3. Crassus went from a life of luxury to death by liquid gold.
As every good student of history knows, Julius Caesar suffered a sudden – and violent – fall from power. After assuming the position of Rome’s first real dictator, he was brutally stabbed on the steps of the Forum, having fallen out of favor with the Senate. But the fall of Crassus was just as spectacular, and almost as rapid too. From being one of the richest and most powerful men in all of ancient Rome, he died friendless and almost alone, many miles from home.
Marcus Licinius Crassus was born in the year 115 BC. As a young man, he made a fortune through dubious means. He snapped up property destroyed by fire on the cheap and then restored it, selling it on for a huge profit. This also allowed him to destroy rivals, cementing his position as one of the most powerful and influential men in Rome. Crassus also made large sums of money in more conventional ways, such as dealing in slaves or in mining. He used this power to support Caesar. In fact, he backed the ruler financially, plus he personally paid for the army that was sent out to put down the slave rebellion led by Spartacus.
Out of gratitude, Caesar made Crassus Governor of Syria, a region rich in resources. Here, however, he met his end. He led a disastrous campaign against the Parthian Empire to the east. After the Battle of Carrhae, his men turned against him. When he went to parlay for peace, the Parthians poured liquid gold down his throat, a violent and undignified end for the man believed to be the richest person who ever lived.