Piracy in the Roman republic: lex gabinia de piratis persequendis

Abstract

Piracy, which had been common in the Mediterranean since ancient times, began to affect Roman commercial interests negatively from the 2nd century BC, causing Rome to react, specifically by organizing several military campaigns, as well as by taking many other legislative measures designed to put an end to it. The turning point of those steps was the promulgation of the Lex Gabinia de piratis persequendis and the granting of imperium extraordinarium to Pompey in 67 BC, especially because of the relevance of the constitutional changes promoted in the legal bases of the Republic in order to pacify the Mare Nostrum..