Caesar, having landed his soldiers, sent back his ships the same night to brundusium, to transport the rest of his legions and cavalry. The internet classics archive the civil wars by julius. Ill continually go back and add a few more photos to these posts here on the first page, either images that were buried in. Civil war cavalry battles recreates four battles fought almost entirely between cavalry forces. Caesar should have disbanded his legions at this point instead he crossed the river, and his legions followed. The civil war, on the otherhand, i could never get into. Julius caesar and pompey the great were two of the greatest generals rome had ever produced. Julius caesar, holding the election as dictator, was himself. On the morning of august 9, 48 bc, romes most famous general gnaeus pompeius magnus, or pompey the greatapprehensively prepared his troops to face the army of romes most successful general, gaius julius caesar. Among the latter was a troop of german tribesmen, who, out of all proportion to their paltry numbers. The 9th kansas volunteer cavalry regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the union army during the american civil war service. The charge of this business was committed to lieutenant fufius kalenus, with orders to be expeditious in transporting the legions. But as the descent, by which he must retreat, was pretty steep, the pompeians charged him briskly in drawing off, imagining he gave way through fear.
The battle of munda was fought in march 45 bc and was the final battle of julius caesar s civil war and allowed him to return to rome to rule as dictator. This volume contains caesars commentary on the civil war and three continuations. It was fought by the army of julius caesar against a confederation of gallic tribes united under the leadership of vercingetorix of the arverni. For these reasons each of them was determined to make haste, in order to relieve his own side and avoid wasting an opportunity to crush his adversaries. Great deals on 1 72 painted in toy soldiers 1970now.
The battle of pharsalus was the decisive battle of caesar s civil war. Caesar, pompey, cicero, crassus, to name but a few. As it happened so did caesar so that made two of us. Dyck during gaius julius caesar s conquest of gaul 5851 bc and during the civil war 5045 bc that followed, caesar commanded over an army of roman legions and tribal auxiliaries. Hollywood feeds this historical frenzy by churning out dozens of civil war themed movies, cold mountain 2003 being the most recent example. The leader of the optimate cause was pompey, a former ally of caesar.
Julius caesar, commentaries on the civil war, caesars. Caesar left sicily for the shores of africa with seven legions, totaling about 30,000 men and 2,600 cavalry in late december 47 bc. The civil war is caesar s masterly account of the celebrated war between himself and his great rival pompey, from the crossing of the rubicon in january 49 b. Pompey has sent lucius afranius afranius and marcus petreius petreius as his deputies legati to nearer spain hispania citerior and they decide to join forces at ilerda. In 49 bc they turned against each other and plunged rome into civil war. But curio, as war was being openly prepared against caesar, advised him to concentrate his troops, and rescue the republic now oppressed by a few daring men. Together they had brought vast stretches of territory under roman dominion. In other periods there are clear directives for regiment sizes, uniforms, banners and formations which naturally lead newcomers down the path to collecting their army. Caesar received curio with great kindness, as he was a man of the highest rank, and had great claims on himself and the republic, and thanked him warmly for his numerous personal favors. Why did caesars germanic cavalry always seem to defeat. The republican forces of the optimates, led by quintus caecilius metellus scipio, were decisively defeated by the veteran forces loyal to julius caesar.
Caesar s civil war resulted from the long political subversion of the roman governments institutions, begun with the career of tiberius gracchus, continuing with the marian reforms of the legions, the bloody dictatorship of lucius cornelius sulla, and completed by the first triumvirate over rome. Perhaps its knowing that twothirds of the book, and probably more, are not by caesar s hand. The war was fought by the forces of mark antony and octavian the second triumvirate members against the forces of caesar s assassins marcus junius brutus and gaius cassius longinus in. During gaius julius caesars conquest of gaul 5851 bc and during the civil war 5045 bc that followed, caesar commanded over an army of roman legions and tribal auxiliaries. The book itself is separated into four parts, of which only the first one the civil war is believed to be written by caesar himself. It was followed shortly by the suicides of scipio and his ally, cato the younger. Commentaries on the civil warbook 3 wikisource, the. Caesar, seeing no likelihood of being able to bring pompey to an action, judged it the most expedient method of conducting the war, to decamp from that post and to be always in motion. Caesar sends gaius fabius fabius on to spain as his deputy. When caesar crossed the rubicon into italy with his army, in defiance of the senate in rome, he launched a civil war between his own party, the populares, who supported a dramatic reform of roman government under the leadership of caesar, and the optimates, or republicans, who wanted power to remain in the hands of the senate.
Caesar, perceiving that his men were wounded from all sides, resolved to quit the place and retire. This is how julius caesar started a civil war americas. Collecting an english civil war army where to start. Among the latter was a troop of german tribesmen, who, out of all proportion to their paltry numbers, would, time and again, lead caesar to victory.
With both armies virtually wedged between a river and rocky heights, pompey not only outnumbers caesar in legions, but his cavalry is far superior to the small mounted force caesar can bring to bear. Though the book is far from the most credible account of the war caesar is known for inflated battle statistics in his favor, whats undeniable is that a victory is a victory. Caesar, although he was not ignorant of the real state of affairs, was however of opinion that particular regard should be paid to the tranquillity of the republic, lest any one should suppose that he was the originator of the war. The liberators civil war was started by the second triumvirate to avenge julius caesar s assassination. He won may battles because he was a military genius, the best commander in.
They are records of his own campaigns with occasional digressions in vigorous, direct, clear, unemotional style and in the third person, the account of the civil war being somewhat more impassioned. Because they were not truly germanic cavalry so much as gallic cavalry that lived across the rhine. Galba is to open a travel route through the alps for roman traders, who now have to pay heavy tolls. The battle of pharsalus was one of the most important in julius caesar s career. Long, frederick percy, 1868publication date 1906 topics. The loeb classical library edition of caesar is in three volumes. I think it needless to say any thing here, in opposition to those who pretend, that the following commentaries, concerning the civil war, were not penned by caesar himself. Fought on the 9th of august 48 bc, it was the turning point that gave him victory in romes civil war, taking control of the empire and effectively ending the republican government under which it. The great, setpiece battle of the civil wars is one of the most famous battles of the ancient world. The three other parts, the alexandrian war, the african war, and the spanish war. Civil war was now inevitable and it would be fought between caesar. The battle of thapsus was an engagement in caesar s civil war that took place on april 6, 46 bc near thapsus in modern tunisia.
Before leaving for italy, caesar sends servius galba with the twelfth legion and some cavalry to the districts of the nantuates, the veragri, and the seduni. Pompey had the backing of a majority of senators, and his army significantly outnumbered the experienced caesarean legions. Asterix led me to the gallic war and from the conquest of gaul i tumbled into the civil war. Historians and writers follow suit, with numerous books. Lucius caesar the son, who was waiting his arrival near clupea with ten ships which had been taken near utica in a war with the pirates, and which publius attius had had repaired for this war, frightened at the number of our ships, fled the sea, and running his threedecked covered galley on the nearest shore, left her there and made his escape by land to adrumetum. On 9 august 48 bc at pharsalus in central greece, gaius julius caesar and his allies formed up opposite the army of the republic under the command of gnaeus pompeius magnus pompey the great. Expand your options of fun home activities with the largest online selection at. The conflict opens with caesar descending into italy with his veteran forces, pompey flees italy with some levies to greece. The battle of alesia or siege of alesia was a military engagement in the gallic wars that took place in september, 52 bc, around the gallic oppidum fortified settlement of alesia, a major centre of the mandubii tribe.