ROMAN EMPIRE. 



Roman 

 .Empire. 



Battle of 



Pnursalia. 



tents when he learned that Pompey had quitted his 

 entrenchments and advanced into the plain. He im- 

 ' mediately halted his army, and drew them up in order 

 of battle. The army of Csesar did not exceed 22,000 

 foot and 5000 horse, while that of Pompey was above 

 45,000 foot and 7000 horse. In order to make up for 

 this inequality in his cavalry, Caesar had selected the 

 strongest and the most active of his foot soldiers, and 

 taught them to fight between the ranks of his cavalry. 

 Pompey placed his veteran troops in the centre and two 

 flanks of his army, and he distributed his new levies 

 over the main body of the army. Scipio commanded 

 the Syrian legions in the centre, Domitius Ahenobarbus 

 led the Spaniards on the right wing, which was cover- 

 ed by the river Cnipus, while Pompey placed himself 

 at the head of two legions on the left, where he had 

 assembled all his horse, slingers, and archers, with the 

 view of making the most vigorous attack from that 

 quarter. 



Caesar's army was divided into three bodies. Do- 

 mitius Calvinus commanded the centre, Mark Antony 

 the left, and Caasar the right wing, which was to be 

 opposed to Pompey, and which consisted of his fa- 

 vourite tenth legion. The appearance of Pompey 's 

 cavalry in one spot, indicated to Caesar the intentions 

 of his rival. He therefore drew six cohorts from his 

 rear, and concealing them behind his right, he in- 

 structed them to reserve their javelins till the approach 

 of Pompey's cavalry, and to push them in the faces of 

 the horsemen, who, consisting of the young Roman 

 nobility, dreaded a scar in the face more than the se- 

 verest wound in the body. He then placed his own 

 handful of cavalry on the right of the tenth legion, 

 and commanded his third line to await his signal. 



After encouraging their respective troops, Caesar gave 

 the signal for battle, and his army advanced, while 

 that of Pompey had been instructed to receive the first 

 shock without quitting their places. While Caesar's 

 line, advancing boldly to the combat, saw the enemy 

 motionless, they suddenly halted, and during the pause 

 which ensued, the hostile lines gazed at each other 

 with inward horror, but with undisturbed serenity. 

 After having breathed for a while, Caesar's troops 

 advanced with fury, discharging their javelins, and 

 fighting with their swords. Pompey sustained the 

 attack by similar weapons ; but no sooner had he or- 

 dered his cavalry to charge, along with the archers 

 and slingers, than Caesar's men began to give way. 

 The reserve of six cohorts which Caesar had prepared 

 to resist this attack now advanced, and striking at the 

 faces of their pursuers, produced the complete effect 

 which Csesar had expected. The young Roman nobi- 

 lity, who valued themselves on their beauty, were in- 

 timidated by the unsightly wounds which were inflict- 

 ed on their companions, considered only how to defend 

 their persons ; and being put to the rout, they fled 

 in a most disorderly manner to the mountains, leaving 

 the archers and slingers to be cut to pieces by the ene- 

 my. The successful cohorts now advanced against the 

 flank and rear of Pompey's left, which made a brave re- 

 sistance, till Caesar's third line attacked them in front, 

 and forced them to fly to their camp. The auxiliaries had 

 fled, while Pompey's right wing was fighting with great 

 bravery ; but Caesar, seeing that the issue of the con- 

 flict was no longer doubtful, cried out to his men to 

 pursue the strangers, but to spare the Romans. The 

 auxiliary troops were slaughtered in great numbers ; 

 but the Romans laid down their arms, and received 

 quarter. Notwithstanding this great overthrow of his 



enemy, Csesar considered his victory as incomplete un- 

 til he was in possession of Pompey's camp. He there- 

 fore marched on foot at the head of his army, and in- 

 cited them to complete the victory which they had al- 

 ready achieved. The cohorts and the Thracian troops 

 who defended the camp made a bold resistance ; but 

 they were driven from the trenches, and forced to take 

 refuge in flight. As a strong body of the fugitives 

 had retired to the mountains, Caesar thought it neces- 

 sary to pursue them ; and, after various operations, he 

 at last compelled them to surrender. When Csesar 

 saw the field covered with the bodies of his country- 

 men, he exclaimed to one who stood near, " They 

 would have it so." He treated the vanquished with 

 great humanity ; and the honours which he acquired as 

 a victor were soon rendered more glorious by the attri- 

 butes of clemency and moderation by which he was 

 ennobled. Caesar lost about 200 men, and Pompey 

 15,000. No fewer than 24-,000 laid down their arms, 

 and entered into Caesar's army. 



After this unfortunate event Pompey fled, and Caesar 

 resolved to follow him into whatever country he should 

 fly for refuge. In this pursuit, Caesar went to Am- 

 phipolis, to Ephesus, and from Ephesus to Rhodes, 

 where he learnt that Pompey had retired to Egypt. 

 He therefore set sail without delay and reached Alex- 

 andria with about 40 men; but he had no sooner 

 landed, than he heard of Pompey's assassination by 

 the king of Egypt, and was soon presented by one of 

 the murderers with the head and ring of his great rival. 

 Caesar turned from the sight with instinctive horror, 

 and subduing the feelings of animosity which he had 

 so long cherished against an inveterate enemy, he or- 

 dered a splendid monument to be erected to the me- 

 mory of Pompey, and he consecrated the spot by build- 

 ing a temple to Nemesis. 



Disliking their alliance with the Romans, the Egypt, 

 ians conceived the design of breaking off their allegi- 

 ance. Photinus, the eunuch, not only behaved with 

 disrespect to Caesar, but he even attempted to murder 

 him. Conscious of the inadequacy of his military force, 

 Caesar checked the resentment which these circum- 

 stances had raised ; but he sent privately for the Roman 

 legions which were nearest to Egypt. When these 

 reinforcements arrived, Caesar avowed his intention 

 as Roman consul to settle the succession to the crown 

 of Egypt, which was then contested between Ptolemy 

 and his sister Cleopatra. Although the Roman senate 

 had taken the part of Ptolemy, and had therefore con- 

 curred in the banishment of Cleopatra and her sister 

 Arsinoe into Syria, yet Caesar treated the question as 

 undecided, and commanded Cleopatra and Ptolemy to 

 appear before him to plead their cause. Enraged at 

 this proposal, Photinus, the guardian of Ptolemy, sent 

 an army of 20,000 men to besiege Caesar in Alexan- 

 dria. The Egyptians were soon repulsed ; but Caesar 

 finding Alexandria too extensive to be defended by 

 this small army, resolved to make a stand in the pa- 

 lace which commanded the harbour. Achillas, the 

 Egyptian commander, attacked him in this position, 

 and attempted to seize his fleet ; but Caesar set fire to 

 the ships, and having afterwards taken the Isle of 

 Pharos, &c. the key to the harbour, he was abundant- 

 ly supplied with every thing, and resolved to oppose 

 every attempt on the part of the enemy. 



Although Cleopatra had raised an army in Syria, 

 yet she trusted principally to the influence of her per- 

 sonal charms in engaging Caesar in her cause. As all 

 the avenues to the palace were occupied by the enemy, 



Roman 



Empire. 



Death of 



Pompey. 



Csesar's 

 transactions 

 in Egypt. 



Cleopatra 

 interests 

 Caesar in 

 her favour. 



