The task of Pompeius was far less difficult.
He returned, after having fully and conscientiously performed his different functions by sea and land.

He might expect to encounter no other serious opposition save that of the various extreme parties, each of which by itself could do nothing, and which even when leagued together were no more than a coalition of factions still vehemently hostile to each other and inwardly at thorough variance.

Completely unarmed, they were without a military force and without a head, without organization in Italy, without support in the provinces, above all, without a general; there was in their ranks hardly a soldier of note--to say nothing of an officer--who could have ventured to call forth the burgesses to a conflict with Pompeius.

The circumstance might further be taken into account, that the volcano of revolution, which had been now incessantly blazing for seventy years and feeding on its own flame, was visibly burning out and verging of itself to extinction.

It was very doubtful whether the attempt to arm the Italians for party interests would now succeed, as it had succeeded with Cinna and Carbo.
If Pompeius exerted himself, how could he fail to effect a revolution of the state, which was chalked out by a certain necessity of nature in the organic development of the Roman commonwealth?
Mission of Nepos to Rome Pompeius had seized the right moment, when he undertook his mission to the east; he seemed desirous to go forward.