Caesar Versus Pompey

The history between General Caesar and General Pompey is greatly known throughout the Roman Empire. The two generals started out as great allies and formed the First Triumvirate along with Crassus. However, with the previous passing of Crassus, the two had faced conflicts. Thus we are faced with the engagement between the two at Pharsalus, which brought an end to Caesar’s Civil War. This engagement shaped the course of history; first of all, it was one of the first civil wars in Rome and all of history for that matter. It was also a battle in which both sides took all necessary precautions before entering a full scale war. In previous wars like the Punic Wars, the Romans would push too far into the enemy and then be easily surrounded without the necessary supplies, weapons, or numbers to win the battle. Lastly, it paved the path for the Roman Empire. The battle of Pharsalus was a key battle in Roman history that proved to be a vital step towards the future.

Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon River began the civil war between his army and Pompey’s. The Roman Empire had been split two years earlier into two classes into the optimates and populares. Pompey lead the patrician faction, called the “optimates,” which was made up of Rome’s aristocrats and senators. On the other hand Caesar lead the populist faction, the “populares,” which was made up of nobles supported by Rome’s farmers, veterans and middle class. These two classes had a great part in leading to the battle in Greece between the two former allies. Pompey began his military career with victories in Spain, Italy, North Africa, and most notably the rogue gladiator, Spartacus. Caesar, on the other hand, had married into Pompey’s family after the death of his first wife, and s...

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...tus. Pompey fled to Egypt and eventually died there. Caesar was victorious at Pharsalus and will now lead Rome as the sole ruler. This is how Pharsalus set the stage for the Roman Empire.

The battle at Pharsalus affected the course of history to come. It did this by being one of the first ever civil wars, the first war where both generals took careful care that each respective one was ready for a lengthy war, and set the stage for the Roman Empire to begin. Without this key battle, Caesar never would have been dictator of Rome, Roman generals would still rush head on into wars without the proper supplies, and Rome may have stayed a Republic plagued by civil wars to come. Evidently, Pharsalus was a major victory for Caesar and put him in control of Rome. So the next time you use some Caesar dressing, remember who made the name famous at the battle of Pharsalus.