Battle of Pharsalus

• 1. The August Confrontation

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  On the 9th of August 48 BC, two Roman armies faced each other near Pharsalus in Central Greece. Julius Caesar stood opposite Pompey, who commanded the forces of the Roman Republic. Pompey held the backing of most senators and his army significantly outnumbered Caesar's veteran legions. Pressured by his officers, Pompey reluctantly engaged in battle and suffered an overwhelming defeat. He fled the camp disguised as an ordinary citizen after losing control of his men.

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• 2. Scholarly Debate On Location

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  For a long time, scholars argued over whether the battle occurred at Pharsalus or Palaepharsalus near the Enipeus River. Four ancient writers including Frontinus and Orosius place it specifically at Palaepharsalus. Strabo mentions both old and new Pharsaloi in his Geographica. John D. Morgan published a definitive study in The American Journal of Archaeology in January 1983 showing that Palaepharsalus cannot have been at Palaiokastro. Morgan argues it is probably the hill just east of Krini Larisas very close to the ancient highway from Larisa to Pharsalus. This site lies some distance north of Pharsalus and three miles north of the river Enipeus.

• 3. Composition Of Opposing Armies

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  Caesar's own army included 22,000 Roman legionaries distributed throughout 80 cohorts alongside 1,000 Gallic and Germanic cavalry. All of Caesar's legions were understrength with some having only about a thousand men due partly to losses at Dyrrhachium. Pompey had an army of 45,000 Roman infantry according to Appian and Plutarch. He seems to have had anywhere between 5,000 and 7,000 cavalry plus thousands of archers and slingers. These formed a diverse group including Greeks Thracians Anatolians Syrians Phoenicians and Jews from the Levant. To this heterogeneous force Pompey added horsemen conscripted from his own slaves.

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• 4. Tactical Deployment And Maneuvers

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  Pompey moved almost all of his cavalry archers and slingers to the left flank where they could make use of their numerical strength. Only a small force of 500, 600 Pontic cavalry was placed on his right flank. The Pompeian cohorts were arrayed in an unusually thick formation ten men deep. Their task was just to tie down the enemy foot while Pompey's cavalry swept through Caesar's flank and rear. Caesar deployed his men in three lines but thinned his ranks to a depth of only six men. Upon seeing the disposition of Pompey's army Caesar grew discomforted and further thinned his third line to form a fourth line on his right.

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• 5. The Decisive Engagement

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  As Pompey's infantry fought Labienus ordered the Pompeian cavalry on his left flank to attack Caesar's cavalry. They successfully pushed back Caesar's cavalry until Caesar revealed his hidden fourth line of infantry. Caesar's men leaped up and used their pila to thrust at Pompey's cavalry instead of throwing them. Pompey's cavalry panicked and suffered hundreds of casualties as Caesar's cavalry came about and charged after them. After failing to reform the rest of Pompey's cavalry retreated to the hills leaving the left wing of his legions exposed. This broke Pompey's left wing troops who fled the battlefield.

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• 6. Aftermath And Pompeys Flight

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  Pompey lost the will to fight as he watched both cavalry and legions under his command break formation and flee from battle. He retreated to his camp leaving the rest of his troops at the centre and right flank to their own devices. He gathered his family loaded up gold and threw off his general's cloak to make a quick escape. Eventually making his way to Egypt he was assassinated upon arrival at the order of Ptolemy XIII. Caesar captured Pompey's camp and burned Pompey's correspondence before announcing that he would forgive all who asked for mercy.

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• 7. Political Legacy And Significance

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  Paul K. Davis wrote that Caesar's victory took him to the pinnacle of power effectively ending the Republic. The battle itself did not end the civil war but it was decisive and gave Caesar a much needed boost in legitimacy. Until then much of the Roman world outside Italy supported Pompey and his allies due to the extensive list of clients he held in all corners of the Republic. After Pompey's defeat former allies began to align themselves with Caesar as some came to believe the gods favored him. This allowed Caesar to parlay this single victory into a huge network of willing clients to better secure his hold over power.

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