scene and issued a cold command to avoid attacking first.
“Don’t let a single ship escape. They are trapped like rats. They have little food stored, so let them continue their siege while we maintain our position.”
The Roman army occupied a nearby island and secured a steady supply through the sea route.
Meanwhile, the pirates, already low on provisions, faced a dire situation with no means to resupply.
Their fortress’s inaccessibility from land meant no land-based supplies could reach them.
And the sea route was completely blocked by the Roman fleet.
To make matters worse, the number of pirates had swelled significantly as they had been driven from all over the Mediterranean.
Eventually, the pirates, overwhelmed by the psychological fear of being surrounded and dwindling food supplies, began to surrender.
A small group of pirates who tried to escape secretly in a small boat were immediately spotted by the Roman army.
The ram mounted on the front of the Roman warship smashed the small pirate vessel with ruthless efficiency.
Bang!
“Aargh!”
Arrows and javelins rained down on the pirates who fell into the sea, screaming.
In moments, the blue seawater was stained with dark red blood.
Other escape attempts met similar fates.
The pirates had chosen small boats to avoid detection, but escaping through the dense encirclement proved impossible.
Most of their ships were destroyed by the warship's ram, and some were hit by ballista bolts, meeting a grim end.
Desperate, the pirates made their final stand with all their remaining ships.
“The pirate ships are coming out in large numbers!”
The sheer number of plundered and improvised vessels was overwhelming.
But the pirates, already demoralized and weakened by hunger, could do little.
“It’s just their last struggle. Don’t break the encirclement. Annihilate them calmly!”
The pirates crashed directly into the Roman lines, which had already formed a tight siege.
This was like jumping into fire with no way out.
Pirates in small boats fell into the sea and perished without a fight.
Those on galleys were killed by javelins and arrows before they could board the Roman ships.
Even those who managed to engage in hand-to-hand combat fared poorly.
With a vast power disparity and a lack of proper nourishment, they were no match for the Romans.
As Pompey’s theory suggested, the outcome of the battle had already been decided before it began.
Hundreds of pirate ships were destroyed, and thousands of pirates met their end.
When no more pirates emerged from the fortress, Pompey ordered it subdued.
A natural fortress was useless if its defenders lacked will and strength.
When the Roman army landed, the pirate base was in chaos, resembling hell.
There were even riots in front of the warehouse where the pirates had stored their loot.
“Get out of my way, you bastards!”
“Don’t make me laugh! I’m not giving up these treasures!”
It was incomprehensible that they were still fighting over loot when escape was impossible.
More pirates died from stabbing each other with spears and swords than from Roman blades.
“What a pitiful and ugly sight,” Marcus remarked bitterly as he watched the scene.
Spartacus silently nodded beside him.
He didn’t even get a chance to draw his well-sharpened sword for battle.
It was a tragic end to the great pirate uprising that had once terrorized the Mediterranean Sea.
It took less than half a day to completely subjugate the pirate stronghold after the battle began.
This occurred just 49 days after Pompey shifted his focus from the west to the east.
He had subdued the western region in 40 days.
In the subsequent 49 days, he pacified both the southern and eastern regions.
In less than three months—just 89 days—Pompey had established Roman peace, or ‘Pax Romana,’ throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
It was a remarkable achievement that no one else in the world could match.
“Pompey is truly the successor of Alexander the Great and a descendant of the great gods!”
The Greeks, who had suffered plundering of their temples, cities, and homes by pirates, knelt and kissed Pompey’s feet.
Greece had endured pirate attacks far longer than Rome.
They had been plagued by pirates since the early first century BC.
Their declining power had made it impossible for them to suppress them.
Rome had also struggled to find a solution until now.
Pompey resolved a problem that had persisted for decades in just 89 days.
It was no wonder the Greeks revered Pompey almost as a deity.
The imperium he had been granted for a lengthy three-year term had not yet elapsed even one-tenth of its duration.
The Senate had requested his return, but he refused without hesitation.
He had never intended to return immediately after dealing with the pirates.
That was merely a prelude to his true objective.
Pompey had a different goal from the outset.
“Dismiss Lucullus, who is in charge of the eastern provinces, and give me his position. I, Pompey, will personally defeat Mithridates, who ignited this conflict, by eliminating the pirates.”
The era’s turbulence had not yet settled.
Instead, it was on the brink of becoming a storm that Pompey, the Great, was poised to unleash across the east.