PREVIEW： Epochs #194 ｜ Pompey & Caesar： Part XIX
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Summary
After the defeat at the Battle of Pharsalus, the Roman general, Pompey the Great, was left speechless. He looked beside himself, and half crazed, and seemed utterly to have forgotten that he was even a Roman general.
Transcript
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Hello and welcome to this episode of Epochs, where I shall be continuing and starting to finish,
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perhaps not this episode, but starting to finish my narrative of the decline and fall of the Roman
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Republic. Now, if you remember last time, we left off just where Pompey had lost the Battle of
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Pharsalus. So let's pick up the narrative right there. Plutarch writes this in his Life of Pompey,
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quote, with his infantry routed in this way, Pompey now could conjecture from the cloud of
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dust, which he saw what had happened to his cavalry. If you remember, his massive advantage in
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cavalry had been negated by a special little trick Caesar had pulled and it effectively lost him the
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battle, lost Pompey the battle. What thoughts passed through his mind, it would be hard to say. He looked
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beside himself and half crazed and seemed utterly to have forgotten that he was Pompey the Great.
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Slowly and without saying a word to anyone, he walked off towards his camp, as in Homer's
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description of Ajax. That is the giant warrior Ajax at the siege of Troy. Plutarch gives us a quote
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about Ajax from Homer, saying, But Zeus the father, enthroned on higher, in Ajax, stirred up fear. He
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slung behind his back the shield of seven ox-hide strong, and stood amazed and trembled as he peered
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among the throng. So just basically a great warrior who has been beaten and brought low. Plutarch goes on,
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so Pompey went to his tent and sat down there speechless. Finally, a number of victorious
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troops, Caesar's troops, burst into the camp on the heels of the fugitives. And then Pompey said simply,
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What? Into the camp too? And without another word, got up, put on clothes suitable to the state of his
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fortunes, i.e. not the military dress of a senator or an imperator, just normal clothes, basically,
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a disguise, and made his escape. The rest of his legions also fled, and in the camp itself there
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was a great slaughter of the servants and the men who were guarding the tents. Only 6,000 soldiers fell,
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according to Asinius Polio, who fought in the battle on Caesar's side. When Caesar's troops captured the
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camp, they could see before their eyes evidence of the vanity and folly of the enemy. Remember, these are
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the richest men in Rome, some of the richest men in the world. They were living in complete opulence.
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It's like billionaires, essentially. So Caesar's men were surprised to see what opulence they were
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travelling in. Every tent was wreathed with boughs of myrtle and contained carefully laid out dinner
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couches, covered with flowers and tables with drinking vessels all set out. Remember, they'd already
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arranged a great banquet for when they won the battle, obviously not expecting to lose. Bowls of wine
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men there were to hand, and everything was beautifully arranged, as though for some great feasting
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following a sacrifice. There was no impression at all of men arming themselves for battle. Such had
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been the extent of their deluded hopes, and such the measure of their senseless confidence when they
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had gone out to war. As for Pompey, when he got a little distance from the camp, he gave his horse
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the rain, i.e. ran away at full speed. No one was pursuing him, and so, with only of every few
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companions, he went quietly away. It was easy to imagine what was in his mind. A man who for 34 years
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had grown accustomed to victory and to supremacy in everything, and who now, in his old age, was
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learning for the first time what defeat and flight meant. He thought, no doubt, of how in one hour he had
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lost the glory and the power which he had won in so many wars and battles. A little while ago,
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legions of infantry and squadrons of cavalry had been there to protect him, and now, shrunk to so
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small a state, so insignificantly attended, he was trying to escape the notice of his enemies who
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were in pursuit of him. So, a giant fall from grace for Pompey Magnus. Plutarch goes on. He went past
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Larissa, a place called Larissa, and came to the Vale of Tempe. Here, since he was thirsty, he threw
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himself down on his face and drank out of the river. Then he rose up again and went on through Tempe
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until he came down to the sea. The rest of the night he spent in a fisherman's hut. At dawn, he went
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aboard one of the riverboats. He took with him only those of his followers who were free men. His slaves
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he dismissed, telling them to go back to Caesar and not to be afraid. He then went along the coast
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until he saw a good-sized merchant ship, which was just about to put to sea. The captain of this ship
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was a Roman citizen, Petichius by name, who knew Pompey by sight, though he was not well acquainted
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with him. It just so happened that on the previous night, Petichius had had a dream in which Pompey was
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speaking to him, looking downcast and wretched and not at all like Pompey, whom he had so often seen.
