Explanation: Coming back with an army after military victory over the forces of the (much cooler and much more based) Roman rebel Sertorius in Spain, Pompey stood for election to the consulship.

Thing is? He had neither ascended the traditional succession of offices necessary before taking the consulship (a tradition codified into law by the archconservative dictator Sulla, whom Pompey supported), nor was he even old enough to take the consulship.

The Senate, mindful of the fact that both Pompey and the similarly powerful politician Crassus were waiting just outside of Rome with massive armies, perhaps wisely acceded to Pompey’s candidacy anyway.