Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
streets of the city, except only two that led down to the
sea-side. Thus in three days space having with ease put all
the rest of his army on shipboard, he suddenly gave the signal
to those that guarded the walls, who nimbly repairing to the
ships, were received on board and carried off. Caesar meantime
perceiving their departure by seeing the walls unguarded,
hastened after, and in the heat of pursuit was all but
entangled himself among the stakes and trenches. But the
Brundusians discovering the danger to him, and showing him the
way, he wheeled about, and taking a circuit round the city,
made towards the haven, where he found all the ships on their
way, excepting only two vessels that had but a few soldiers
aboard.
Most are of opinion, that this departure of Pompey's is to be
counted among the best of his military performances, but Caesar
himself could not but wonder that he, who was thus ingarrisoned
in a city well fortified, who was in expectation of his forces
from Spain, and was master of the sea besides, should leave and
abandon Italy. Cicero accuses him of imitating the conduct of
Themistocles, rather than of Pericles, when the circumstances
were more like those of Pericles than they were like those of
Themistocles. However, it appeared plainly, and Caesar showed
it by his actions, that he was in great fear of delay, for when
he had taken Numerius, a friend of Pompey's, prisoner, he sent
him as an ambassador to Brundusium, with offers of peace and
reconciliation upon equal terms; but Numerius sailed away with
Pompey. And now Caesar having become master of all Italy in
sixty days, without a drop of blood shed, had a great desire
forthwith to follow Pompey; but being destitute of shipping, he
was forced to divert his course, and march into Spain,
designing to bring over Pompey's forces there to his own.
In the meantime Pompey raised a mighty army both by sea and
land. As for his navy, it was irresistible. For there were
five hundred men of war, besides an infinite company of light
vessels, Liburnians, and others; and for his land forces, the
cavalry made up a body of seven thousand horse, the very flower
of Rome and Italy, men of family, wealth, and high spirit; but
the infantry was a mixture of unexperienced soldiers drawn from
different quarters, and these he exercised and trained near
Beroea, where he quartered his army; himself noways slothful,
but performing all his exercises as if he had been in the flower
of his youth, conduct which raised the spirits of his soldiers
extremely. For it was no small encouragement for them to see
Pompey the Great, sixty years of age wanting two, at one time
handling his arms among the foot, then again mounted among the
horse, drawing out his sword with ease in full career, and
sheathing it up as easily; and in darting the javelin, showing
not only skill and dexterity in hitting the mark, but also
strength and activity in throwing it so far that few of the
young men went beyond him.
Several kings and princes of nations came thither to him, and
there was a concourse of Roman citizens who had held the
magistracies, so numerous that they made up a complete senate.
Labienus forsook his old friend Caesar, whom he had served
throughout all his wars in Gaul, and came over to Pompey; and
Brutus, son to that Brutus that was put to death in Gaul, a man
of a high spirit, and one that to that day had never so much as
saluted or spoke to Pompey, looking upon him as the murderer of
his father, came then and submitted himself to him as the
defender of their liberty. Cicero likewise, though he had
written and advised otherwise, yet was ashamed not to be
accounted in the number of those that would hazard their lives
and fortunes for the safeguard of their country. There came to
him also into Macedonia, Tidius Sextius, a man extremely old,
and lame of one leg; so that others indeed mocked and laughed
at the spectacle, but Pompey, as soon as he saw him, rose and
ran to meet him, esteeming it no small testimony in his favor,
when men of such age and infirmities should rather choose to be
with him in danger, than in safety at home. Afterwards in a
meeting of their senate they passed a decree, on the motion of
Cato, that no Roman citizen should be put to death but in
battle, and that they should not sack or plunder any city that
was subject to the Roman empire, a resolution which gained
Pompey's party still greater reputation, insomuch that those
who were noways at all concerned in the war, either because
they dwelt afar off, or were thought incapable of giving help,
were yet, in their good wishes, upon his side, and in all their
words, so far as that went, supported the good or just cause,
as they called it; esteeming those as enemies to the gods and
men, that wished not victory to Pompey.
