Caesar's Civil War 49-44 BCJulius Caesar and Pompey the Great were two of the greatest generals Rome ever produced. Together they had brought vast stretches of territory under Roman dominion. But in 49 BC they turned against one another and plunged Rome into civil war, with legion pitched against legion in a vicious battle for political domination of the vast Roman world. Based on original sources, Adrian Goldsworthy's book provides a gripping account of this desperate power struggle, in which the armies were evenly matched but Caesar's genius as a commander and his remarkable luck brought him victory in 45 BC. |
Contents
Background to war The First Triumvirate | 1 |
Warring sides Legion against legion | 6 |
Outbreak Crossing the Rubicon | 12 |
The fighting Civil War | 16 |
Portrait of a soldier Caesars centurions | 45 |
The world around war A Mediterranean war | 50 |
Portrait of a civilian Cicero and the Civil War | 54 |
How the war ended The Ides of March | 57 |
Conclusion and consequences Civil wars and the end of the Republic | 62 |
Glossary | 69 |
| 70 | |
| 71 | |
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Common terms and phrases
achieve Afranius Africa Ahenobarbus AKG Berlin Antony’s appointed attack Augustus auxiliaries battle began Brundisium Brutus Caesar returns Caesar’s army Caesar’s death Caesar’s soldiers Caesarean Caius Caius Trebonius camp career Cassius Cato cavalry centurions century Cicero Cisalpine Gaul citizens Civil Civil War claim Cleopatra Clodius Cnaeus cohorts command conspirators consuls consulship Crassus Curio defeat dictator dictatorship Domitius Dyrrachium Egypt emperor enemy fighting flank force fought Gallic campaigns garrison honour imperium infantry Italy join Juba killed king Labienus large numbers leaders Legio V Alaudae legionaries legions Lepidus loyalty Lucius magistracies magistrates March Marcus Marius Mark Antony massive military murdered Octavian officers opponents Parthians Petreius Pharnaces Pharsalus planned political Pompeians Pompey Pompey’s primus pilus probably provinces Publius reform Republic rival Roman Rome Rome’s Scipio seize Senate Senate’s senior served Sextus Sicily sides soon Spain Spanish spite success Sulla Sulla’s Syria Thapsus Transalpine Gaul tribunes triumvirs troops veterans victory