Caesar’s Civil War

Julius Caesar was faced with a choice in 49 B.C. The great commander had just returned from a brilliant military battle in Gaul, but their long-standing friendship had deteriorated into a savage rivalry. The demands of the Pompey-allied forces in the Roman Senate to dissolve his army and go home as a civilian were even more strong. Caesar wouldn't act in such a way. He rallied his troops, crossed the Rubicon into Italy, and declared, "The die is cast," sparking a civil war.

Caesar's allies and Pompey's army engaged in conflicts in Italy, Spain, Greece, and North Africa over the course of the ensuing months. At the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 B.C., Caesar outwitted a Pompey-led army despite having much less soldiers, marking a significant turning point. After the defeat, Pompey escaped to Egypt only to be betrayed and killed by the country's youthful monarch. With Pompey dead, Caesar’s victory was all but sealed. Early in the year 44 B.C., Pompey returned to Rome and was installed as the city's permanent dictator after vanquishing the last of Pompey's friends there and in Spain. His time in power would be brief. On March 15, the infamous Ides of March, a group of Roman senators assassinated Julius Caesar.

Caesar's influence and appeal posed a danger to the Senate. As a result, the Senate, particularly Cato the Younger, decided to remove him from his position as governor. Caesar was forced to cross the Rubicon with armies and troops despite his best efforts to negotiate and renegotiate. It amounted to a declaration of war in this way. He declared, "The die is cast," and then he marched on Rome.