Latest / The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History / The Dictator's Year: Caesar's 48 BC Campaign in Greece
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked about Caesar's early career, the conquest of Gaul, and the start of the civil war. But there's one campaign that really decided everything — his invasion of Greece in 48 BC. It's a story of a desperate gamble, a near-disaster, and one of the most brilliant victories in military history. Luna: Was that when he crossed the Adriatic in winter? I've heard that was incredibly risky. Lucas: Exactly. It was January 48 BC. Caesar had been appointed dictator — his first one, actually — but only for about eleven days, just long enough to hold elections and get himself elected consul. Then he rushed to Brundisium, the port on Italy's heel, with seven legions. Pompey was across the Adriatic in Greece, building up his forces with support from the eastern provinces. Lucas: The problem was, Caesar didn't have enough ships to carry his whole army in one go. So he made a decision that could have ended the whole war right there: he loaded about half his troops — maybe 20,000 men — and sailed for the Greek coast. He left Mark Antony behind with the rest, waiting for a second crossing. Luna: So he split his army in the face of a larger enemy? That's bold. Lucas: It's either bold or insane, depending on the outcome. He landed near a place called Paleste, on the coast of Illyria, and immediately tried to capture the port city of Dyrrhachium. Pompey had his main base there, but he was too fast — he got there first with his own army. Lucas: So now Caesar is stuck in Greece, outnumbered, with his supply lines cut because Pompey's fleet controls the Adriatic. Antony hasn't crossed yet. And Caesar's men are running low on food. They start foraging, but the locals are hostile. It's a grim situation. Luna: What was Pompey doing all this time? He could have crushed him. Lucas: That's the strange part. Pompey had a huge army — about 45,000 men, including crack legions from Syria and Spain, plus a massive cavalry force. But he hesitated. Maybe he thought he could starve Caesar out without risking a battle. He also had his own political problems: the optimates in his camp, like Cato and Labienus, were pushing him to fight, but he was cautious. Lucas: Meanwhile, Antony managed to slip across the Adriatic with the rest of Caesar's army in April. Pompey's fleet missed him, or maybe they didn't try hard enough. Now Caesar had his full force — about 30,000 men — and he linked up with Antony south of Dyrrhachium. Luna: So now he's got a chance. What happened next? Lucas: Caesar tried something audacious: he built a line of fortifications around Pompey's camp at Dyrrhachium, trying to besiege the larger army. But Pompey extended his own lines and eventually broke through Caesar's weakest point. Caesar lost about a thousand men and had to pull back. It was his worst defeat in the civil war. Lucas: He actually said to his men afterward, 'Today the enemy would have won if they had a commander who was a winner.' He meant Pompey didn't press the advantage. Pompey could have destroyed Caesar right there, but he let him retreat. Luna: Wow. That must have been devastating for Caesar. Lucas: It was a huge blow, but Caesar didn't panic. He decided to march east into Thessaly, hoping to draw Pompey away from his supply base. Pompey followed, but cautiously. And then, in August 48 BC, near the town of Pharsalus, the two armies finally met in open battle. Lucas: Pharsalus is one of the most studied battles in history. Caesar had about 22,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry. Pompey had about 45,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry. On paper, Pompey should have won easily. But Caesar had a trick. Luna: What was the trick? Lucas: He knew Pompey would try to use his massive cavalry superiority to outflank his right wing. So Caesar took a cohort from each of his legions — about 3,000 men — and formed a hidden fourth line behind his cavalry. He told them not to throw their pila until the enemy cavalry was right on top of them. Lucas: When Pompey's cavalry charged, Caesar's cavalry purposely fell back. The Pompeian horsemen pursued, and then Caesar's hidden infantry rose up and charged, throwing their pila into the faces of the horses. The cavalry panicked and fled. That left Pompey's main line exposed on its flank, and Caesar's veterans rolled up the enemy positions. Luna: So the cavalry charge was neutralized, and then the legions did the rest. Lucas: Exactly. Pompey's army collapsed. Caesar claimed he only lost 200 men to Pompey's 15,000. It was total victory. Pompey fled to Egypt, hoping for refuge, but the Egyptians — thinking it would please Caesar — assassinated him as he stepped ashore. Caesar arrived soon after and was presented with Pompey's head. He reportedly wept. Luna: That moment is so famous — did he really cry? Lucas: The sources say he turned away in grief. He had Pompey's signet ring and had his head buried with honors. Whatever his feelings, it was a pragmatic move: he didn't want to be seen as a tyrant who rejoiced at a fellow Roman's death. Lucas: Then, of course, Caesar got drawn into the Alexandrian War, where he almost died again. But that's another story. The point is, Pharsalus decided the civil war. After that, the optimates scattered, and Caesar became master of the Roman world. He was appointed dictator again, this time for a full year, and later for life. Luna: It really was the end of the Republic, even if nobody knew it yet. Lucas: Yes. And it's interesting to think about how close it came to going the other way. If Pompey had pressed after Dyrrhachium, or if Caesar's gamble on the Adriatic crossing had failed, we might be talking about Pompey the Great's empire instead. But history turned on a few decisions. Lucas: You know, it reminds me that making this show is a lot like Caesar's campaign — a risky venture that only works because of a small group of people who believe in it. We don't run ads, we don't have a big network behind us. What keeps us going is a handful of listeners who chip in on buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's not a big ask, but it makes a huge difference for us. Luna: Yeah, it really does. Every contribution helps us keep digging into these stories. Lucas: So if you've been enjoying the show, and you want to see more episodes like this one, that's the way to help. No pressure at all — but it's how we stay independent. Now, let's get back to Caesar in Egypt, because that's where things get really strange. Lucas: After Pharsalus, Caesar followed Pompey to Egypt with only a small force — about 4,000 men. He expected to be welcomed, but instead he found a civil war raging between the young pharaoh Ptolemy XIII and his sister Cleopatra. Ptolemy had Pompey killed, thinking that would please Caesar, but Caesar was furious. He set himself up as an arbitrator. Luna: And that's when he met Cleopatra, right? Lucas: Yes. The famous story: Cleopatra had herself rolled up in a carpet and smuggled into Caesar's quarters. She was 21, brilliant, and she needed Caesar's support. He was 52. They became lovers, and Caesar backed her claim to the throne. But Ptolemy's forces besieged them in Alexandria for six months. Lucas: It was a desperate fight. Caesar's men were outnumbered, and at one point he had to swim for his life when his ship was sunk. But he held on until reinforcements arrived from Syria. He defeated Ptolemy's army, and Cleopatra became queen. Then Caesar took a victory tour through Syria and Asia Minor, where he famously said 'Veni, vidi, vici' after a quick battle at Zela. Luna: I came, I saw, I conquered. That's such a perfect slogan for him. Lucas: It is. But the civil war wasn't completely over. The optimates regrouped in Africa under Cato and Labienus, and it took another year — and another hard-fought battle at Thapsus — before Caesar finally returned to Rome as unquestioned master. He was made dictator for ten years, and then for life. The Republic was dead. Lucas: But even then, there were still Pompeian holdouts in Spain. Caesar had to fight one more battle at Munda in 45 BC, which he called 'a battle without mercy.' He said afterward that he'd fought for his life many times, but at Munda he fought for his very existence. That was the last stand of the old republicans. Luna: And then, less than a year later, he was assassinated. Lucas: Right. The Ides of March, 44 BC. But that's a whole other episode. For now, I think the key takeaway is how fragile history is. A few decisions — Caesar crossing the Adriatic, Pompey hesitating at Dyrrhachium, that hidden fourth line at Pharsalus — changed the entire trajectory of the Mediterranean world.