Editing Pompey (section)

== Literary heritage ==
Pompey was so striking a figure, and his fall so dramatic, that his story became the subject of frequent literary treatment. In the century after his death, the civil war between himself and Caesar was retold in [[Lucan]]'s epic ''De Bello Civili'', now known as the ''[[Pharsalia]]'' after the culminating battle. In the poem's final sections, however, Pompey's vengeful ghost returns to possess those responsible for his murder in Egypt and bring about their death.<ref>Sean Easton, "Why Pompey Is better off dead", ''The Classical Journal'' 107.2 (2011), [https://www.academia.edu/4653650/Why_Lucans_Pompey_is_Better_Off_Dead pp. 212–23]</ref>

In [[Renaissance]] Britain, too, several plays returned to the subject of "Caesar and Pompey", including [[George Chapman]]'s ''The Wars of Pompey and Caesar'' (c. 1604). Another contemporary treatment by [[Thomas Kyd]], ''Cornelia, or Pompey the Great, his faire Cornelia's tragedy'' (1594), was a translation from the French of [[Robert Garnier]].<ref>''A Manual of Old English Plays'' (1892), [https://books.google.com/books?id=Aj65AAAAIAAJ&dq=play+POMPEY+-Portsmouth&pg=PA33 pp. 33, 50]</ref> Later in France, Pompey's story was told without the character appearing onstage in [[Pierre Corneille]]'s ''La Mort de Pompée'' (1643) and this too had English adaptations: as ''Pompey'' (1663)  by [[Catherine Philips]], as ''Pompey the Great'' by [[Edmund Waller]] and others in 1664,<ref>Andrew Shifflett, ''Stoicism, Politics and Literature in the Age of Milton'', Cambridge University 1998, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ujbeD7IchA8C&q=%22Stoicism,+Politics+and+Literature+in+the+Age+of+Milton%22 pp. 76 ff]</ref> and later as ''[[The Death of Pompey]]'' (1724) by [[Colley Cibber]].

Later in the 18th century, Pompey is made the recipient of a [[Epistolary poem|'heroical epistle']] in rhyming couplets from a supposed former lover in [[John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey|John Hervey]]'s "Flora to Pompey".<ref>Joseph Wharton, ''An Essay on the Genius and Writings of Pope'', (London, 1756), [https://books.google.com/books?id=oyQJAAAAQAAJ&dq=%22Flora+to+Pompey%22&pg=PA296 vol. 1,  p. 296]</ref><ref>Robert Dodsley, ''A Collection of Poems by Several Hands'', (London 1755), [https://books.google.com/books?id=_iIJAAAAQAAJ&dq=%22Flora+to+Pompey%22&pg=PA90 vol. 4, pp. 90–94]</ref> He also figures in narrative poems of the 19th century. [[John Edmund Reade]]'s "The Vale of Tempe" records the fugitive's desperate appearance as glimpsed by a bystander in the Greek valley;<ref>''The Broken Heart, with other poems'', London 1825, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kSpcAAAAcAAJ&dq=Pompey++poem+++%22Vale+of+Tempe%22&pg=PA60 pp. 56–60]</ref> his arrival in Egypt is related by [[Alaric Watts]] in "The Death of Pompey the Great",<ref>Alaric A. Watts, ''Lyrics of the Heart'', London 1851, [https://books.google.com/books?id=MHlBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA209 pp. 209–213]</ref> and the ruined column raised to mark the site of his killing outside Alexandria is described by [[Nicholas Michell]] in ''Ruins of Many Lands''.<ref> "Pompey’s Pillar", ''Ruins of Many Lands'', London 1849, [https://books.google.com/books?id=xDhcAAAAcAAJ pp. 61–2]</ref> These were followed by [[John Masefield]]'s prose drama ''[[The Tragedy of Pompey the Great]]'' of 1910, covering the period from his decision to fight Caesar to his assassination in Egypt.<ref>[https://ia800208.us.archive.org/27/items/tragedyofpompeyg00maserich/tragedyofpompeyg00maserich.pdf ''The Tragedy of Pompey the Great''], London, 1910</ref> The play was later filmed for television in 1950 for the ''[[BBC Sunday Night Theatre]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b7f3044be |title=The Tragedy of Pompey the Great |website=BFI Film Forever |publisher=British Film Institute|date=20 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120720043235/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b7f3044be |archive-date=20 July 2012}}</ref>

Pompey's career is recapitulated a century later in series of historical novels. In [[Colleen McCullough]]'s ''[[Masters of Rome]]'', Pompey is mainly featured in Books III-V, covering his rise to prominence through to his betrayal and murder in Egypt.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Rocío Gordillo Hervás |title=Historical Fiction and Ancient Rome: Colleen McCullough's ''Masters Of Rome'' Series |journal=Collection de l'Institut des Sciences et Techniques de l'Antiquité |date=9 February 2024 |volume=1476 |issue=1 |pages=206 ff |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/ista_0000-0000_2019_ant_1476_1_3780#ista_0000-0000_2019_ant_1476_1_T11_0198_0000}}</ref> Pompey is also a recurring character in [[Steven Saylor]]'s ''[[Roma Sub Rosa]]'' crime fiction novels, where he brushes shoulders with Gordianus, the main protagonist of the series.<ref>{{cite web |website=Crime Fiction Lover |url=https://crimefictionlover.com/2014/10/interview-steven-saylor |title=Interview: Steven Saylor |author=Keith Nixon |date=19 October 2014}}</ref> Another fiction series in which Pompey plays a part in the historical background is [[Robert Harris (novelist)|Robert Harris's]] trilogy of the life of [[Cicero]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/author-interviews/robert-harris-interview-312032 |title=Robert Harris {{!}} 'Cicero had very good relations with Caesar but he was absolutely delighted to see him murdered before his own eyes' |website=The Bookseller |author=Benedicte Page |date=11 September 2015}}</ref>