248 The Republic. R 0 
magnitude both from Europe and from Asia. He had ob¬ 
tained one legion from Sicily, one from Crete, and two 
from Syria. The princes in alliance with Rome raised three 
thousand archers, six cohorts of slingers, and seven thou¬ 
sand horse. The free Asiatic cities joined him with their 
best troops; and he is said to have received succours from 
Arabia and Ethiopia, and even from the Indus and the 
Ganges. His own army comprehended almost all the Ro¬ 
man knights, and the flower of the young nobility; and 
his. soldiers were principally veterans, accustomed to all 
the dangers and privations of war. His fleet consisted of 
about 500 ships, and his army was accompanied by the two 
consuls of the last year, and about 200 Roman senators. 
The cause of Pompey was therefore every where considered 
as the cause of the Roman commonwealth. Those who had 
hitherto remained neutral flocked to his standard ; and all 
who were distinguished by their patriotism and their virtues 
had taken refuge in his camp. When Caesar had landed in 
Epirus,, he took Oricum and Cephalonia ; and he was on 
the eve of marching to Dyrracliium, which contained Pom¬ 
pey’s magazines, when he heard that thirty of the ships 
which he had sent back to Brundusium had been taken by 
Bibulus, one of Pompey’s admirals, and that his troops at 
Brundusium were likely to fall into the hands of the enemy, 
who possessed all the harbours between Salonium and Ori¬ 
cum. Under these circumstances, Csesar offered to make 
peace with Pompey, on the conditions that the annies of 
both should be disbanded in three days; that their former 
friendship should be solemnly renewed, and that they 
should return together into Italy. These terms were twice 
sent to Pompey, who refused to enter into any accommoda¬ 
tion. Csesar therefore advanced towards Dyrrhachium ; 
but Pompey having entrenched himself in its immediate 
neighbourhood, he was disappointed in his expectations of 
taking it by surprise. The two hostile armies were unwil¬ 
ling tor engage; and Csesar, who was sensible of his great 
inferiority in numbers, sent the most urgent dispatches to 
Marc Antony to hasten to his assistance. Having received 
no reply to these demands, he disguised himself in the habit 
of a slave, and resolved, in the frail bark of a fisherman, 
to cross over to Brundusium, through the enemy’s fleet ; 
but the boat being driven back by contrary winds, he dis¬ 
patched Posthumius with the most urgent orders to Marc 
Antony to bring over the troops at every hazard. These 
succours at last arrived under Marc Antony and Calenus, 
who landed them safely at Nyphceum. Pompey attempted 
in vain to prevent their junction with the main army, and 
no sooner had Caesar collected his forces than he offered 
Pompey battle, and drew up his army in his sight. Pom¬ 
pey, however, declined the engagement, and encamping 
on a hill called Petra, which commanded the sea, he ex¬ 
pected to be supplied with provisions from Greece and Asia, 
while his rival -would be reduced to the necessity of pro¬ 
curing them from Epirus by a dangerous and expensive 
route. 
Caesar, who saw his design, conceived the bold plan of 
besieging Pompey in his camp. He drew round it a line of 
c.ifcumvallation, and hemmed in Pompey so completely,that 
his horses died for want of forage, though his troops were 
liberally provided for by sea. Caesar’s army suffered great 
distress for want of corn, but those of his men who had been 
in Sardinia made bread from an herb called elaera, which 
they steeped in milk. The diseases -which broke out in 
Pompey's camp, and the want of forage, forced him to break 
through the line of the enemy. Embarking his archers, 
slingers, and light infantry, he marched at the head of sixty 
cohorts to attack the part of Caesar’s lines next the sea that 
were incomplete. The seventh legion who defended them 
gave way; and notwithstanding the succours that were sent 
by Marcell inns, Pompey -was successful till a powerful body 
of troops under Marc Antony compelled him to retire. 
Csesar now attempted to seize a post occupied by a legion of 
Pompey’s troops. He accordingly attacked it with thirty- 
three cohorts, and in spite of the most powerful resistance, 
M E. The Republic. 
penetrated to the second entrenchment. Ceesar’s right wing', 
however, mistook the entrance into the camp, and having 
separated from the left wing, were thrown into great disorder, 
which Pompey no sooner perceived, that he attacked them 
witli his cavalry and completed the defeat. Csesar attempted 
in vain to rally his routed soldiers, who left thirty-two 
Roman eagles in the hands of the enemy. 
Mortified, but not disheartened by this severe defeat, Csesar 
addressed his army witli the most-soothing eloquence, and 
retired to Apollonia. He thence marched to Macedon, with 
the view either of drawing Pompey into a general engagement, 
or of cutting off Scipio Metellus, Pompey’s father-in-law. 
The news of his late defeat threw immense obstructions in his 
way; but having marched into Thessaly, the principal towns 
opened their gates to him. 
The dilatory conduct of Pompey, though no doubt found¬ 
ed on thorough knowledge of the talents and situation of 
Csesar, began to give umbrage to his own officers; and 
under the influence of these feelings, which had extended 
themselves even to the common soldiers, he resolved upon 
risking a general battle. "With that view, he occupied the 
wide plain of Pharsalia between Pharsalus and Philippi, 
where he was joined by his father-in-law Metellus. 
Pompey pitched his camp on the declivity of a mountain 
which was entirely inaccessible. Unwilling to attack his 
enemy in such a position, Caesar resolved to decamp next 
day, and had just struck his tents when he learned that 
Pompey had quitted his entrenchments and advanced into 
the plain. He immediately halted his army, and drew them 
up m 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, Csesar 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, Dom'i- 
tius Ahenobarbus led the Spaniards on the right wing, which 
was covered by the river Cnipus, while Pompey placed him¬ 
self 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. • 
Csesar’s army was divided into three bodies. Domitius 
Calvinus commanded the centre, Marc Antony the left, and 
Csesar the right wing, which was to be opposed to Pompey, 
and which consisted of his favourite tenth legion. The 
appearance of Pompey’s cavalry in one spot, indicated to 
Csesar the intentions of his rival. He therefore drew six 
cohorts from his rear, and concealing them behind his right, 
he instructed them to reserve their javelins till the approach 
of Pompey’s cavalry. 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. When 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 v bile, 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 ordered 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 it isabsurdlv 
stated that try striking at the faces of their pursuers, (the 
young Roman nobility, who valued, themselves on their- 
beauty,) the latter were so intimidated-by the unsightly 
wounds which were inflicted on their companions, that 
they considered only how to defend their persons; and 
being put to the rout, flecl in a most disorderly manner 
to 
