It is one of history’s most famous and most consequential civil wars. It pitted two of history’s most famous generals from history’s most famous republic against each other: Gaius Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey). In William Horsted’s new study, “Caesarian Legionary Versus Pompeian Legionary: Rome’s Civil War 49–45 BC” readers are treated to the similarities and differences between the two armies. Considering that both armies were Roman, there are understandably more similarities than differences.
Horsted begins his study with Caesar’s dilemma of whether or not to march on Rome. He had been in the proverbial wilderness for approximately eight years conquering the Gauls (today’s France and Belgium) and had grown in wealth and power. The Roman Senate, for varying reasons, viewed Caesar as a threat and demanded that he leave his army behind, return to Rome, and stand trial before his senatorial accusers. Treason was one of the accusations. Caesar, knowing a march on Rome was an act of war, declared “Let the die be cast” and crossed the Rubicon River toward Rome.
