Caesar’s Civil War: Battle of Pharsalus

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Pompey’s officers, buoyed by their victory at Dyrrachium, were certain that complete victory was near. Labienus assured the patricians: ‘Do not suppose that this is the army that conquered Gaul and Germany. I was there for all those battles, and I don’t speak rashly on matters of which I am ignorant. A very small part of that army survives. Most of it has perished–the autumn epidemics killed many in Italy, and others have deserted or been left behind.’ Senators and knights swore oaths that they would not leave the field except as victors, draped their tents with laurel wreaths and ordered their slaves to prepare victory banquets for when they returned.

As his men struck their tents on the morning of August 9, Caesar saw Pompey’s troops lining up farther down the hillside, so that neither side would have a significant terrain advantage. Surmising that Pompey had been pressured into fighting, Caesar canceled the withdrawal and hung his purple tunic from his tent, the sign of imminent battle.

When his troops were lined up, Caesar recounted to them how he and his men had spent 10 hard years together subduing 400 tribes in Gaul, Germany and Britain, while their enemies tried to disband them without a triumph or reward. He assured them that ‘Pompey’s star has already passed its zenith,’ and exhorted them: ‘Remember what you promised me at Dyrrachium. Remember how you swore to each other in my presence that you would never leave the field except as conquerors.’

Pompey’s troops were already arrayed with their right flank anchored on a deep ravine near the Enipeus River. Cornelius Lentulus commanded Pompey’s right wing with his auxiliaries, a Spanish legion, and troops from Asia and Cilicia. Scipio commanded the center with his two Syrian legions and additional troops from Africa. Domitius Ahenobarbus–Caesar’s appointed replacement in Gaul–commanded the left wing with Pompey’s Italian legions. On his extreme left, Pompey stationed virtually all his cavalry with supporting archers and slingers under Labienus, and took his command post behind Domitius on the left wing.

The infantry was deployed in traditional Roman fashion of three lines, each 10 men deep, with seven cohorts of Thracian troops left behind to guard the camp. Pompey’s speech to his men concluded: ‘You have on your side all this strength, all these resources, and the consciousness of the cause. For we fight for freedom and for country, backed by the constitution, our glorious reputation, and so many men of senatorial and equestrian rank, against one man who would pirate supreme power.’

Leaving 2,000 of his oldest troops to guard the baggage, Caesar deployed his auxiliaries on the far left against the Enipeus River, some 300 yards from Pompey’s lines. The auxiliaries, along with the understrength Legiones VIII and IX, were commanded on the left by Mark Antony. Domitius Calvinus, commander of Legiones XI and XII, held the center, while Publius Sulla commanded Caesar’s right wing. Caesar’s prized Legio X was stationed on the far right of the infantry lines, and at the extreme right Caesar stationed his Gallic and German cavalry. Because his smaller army was stretched to avoid being outflanked by Pompey’s lines, Caesar’s lines were only about half as deep as Pompey’s. Caesar ordered his third, most experienced echelon not to engage the enemy until commanded, in effect holding it as a tactical reserve.

Caesar realized that Pompey intended to launch a heavy cavalry attack on his right and roll up his lines from the right and rear. Therefore he stripped six full cohorts–some 3,000 men–from his third rank and placed them at an angle behind his cavalry to counter the threat.

With trumpet blasts from both sides, Caesar’s men started to charge the 300 yards to the enemy lines. When Caesar saw Pompey’s men holding steady, he ordered his troops to halt halfway to catch their breath and re-form their lines. They charged the rest of the distance, hurling their pila at Pompey’s lines and drawing their swords for hand-to-hand combat. At about the same time, Labienus’ massed cavalry charged. On Caesar’s orders, his cavalry fell back, drawing the enemy riders and their supporting troops deeper into the populist lines. The Pompeian cavalry soon found themselves flanked and under ferocious attack by 3,000 of Caesar’s veteran infantry, who used their javelins as stabbing weapons. At that moment, Caesar’s cavalry and supporting light infantry wheeled around and charged the embattled patrician cavalry, driving them from the field in disorder, and exposing their archers and slingers to massacre by Caesar’s heavy infantry and cavalry. Caesar’s combined arms group then wheeled left to flank Pompey’s left wing.

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Tags: Ancient-Medieval, Historical Conflicts