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People are apt to make much of such dreams, especially if they have time on their hands.
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And so Petichius was just telling his shipmates of his dream, when suddenly one of the sailors
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told him that he could see a riverboat being rowed out from the shore and that there were men in it
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who were waving their cloaks and holding out their hands towards them. Petichius looked in that
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direction and immediately recognised Pompey, just as he had seen him in his dream. He smote himself on
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his head, ordered the sailors to bring the little boat alongside and stretched out his hand, called to
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Pompey by name. He could already tell from his altered appearance how his fortunes also had changed
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and without waiting for any words of entreaty, he took him on board with all those whom he wished to
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have with him and set sail. With Pompey were the two Lentuli and Favonius. Shortly afterwards, they saw
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the king Deotarius trying to get out to them from the shore and they took him on board too. When it
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was time for supper and the ship's captain had made what preparations he could for their entertainment,
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Favonius, seeing that Pompey, having no servants to attend him, was beginning to take off his own
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shoes, ran up to him, took off his shoes for him and helped him to anoint himself. And from that time
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on, he continued to wait on him and to do for him all the things that servants do, even down to
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washing his feet and preparing his meals. Indeed, anyone who saw this generous service, so simple
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and unaffected, might well have quoted the line, how every action of a noble mind is fair. And so,
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after going along the coast to Amphipolis, Pompey crossed over from there to Mytilene, wishing to
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take Cornelia and his son on board. Cornelia, his new-ish wife. When he reached the shore of the island,
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he sent a messenger to the city. Not at all the sort of messenger which Cornelia was expecting,
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after all the glad tidings and letters which she had received. For she was hoping that the war had
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ended at Dyrrhachium, and that now there was nothing left for Pompey to do except to pursue
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Caesar. So it's going to come as a shock to poor old Cornelia, the fairly recent widow of Crassus's
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son, who was killed in the east by the Parthians not too long ago. So she's got a fairly unlucky star,
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hasn't she? The messenger found her still in this mood and could not bring himself to speak his words
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of salutation. The messenger was so choked up by Pompey's defeat that he could barely get the
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words out. It was by tears rather than by words that he made her see the extent of her calamity,
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and he merely told her to make haste if she wanted to see Pompey, who had come with one ship, and that
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ship not even his own. On hearing this, Cornelia flung herself down on the ground and lay there for a
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long time, speechless and unconscious. She swooned, basically. Finally, and with much difficulty,
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she recovered consciousness, and, realising that this was no occasion for tears and lamentations,
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ran through the city to the sea. Here Pompey met her and caught her in his arms as she tottered
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and was about to fall. Oh my husband, she said, it is because of my fortune, not yours, that I see you
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are now reduced to one small ship, who you, before your marriage with Cornelia, had five hundred ships,
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she's referring to herself in the third person there, had five hundred ships with you when you sailed
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this sea. Why have you come to see me? Why did you not leave to her cruel fate the wife who has
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brought on you too such terrible misfortune? She thinks that she's just got bad fortune, bad luck,
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and it follows her around, and now some of it's rubbed off on Pompey. What a happy woman I should
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have been if I had died before hearing that Publius, whom I married as a maiden, that was the
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Publius crisis I mentioned, had been killed in Parthia, and how wise if, even after his death,
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I had done what I meant to do, and put an end to my own life. But I was spared, it seems,
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to do still more harm, and be the ruin of Pompey the Great." End quote. So, she's taking it quite
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hard. She's blaming herself, somehow. I kind of feel sorry. It's difficult not to feel sorry
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for this Cornelia. Plutarch continues. Pompey, we are told, replied to these words of Cornelia as
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follows. It is true, Cornelia, that you have only known one side of my fortune, and that the better
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side. It has remained with me longer than is usual, and perhaps this fact has deceived you
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as well as me. But we are mortals. We must bear what has happened, and again put fortune to the
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test. One may still hope that, just as I have fallen so low from such a height, so from these