Neither was Pompey's clemency such, but that Caesar likewise
showed himself as merciful a conqueror; for when he had taken
and overthrown all Pompey's forces in Spain, he gave them easy
terms, leaving the commanders at their liberty, and taking the
common soldiers into his own pay. Then repassing the Alps, and
making a running march through Italy, he came to Brundusium
about the winter solstice, and crossing the sea there, landed
at the port of Oricum. And having Jubius, an intimate friend
of Pompey's, with him as his prisoner, he dispatched him to
Pompey with an invitation, that they, meeting together in a
conference, should disband both their armies within three days,
and renewing their former friendship with solemn oaths, should
return together into Italy. Pompey looked upon this again as
some new stratagem, and therefore marching down in all haste to
the sea-coast, possessed himself of all forts and places of
strength suitable to encamp in, and to secure his laud forces,
as likewise of all ports and harbors commodious to receive any
that came by sea, so that what wind soever blew, it must needs
in some way or other be favorable to him, bringing in either
provision, men, or money; while Caesar, on the contrary, was so
hemmed in both by sea and land, that he was forced to desire
battle, daily provoking the enemy, and assailing them in their
very forts; and in these light skirmishes for the most part had
the better. Once only he was dangerously overthrown, and was
within a little of losing his whole army, Pompey having fought
nobly, routing the whole force, and killing two thousand on the
spot. But either he was not able, or was afraid, to go on and
force his way into their camp with them, so that Caesar made
the remark, that "Today the victory had been the enemy's, had
there been anyone among them to gain it." Pompey's soldiers
were so encouraged by this victory that they were eager now to
have all put to the decision of a battle; but Pompey himself,
though he wrote to distant kings, generals, and states in
confederacy with him, as a conqueror, yet was afraid to hazard
the success of a battle, choosing rather by delays, and
distress of provisions, to tire out a body of men, who had
never yet been conquered by force of arms, and had long been
used to fight and conquer together; while their time of life,
now an advanced one, which made them quickly weary of those
other hardships of war, such as were long marches, and frequent
decampings, making trenches, and building fortifications, made
them eager to come to close combat and venture a battle with
all speed.
Pompey had all along hitherto by his persuasions pretty well
quieted his soldiers; but after this last engagement, when
Caesar for want of provisions was forced to raise his camp, and
passed through Athamania into Thessaly, it was impossible to
curb or allay the heat of their spirits any longer. For all
crying out with a general voice, that Caesar was fled, some
were for pursuing and pressing upon him, others for returning
into Italy; some there were that sent their friends and
servants beforehand to Rome, to hire houses near the forum,
that they might be in readiness to sue for offices; several of
their own motion sailed off at once to Lesbos to carry to
Cornelia, (whom Pompey had conveyed thither to be in safety,)
the joyful news, that the war was ended. And a senate being
called, and the matter being under debate, Afranius was of
opinion, that Italy should first be regained, for that it was
the grand prize and crown of all the war; and they who were
masters of that, would quickly have at their devotion all the
provinces of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Spain, and Gaul; but
what was of greatest weight and moment to Pompey, it was his
own native country that lay near, reaching out her hand for his
help; and certainly it could not be consistent with his honor
to leave her thus exposed to all indignities, and in bondage
under slaves and the flatterers of a tyrant. But Pompey
himself, on the contrary, thought it neither honorable to fly a
second time before Caesar, and be pursued, when fortune had
given him the advantage of a pursuit; nor indeed lawful before
the gods to forsake Scipio and divers other men of consular
dignity dispersed throughout Greece and Thessaly, who must
necessarily fall into Caesar's hands, together with large sums
of money and numerous forces; and as to his care for the city
of Rome, that would most eminently appear, by removing the
scene of war to a greater distance, and leaving her, without
feeling the distress or even hearing the sound of these evils,
to await in peace the return of whichever should be the victor.
With this determination, Pompey marched forwards in pursuit of
Caesar, firmly resolved with himself not to give him battle,
but rather to besiege and distress him, by keeping close at his
heels, and cutting him short. There were other reasons that
made him continue this resolution, but especially because a
saying that was current among the Romans serving in the cavalry
came to his ear, to the effect, that they ought to beat Caesar
as soon as possible, and then humble Pompey too. And some
report, it was for this reason that Pompey never employed Cato
in any matter of consequence during the whole war, but now when
he pursued Caesar, left him to guard his baggage by sea,
fearing lest, if Caesar should be taken off, he himself also by
Cato's means not long after should be forced to give up his
power.
Whilst he was thus slowly attending the motions of the enemy,
he was exposed on all sides to outcries, and imputations of
using his generalship to defeat, not Caesar, but his country
and the senate, that he might always continue in authority, and
never cease to keep those for his guards and servants, who
themselves claimed to govern the world. Domitius Aenobarbus,
continually calling him Agamemnon, and king of kings, excited
jealousy against him; and Favonius, by his unseasonable
raillery, did him no less injury than those who openly attacked
him, as when he cried out, "Good friends, you must not expect
to gather any figs in Tusculum this year." But Lucius
Afranius, who had lain under an imputation of treachery for the
loss of the army in Spain, when he saw Pompey purposely
declining an engagement, declared openly, that he could not but
admire, why those who were so ready to accuse him, did not go
themselves and fight this buyer and seller of their provinces.
With these and many such speeches they wrought upon Pompey, who
never could bear reproach, or resist the expectations of his
friends; and thus they forced him to break his measures, so
that he forsook his own prudent resolution to follow their vain
hopes and desires: weakness that would have been blamable ill
the pilot of a ship, how much more in the sovereign commander
of such an army, and so many nations. But he, though he had
often commended those physicians who did not comply with the