The Battle of Pharsalus: The History and Legacy of the Decisive Victory that Made Caesar the Master of Rome

Given how history played out, it's often forgotten that before Rome's civil war, Pompey was one of the most powerful men in Rome, and many assumed he would defeat Caesar. During his military career, Pompey played a role in defeating many of Rome's enemies across the world, from Africa to Spain, and he even helped put down Spartacus' uprising. He had built his military power and acumen by participating in Rome's previous civil war between Gaius Marius and Sulla, sharpening both his political and military skills, and he used them to great effect for decades during one of ancient Rome's most chaotic periods.

In July 48 B.C., Pompey nearly destroyed Caesar's army at the Battle of Dyrrhachium in modern Albania, where Caesar gave chase against his enemy's larger army despite the dangers inherent in such a move. Caesar was defeated when he attacked Pompey's camp at Dyrrhachium, and for his part, Caesar believed Pompey didn't move fast enough to immediately capitalize on his victory, noting, "Victory today would have been the enemy's, if only anyone among them had possessed the good sense to grasp it."

In the wake of the victory, Pompey believed that he had Caesar on the run, so he pursued him, and when he joined forces with more Senate forces under Scipio, he was convinced that Caesar was in an impossible position and would ultimately be compelled to surrender without the need for any major battle. Against his instincts, Pompey's optimate supporters and his own officers urged battle and suggested that he was prolonging the war unnecessarily to keep his military command. This ultimately brought about the Battle of Pharsalus, which proved to be the decisive battle of the civil war, on August 9, 48 B.C.