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depths I may rise again. I mean, it's not unheard of for someone to reverse their fortunes from
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a defeat like this. If you remember, Marius was on the run for a long time, and was able to reverse
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his fortunes. There are lots and lots of examples throughout history where someone is in far
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worse straight than Pompey is at this moment, and he's able to turn things around and get back to
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the tippy top of political power. So it's not completely inconceivable, but Plutarch continues
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here saying, so his wife sent for her belongings and her servants from the city. The people of Mytilene
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welcomed Pompey and invited him to enter the city walls, but Pompey refused to do so. He told them
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that they too must submit to the conqueror and advise them not to be afraid, since Caesar was a good
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man, and would act humanely towards them. He himself then turned to the philosopher Cratipus,
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who had come down from the city to see him, and had a short discussion with him, in which he made
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some criticisms of the idea of providence. Cratipus made no very strenuous objections to Pompey's
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arguments, and tried to lead him to better hopes. He had no wish to cause pain by arguing against him
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at such a time. Actually, to the questions raised by Pompey about providence, Cratipus might have answered
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that it was because the state had been so badly administered that it now required to be governed
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by one man, and he might well have asked Pompey, how can we be convinced Pompey, and what evidence
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have you to offer that, if you had been the winner, you would have made a better use of your fortune
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than Caesar? But I must not be, this is Plutarch actually allowing himself to speak here, but I must
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not be led into a digression on this question of the divine ordering of events. Plutarch self-martialing
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there, making sure he stays within his lane, but he goes on. After taking on board his wife and his
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friends, Pompey set sail, not putting into any harbours, except when he was compelled to do so,
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to take in food or water. The first city that he entered was Atalea in Pamphylia, and here some
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triremes came to him from Sicilia. Some troops were got together, and he once again had senators around
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him, about 60 of them. He heard too that his navy was still intact, and that Cato had taken many
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soldiers on board, and was crossing over to Africa with them. So there's hope, it's not all over.
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Caesar hasn't annihilated the entire Pompeian faction. I mean, not even close. So there is
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reason to hope, nothing is over at this point. At this news, he showed his distress to his friends,
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and blamed himself for having allowed himself to be forced to fight with his land forces,
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without making any use of his fleet, an arm in which he had an unquestioned superiority,
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and had not even kept his fleet close enough to him, so that if defeated by land,
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he could have reinforced himself by sea, and so would again have been almost at once
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at the head of forces, powerful enough to meet the enemy on even terms. I mean, hindsight's a
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beautiful thing, isn't it? He realised he missed a trick there. And indeed, it is perfectly true
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that Pompey's greatest mistake, and Caesar's cleverest move, was in having this battle fought
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so far away from naval reinforcements. However, Pompey had now to plan and act on the basis
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of existing circumstances. He sent messengers to the various cities, and sailed to some of them
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himself, asking for money and for men to serve in his ships. But he knew the speed and energy
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with which his enemy was likely to act, and he was afraid that Caesar might come upon him
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and surprise him before his preparations had been made. And so he looked about for some safe place
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to which he could retire temporarily. He discussed this question with his followers,
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and it was agreed that no Roman province could afford them a safe refuge. As for foreign kingdoms,
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Pompey himself said that he considered that Parthia was the one most capable of both receiving and
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protecting them in their present weakness, and later of helping them to build up their strength,
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and sending them out to fight again with a large force. Others who took part in the discussion
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suggested going to Africa and to King Juba. But Theophanes, the lesbian, i.e. he was from the
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Isle of Lesbos, not that he was a woman and homosexual. Theophanes, the lesbian, pointed out
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that Egypt was only three days' sail away, and there was Ptolemy, who was a mere boy and very much
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indebted to Pompey for the friendship and kindness done by him to his father. In Theophanes' view,
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it would be sheer madness for Pompey to decide against Egypt, and to put himself into the power
