Events dating back to the reforms of the Gracchi brothers meant that Rome was faced with a Republic that was already deteriorating before Pompey came to power. Although Pompey's quest for power was harmful, many other factors were harmful to the Republic and were thus instrumental in its decline. Gnaeus Pompey's measures to gain power were harmful because they were primarily a paradox to the principles of being part of a Republic with all its notions of shared and brief power. The fundamental reason why there were other reasons for the decline of the system is that it was given military power, the already weak Senate, and the fact that Pompey was not the only actor in the collapse of the Republic due to the alliances he made . had done with Crassus and Caesar. Although Pompey's quest for power through military conquests was harmful to the Republic, this power was granted to him by the Senate. Therefore the already weakened republican system must take some responsibility for its own demise. According to the modern historian Williams, after the Gracchi there was a “slow but perceptible decline in both the prestige and authority of the Senate.” This indicates that the Senate had already lost some of its power after being challenged by these reformist brothers, which suggests its inability to oppose the power of individuals. According to the same author, after having shown "remarkable initiative by raising an army to support Sulla and fighting Marius' supporters in Sicily and Africa, Pompey claimed triumph" despite being well aware of being a minor and not having held a military position . This is verified by Pliny who writes that after such conquests, Pompey was given the title of “The Gr...... middle of paper ......ed on the system. Therefore, although Pompey was unquestionably, being part of the three-way alliance, an important player in the downfall of the Republic, others such as Caesar and Crassus also played a role. While Pompey's ambitious nature and therefore quest for supreme power were detrimental to the fall of the Republic. After the Roman Republic, other factors that helped him achieve this power were also perhaps the fundamental reason for his decline. The Senate was already weak in allowing Pompey to exploit the military and political system to his advantage and therefore to achieve this power, while in the last years of the Republic (evidently more harmful for the system), when the First Triumvirate was formed, even the others Caesar and Crassus played an important role in the destruction of the Republic. Now what the Romans had feared most from the beginning was now a reality.