Caesar and Pompey had their final showdown at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. With Caesar on their backs, the conservatives led by Pompey fled to Greece. As Caesar himself said, "Today the enemy would have won, if they had a commander who was a winner" ( Plutarch, 65).Īccording to Suetonius, it was at this point that Caesar said that "That man (Pompey) does not know how to win a war". Because he failed to pursue at the moment of Caesar's defeat, Pompey threw away the chance to destroy Caesar's much smaller army. Pompey fought Caesar at the Battle of Dyrrhachium (48 BC), in which Caesar lost 1000 men and Pompey lost 2000. Nevertheless, Caesar managed to cross over into Epirus in November 49 BC, and captured Apollonia. There, during Caesar's Spanish campaign, Pompey had gathered a large force in Macedonia, with nine legions plus contingents from the Roman allies in the east. It was left in the Temple of Saturn when Caesar and his forces entered Rome.īarely escaping Caesar in Brundisium, Pompey crossed over into Epirus. Neither Pompey nor the Senate thought of taking the vast treasury with them, probably thinking Caesar would not dare take it for himself. Pompey intended build up his army, and wage war against Caesar in the east. Pompey abandoned Rome, and took his legions south towards Brundisium. In the beginning, Pompey said he could defeat Caesar and raise armies merely by stamping his foot on the soil of Italy, but in the spring of 49 BC, Caesar crossed the Rubicon and his legions swept down the peninsula. The Flight of Pompey after Pharsalus, by Jean Fouquet
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