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of the Parthians, who were the most treacherous people alive, to refuse to take the second place
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under a Roman, who had been a relation of his by marriage, and second after Caesar, who would still
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be first among all the rest, to refuse even to see whether Caesar would behave moderately or not,
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and yet to be willing to place himself at the mercy of Arsakes, which even Crassus would not do
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while he lived. Finally, to bring a young wife of the family of the Scipios among a nation of
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barbarians who measure power by the ability to commit outrage and to forget decency, even if she
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suffered no indignity there, but was only thought to have suffered it, her fate would still be cruel
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enough, since she would certainly be in the power of those who could harm her if they wished. This
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argument, they say, and this alone persuaded Pompey not to make the journey to the Euphrates,
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if indeed, i.e. deep into Parthian territory, if indeed one may say that it was any calculation of
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Pompey's own, rather than some supernatural power which was guiding him on the journey on which he now
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went, end quote. I mean, it's a fairly sound argument, isn't it? It's hard to disagree with
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it. If the two main options, of course Pompey, because he's got control of the sea, could have
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gone sort of almost anywhere, but if the two main options, in his mind at least, if he's going to
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head east, it's either Egypt or Parthia. It's kind of a no-brainer, don't pick Parthia. The Romans
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and the Parthians are fairly bitter enemies. The Parthians have shown themselves in recent times,
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within just a few years ago, to be completely treacherous. The way they dealt with Crassus,
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if you remember, just saying or doing anything they need to, lying to him in order to get him
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into their power, so that they can then just, in the end, kill him. So yeah, don't trust the
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Parthians. Why would you run to Parthia? Don't do that. Whereas Egypt, well, Egypt's got a friendly
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king, the boy king Ptolemy. Surely there you would have thought he could find safe haven, and at this
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stage in history still. Egypt is extremely rich and prosperous, and you would have thought Pompey
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could raise a fortune and or an army there, if Pompey is going to head east from Greece. It seems
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like the obvious choice really is to go to Egypt. Let's let Appian tell us his account of what
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happened after the Battle of Pharsalus. So Appian says this, quote,
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When Pompey saw the rout, he became deranged. He withdrew on foot to his camp, and when he reached
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his tent, sat there without uttering a word, as they say happened to Telamonian Ajax at the siege
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of Troy. It's interesting to note, isn't it, how historians always copy each other. You can see the
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parallels between Appian and Plutarch's accounts. Historians still do it to this day. You'll find
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one particularly famous history of, say, World War II, like Hugh Trevor Roper or something, or something
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by AJP Taylor about World War I, or whatever it is. And then many historians later, they're sort of
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copying, they're sort of paraphrasing another historian. Of course, the problem with that,
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they're not really doing completely original research. And well, it's interesting to note,
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isn't it, that this was done even in the ancient world. So both Plutarch and Appian decide to reference
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Ajax at that moment. Ajax at the siege of Troy, the victim of heaven-sent madness in the midst of his
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enemies. As for the rest of his men, Pompey's men, very few entered the camp because Caesar's
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proclamation caused them to halt without fear. If you remember, Caesar had told Pompey's men on the
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battlefield, stand still, stay where you are, we won't kill you if you just stop. Stay where you are,
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we're going to butcher all the allies, all the foreign people you've got with you, your auxiliaries and
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things. But if you're a Roman, full Roman legionary, just stop where you are, freeze, and we'll let you
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live. So they've done that. And when their enemies had run past, they scattered group by group. As the
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day was nearing its end, Caesar ran frantically among his troops, begging them to make a further
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effort and take Pompey's fortifications too, and pointing out to them that in the event of an enemy
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recovery, they would be the victors of a single day. But if they took the enemy's camp, they would
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have settled the campaign by this one exploit. Accordingly, he stretched his hands out in
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entreaty to them, and was the first to lead the charge. For their part, their limbs were tired,
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but their spirits were lifted by rational calculation, and by their general's example.
