ing the third Mithraditic War. He defeated Mithradates’
armies in Asia Minor, conquering Syria and taking Je-
rusalem. Returning to Rome in 61 b.c., Pompey found
a city in turmoil. Promising a series of reforms in a city
that had become a hotbed of corruption, he decided to
work with Crassus and the Roman general Julius cae-
sar in a collaboration known to history as the First Tri-
umvirate (60 b.c.). Although the three men were never
friends, they did cooperate in controlling Rome for a
period of five years. Caesar’s ambition, however, led to
a strained relations between the three leaders, and the
break came in 55 b.c. when Crassus was murdered while
fighting in Syria. Pompey asked the Roman Senate to
demand that Caesar, then returning from Gaul, disband
his army, as was customary when entering Italy. Caesar
refused and crossed the Rubicon River in northern Italy
with his army, leading the Roman Senate to declare war
against him in 49 b.c. Pompey was named as the com-
mander to defend Rome, but his forces were dispersed
outside Italy, and he was forced to flee the country.
Caesar marched on Rome and then advanced on
the Adriatic to take on the force Pompey had gathered
but suffered a defeat when he tried to attack Pompey’s
camp at Dyrrhachium. When Caesar retreated into
Thessaly, Pompey followed him and, with his father-in-
law, Scipio Africanus, decided to attack Caesar on the
plains of Pharsalus (48 b.c.). English historian Samuel
Clarke, a 17th-century writer who was an early biogra-
pher of Pompey, writes of this battle:
Pompey himself led the ring wing of his Bat-
tel against Anthony. The middle Battle he gave
to Scipio his Father in Law which was right
against Domitius Calviares: His left Wing was
led by Lucius Domitius Ænobarbus, which was
guarded by the men at Armes, for all the Horse-
men were placed there, to distresse Casar [sic] if
possibly they could, and to overthrow the tenth
Legion, which contained the valiantest Sould-
iers that Casar had; and amongst whom himself
always used to fight in Person. Casar seeing the
left Wing of enemies so strong with the guard
of Horsemen, brought six Companys of Foot
for a reserve, and placed them behind the tenth
Legion, commanding them to stand close, that
they might not be discovered by the enemy: and
commanded them when the Horsemen should
charge upon them, that they should not throwtheir darts strait [sic] forward but upward at their
faces: For (said he) [‘]These brave Fellows and
fine Dancers, will not endure to have their faces
marred.[’] Pompey being on Horseback rode up
and down to observe how both Armies were mar-
shalled, and perceiving that his enemies stood still
in their ranks, expecting the signall of Battel, and
that his Battle waved up and down disorderly, as
men unskillful in the Wars, he feared that they
would fly before they were charged. Therefore
he commanded his Van to stand steadily in their
ranks, and to defend themselves in a close fight
when the enemy should assault them. But Casar
disliked this devise [sic]: for thereby (said he) the
force of their blowes was lessened, and by with-
holding them from giving the charge, that cour-
age was taken away which the assailant carrieth
with him when he comes on with fury, it made
them also more fainthearted in receiving the en-
emies charge....
When the signal of Battel was given on ei-
ther side, and the Trumpets sounded an Alarme,
every man began to look to himself.... Now
when the Fields of Pharsalia, were covered over
with Horse and men in Armes, after the Signall
was given, the first man of Casars Army that
advanced gave the charge, was Caius Crassinius,
a Captain of one hundred and twenty and five
men: and this he did to make good his promise to
Casar, who having asked him that morning what
he thought of the event of the Battel? he said,
[‘]Oh, Cæsar! Thine is the Victory, and this day
than shalt commend me either alive or dead.[’]
There upon he brake out of his rank (many oth-
ers also following him) and ran into the midst of
his enemies, making a great slaughter; but as he
still pressed forward, one ran him through the
neck and slew him. Pompey did not make his left
wing to advance over suddenly, but staid [sic] to
see what his Horsemen would do, who had al-
ready divided themselves, intending to compasse
in Casars Horsemen (who were fewer in num-
ber) to give back upon his squadron of Foot men,
and thereby to disorder them. But on the other
side, Casars Horsemen gave back a little and the
six Companies of Footmen that he had placed
secretly behind them (being three thousand in
number) ran suddenly to charge the enemy in thepompey