Caesar's army was divided into three bodies. Do mitius Calvinus commanded the centre, Mark Antony the left, and Caesar the right wing, which was to be opposed to Pompey, and which consisted of his fa vourite tenth legion. The appearance of Pompey's cavalry in one spot, indicated to Caesar the intentions of his rival. He therefore drew six cohorts from his rear, and concealing them behind his right, he in structed them to reserve their javelins till the ap proach of Pompey's cavalry, and to push them in the faces of the horsemen, who, consisting of the young Roman nobility, dreaded a scar in the face more than the severest wound in the body. He then placed his own handful of cavalry on the right of the tenth le gion, and commanded his third line to await his signal.
After encouraging their respective troops, Cxsar gave the signal for battle, and his army advanced, while that of Pompey had been instructed to receive the first shock without quitting their places. While Caesar's line, advancing boldly to the combat, saw the enemy motionless, they suddenly halted, and during the pause which ensued, the hostile lines gazed at each other with inward horror, but with undisturbed serenity. After having breathed for a while, Caesar's troops advanced with fury, discharging their javelins, and fighting with their swords. Pompey sustained the attack by similar weapons; but no sooner had he ordered his cavalry to charge, along with the archers and slingers, than Caesar's men began to give way. The reserve of six cohorts which Cesar had prepared to resist this attack now advanced, and striking at the faces of their pursuers, produced the complete effect which Caesar had expected. The young Roman nobi lity, who had valued themselves on their beauty, were intimidated by the unsightly wounds which were in flicted on their companions, considered only how to defend their persons; and being put to the rout, they fled in a most disorderly manner to the mountains, leaving the archers and slingers to be cut to pieces by the enemy. The successful cohorts now advanced against the flank and rear of Pompey's left, which made a brave resistance, till Caesar's third line at tacked them in front, and forced them to fly to their camp. The auxiliaries had fled, while Pompey's right wing was fighting with great bravery, but Cae sar, seeing that the issue of the conflict was no longer doubtful, cried out to his men to pursue the strangers, but to spare the Romans. The auxiliary troops were slaughtered in great numbers; but the Romans laid down their arms, and received quarter. Notwith standing this great overthrow of his enemy, Caesar considered his victory as incomplete until he was in possession of Pompey's camp. He therefore marched on foot at the head of his army, and incited them to complete the victory which they had already achiev ed. The cohorts and the Thracian troops who de fended the camp made a bold resistance; but they were driven from the trenches, and forced to take re fuge in flight. As a strong body of the fugitives had
retired to the mountains, Caesar thought it necessary to pursue them ; and, after various operations, he at last compelled them to surrender. When Caesar saw the field covered with the bodies of his countrymen, he exclaimed to one who stood near, " They would have it so." He treated the vanquished with great humanity; and the honours which he acquired as a victor were soon rendered more glorious by the attri butes of clemency and moderation by which he was ennobled. Caesar lost about 200 men, and Pompey 15,000. No fewer than 24,000 laid down their arms, and entered into Caesar's army.
After this unfortunate event Pompey fled, and Cm sar resolved to follow him into whatever country he should fly for refuge. In this pursuit, Caesar went to Am phipolis, to Ephesus, and from Ephesus to Rhodes, where he learnt that Pompey had retired to Egypt. He therefore sail without delay and reached Alex andria with about 4000 men; but he had no sooner landed, than he heard of Pompey's assassination by the king of Egypt, and was soon presented by one of the murderers with the bead and ring of his great ri val. Cesar turned from the sight with instinctive horror, and subduing the feelings of animosity which he had so long cherished against an inveterate enemy, he ordered a splendid monument to be erected to the memory of Pompey, and he consecrated the spot by building a temple to Nemesis.
Disliking their alliance with the Romans, the Egypt ians conceived the design of breaking off their allegi ance. Photinus, the eunuch, not only behaved with disrespect to Caesar, but he even attempted to murder him. Conscious of the inadequacy of his military force, Caesar checked the resentment which these circumstances had raised; but he sent privately for the Roman legions which were nearest to Egypt. When these reinforcements arrived, Caesar avowed his intention as Roman consul to settle the succession to the crown of Egypt, which was then contested be tween Ptolemy and his sister Cleopatra. Although the Roman senate had taken the part of Ptolemy, and had therefore concurred in the banishment of Cleopa tra and her sister Arsinoe into Syria, yet Caesar treat ed the question as undecided, and commanded Cleo patra and Ptolemy to appear before him to plead their cause. Enraged at this proposal, Photinus, the guardian of Ptolemy, sent an army of 20,000 men to besiege Caesar in Alexandria. The Egyptians were soon repulsed; but Caesar finding Alexandria too ex tensive to be defended by this small army, resolved to make a stand in the palace which commanded the harbour. Arbillas, the Egyptian commander, at tacked him in this position, and attempted to seize his fleet; but Cesar set fire to the ships, and having afterwards taken the Isle of Pharos, &cc. the key to the harbour, he was abundantly supplied with every thing, and resolved to oppose every attempt on the part of the enemy.