Why did Julius Caesar create a political coalition (1st Triumvirate) with Crassus and Pompey?
Caius Julius Caesar was a favorite of the masses and a person who exuded leadership. He was, nevertheless, in debt up to his ears and, while he expected to get financially square by being Consul of Spain, he could not leave Rome without settling his debts. Pompey was flush with booty from his conquests in the East. Crassus was always well off. Both of them wanted political power but didn’t trust the other as far as they could spit. Adding Caesar, even theoretically, to the mix provided an element of stability for the time being. As you know, things fell apart after Caesar returned from Spain, and the basic political problems evident in Rome of 60 b.c. were not resolved until Augustine took over some time later.
