Note to JULIUS CAESAR, 5.1.74, the battle of Pharsalus

Pharsalus, in Thessaly (a region of North central Greece), was the site of the decisive battle of the Roman civil war between the forces of Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. Pompey had won a previous battle, but had not pursued his enemies, so that Caesar was able to retreat and regroup at Pharsalus. There, Pompey had the high ground, twice as many troops as Caesar, and a better supply train. Pompey probably could have won a war of attrition, which he was inclined to do, but certain Roman Senators who were with him, some of them inspired by Pompey's previous victory, and some simply impatient to get the war over with, persuaded Pompey to attack Caesar.

In the event, Caesar proved to be a better general than Pompey. He anticipated Pompey's tactics and gained a decisive victory. Thereafter, Pompey never recovered his advantage. He eventually fled to Egypt, where he was murdered.