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Again, Caesar in the forefront. Great stuff. Like Alexander. Prepared to risk his own life. Quite a
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lot. Remarkable stuff. They were also buoyed up by their success so far, and by the hope that they
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would take the defences of the camp, and capture its considerable contents. And when men are hopeful,
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or favoured by good fortune, they pay little heed to weariness. So they attacked the camp too,
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and set about the task with great contempt for the defenders. When Pompey was informed,
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he only broke his strange silence to exclaim, So they're at our camp as well? And with these words,
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he changed his clothing, took horse with four companions, and rode without stopping until he
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reached Larissa at first light. Caesar, as he had threatened when exhorting his army,
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spent the whole night within Pompey's fortifications. He himself dined on Pompey's food,
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and his whole army on that of Pompey's men. So the great feast that Pompey's side had arranged for
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their victory that evening. Caesar and his men got to dine on that, and they got to spend the night in
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those really sumptuous tents. Those billionaires' tents. Probably a real treat for them, or certainly was a
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real treat for them. Both because they'd spent 10 years in more or less hardship, fighting in Gaul.
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But also, in the last few days and weeks, particularly had been difficult, hard on Caesar's men.
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After Dyrrachium, they were beginning to get starved out. So a real, well-deserved treat for them.
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The number of dead on either side, at least of Italians, for no enumeration at all,
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was made of the Allies, on account of their number and the low regard in which they were held,
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was 30 centurions and 200, or according to others, 1,200, legionaries from Caesar's army,
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and 10 senators, including Lucius Domitius, who had been appointed Caesar's successor in Gaul,
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and about 40 distinguished members of the equestrian order from Pompey's. As for the rest of his army,
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some inflate the casualties and put them at 25,000. But Asinius Polio, who was one of Caesar's
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subordinate officers in the battle, records about 6,000 Pompeian dead were found. So they're saying
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between Caesar lost between 200 and 1,200, and Pompey lost something between 6,000 and 25,000.
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We shall never know the actual numbers. Appian goes on.
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This was the result of the famous Battle of Pharsalus. Caesar himself carried off from all
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the palm for bravery, in both 1st and 2nd place, as everyone agrees, and alongside him, the 10th
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legion. In 3rd place came Cressinius, a centurion. As Caesar was leaving camp for the battle, he asked
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Cressinius what he thought would happen, and in a loud voice, Cressinius made the memorable reply,
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We shall win, Caesar, and whether I live or die, I shall earn your approval today. The army testified
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that he had switched from rank to rank like a man possessed, and that his exploits were many
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and distinguished. When a search was made for him, and he was found among the dead, Caesar
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adorned his body with the decorations of valour, buried him with them, and made a special tomb
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for him near the mass grave. If you remember last time I mentioned that one particular centurion,
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who was hell-bent on distinguishing himself in battle, and got killed. So Caesar, now, after the
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Never slackening his pace, Pompey made haste from Larissa to the sea, where, after getting
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into a small boat, he chanced to meet a ship that was sailing past, which took him to Mytilene.
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Here he picked up his wife Cornelia, and embarked on four triremes, which had been sent him by
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the people of Tyre and Rhodes. He ignored Corsaira once again, and Africa, where he had an intact
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fleet and another large army, and set off eastwards to the Parthian king, in the belief that through
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him, he would win everything back. Although he kept his intentions secret, until he reluctantly
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admitted, until he reluctantly admitted them to his companions, when they were in Sicilian
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waters, when they were in Cilician waters. They told him to beware of the Parthian, who had
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recently been the target of Crassus' designs, and was still furious after this business, and warned
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him against taking his beautiful wife Cornelia among foreigners, who lacked self-control, especially
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as she had been married to Crassus. That is, Crassus' son, not THE Crassus.
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When he proposed, as second choices, Egypt or Juba, Juba being shorthand for North Africa,
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they rejected Juba as unworthy, and agreed with him on Egypt, because it was close, and a great
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kingdom, and was still prosperous, and strong in ships, and food, and money, and its rulers,
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even if they were still children, were friends of Pompey through their father.
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So, mentioned there, that Egypt had rulers, plural. So there is the boy King Ptolemy, but
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he has a co-regent, his sister, Cleopatra, the great famous Cleopatra. Dan Carlin describes
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her as possibly the most famous woman of the ancient world. So, she makes her debut in our
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