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====First Triumvirate====
By 59 BCE, Caesar was one of the most important political figures in Rome, mainly because of his connections to the old supporters of Marius and, he . He also appears to have been genuinely popular among many ordinary Romans.<ref> Plutarch, vix</ref> The political situation in Rome was chaotic and political violence was common, often orchestrated by gangs connected to leading public figures. In this situation, nothing could get done and there was political gridlock. The Senate wanted to control all aspects of political life as they had since the early days of the Republic. However, many aristocrats were frustrated by the conservatism of the Senators and believed that it was incapable of any meaningful decisions. Some of the leading figures in Rome at the time decided to come together and to enter an informal alliance in order to provide some stability and to secure their own political aims.<ref>Holland, Tom. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400078970/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400078970&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=a25657c34ca67cbf377bd8dfbc462c2c Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic]</i> (London, Anchor Press, 2003), p. 134</ref>
Pompey, sometimes known as Pompey the Great was hailed by his contemporaries as a great general. While still a young man he had secured a series of victories which stabilized the Roman Republic and greatly expanded it. In a series of campaigns, he conquered a vast area around the Black Sea and the modern Middle East. He was revered in the city but not even he could persuade the Senate to grant his veterans lands. Crassus was very wealthy, and he wanted to translate this into political power. These two men entered into an alliance and they invited Caesar to join their informal arrangement. The richest man in Rome and its most famous soldier needed the young aristocrat, because of his links to the populares. They needed him to help them to obtain the votes that they needed to make sure that they could achieve their political goals and also guarantee at least some level of stability in the city.
