CHAPTER XV
Cæsar's Four Triumphs -- Cæsar marches against Young
Pompeius in Spain -- Battle of Munda -- Flight and Death of Young
Pompeius
[
101]
When Cæsar returned to Rome he had four triumphs together: one for
his Gallic wars, in which he had added many great nations to the Roman sway
and subdued others that had revolted; one for the Pontic war against
Pharnaces; one for the war in Africa against the African allies of L.
Scipio, in which the historian Juba (the son of King Juba), then an infant,
was led a captive. Between the Gallic and the Pontic triumphs he introduced
a kind of
Egyptian triumph, in which he led some captives
taken in the naval engagement on the Nile.
1 Although he took care not to inscribe any Roman names
in his triumph (as it would have been unseemly in his eyes and base and
inauspicious in those of the Roman people to triumph over fellow-citizens),
yet all these misfortunes were represented in the processions and the men
also by various images and pictures, all except Pompey, the only one whom he
did not venture to exhibit, since the latter was still greatly regretted by
all. The people, although restrained by fear, groaned over their domestic
ills, especially when they saw the picture of Lucius Scipio, the
general-in-chief, wounded in the breast by his own hand, casting himself
into the sea, and Petreius committing self-destruction at the banquet, and
Cato torn open by himself like a wild beast. They applauded the death of
Achillas and Pothinus, and laughed at the flight of Pharnaces.
[
102]
It is said that money to the amount of 60,500 talents [of silver] was borne
in the procession and 2822 crowns of gold weighing 20,414 pounds, from which
wealth Cæsar made apportionments immediately after the triumph,
paying the army all that he had promised and more. Each soldier received
5000 Attic drachmas, each centurion double, and each tribune of infantry and
præfect of cavalry fourfold that sum. To each plebeian citizen
also was given an Attic mina. He gave also various spectacles with horses
and music, a combat of foot-soldiers, 1000 on each side, and a cavalry fight
of 200 on each side. There was also another combat of horse and foot
together. There was a combat of elephants, twenty against twenty, and a
naval engagement of 4000 oarsmen, where 1000 fighting men contended on each
side. He erected a temple to Venus, his ancestress, as he had vowed to do
when he was about to begin the battle of Pharsalus, and he laid out ground
around the temple which he intended to be a forum for the Roman people, not
for buying and selling, but a meeting-place for the transaction of public
business, like the public squares of the Persians, where the people assemble
to seek justice or to learn the laws. He placed a beautiful image of
Cleopatra by the side of the goddess, which stands there to this day. He
caused an enumeration of the people to be made, and it is said that it was
found to be only one-half of the number existing before this war.
2 To such a degree had the rivalry of these two
men reduced the city.
[
103]
Cæsar, now in his fourth consulship, marched against young Pompeius
in Spain. This was all that was left of the civil war, but it was not to be
despised, for such of the nobility as had escaped from Africa had assembled
here. The army was composed of soldiers from Pharsalus and Africa itself,
who had come hither with their leaders, and of Spaniards and Celtiberians, a
strong and warlike race. There was a great number of emancipated slaves also
in Pompeius' camp. All had been under discipline four years and were ready
to fight with desperation. Pompeius was misled by this fact and did not
postpone the battle, but engaged Cæsar straightway on his arrival,
although the older ones, who had learned by experience at Pharsalus and
Africa, advised him to wear Cæsar out by delay and reduce him to
want, as he was in a hostile country. Cæsar made the journey from
Rome in twenty-seven days, coming with a heavily-laden army by a very long
route. Fear fell upon his soldiers as never
before, in consequence of the reports received of the numbers, the
discipline, and the desperate valor of the enemy.
[
104]
For this reason Cæsar himself also was ready to move slowly until
Pompeius approached him at a certain place where he was reconnoitering and
accused him of cowardice. Cæsar could not endure this reproach. He
drew up his forces for battle near Corduba
3 and then, too, gave
Venus for
his watchword. Pompeius, on the other hand, gave
Piety for
his. When battle was joined fear seized upon Cæsar's army and
hesitation was joined to fear. Cæsar, lifting his hands toward
heaven, implored all the gods that his many glorious deeds be not stained by
this single disaster. He ran up and encourged his soldiers. He took his
helmet off his head and shamed them to their faces and exhorted them. As
they abated nothing of their fear he seized a shield from a soldier and said
to the officers around him, "This shall be the end of my life and of your
military service." Then he sprang forward in advance of his line of battle
toward the enemy so far that he was only ten feet distant from them. Some
200 missiles were aimed at him, some of which he dodged while others were
caught on his shield. Then each of the tribunes ran toward him and took
position by his side, and the whole army rushed forward and fought the
entire day, advancing and retreating by turns until, toward evening,
Cæsar with difficulty won the victory. It was reported that he
said that he had often fought for victory, but that this time he had fought
even for existence.
4
[
105]
After a great slaughter the Pompeians fled to Corduba, and Cæsar,
in order to prevent the fugitives from preparing for another battle, ordered
a siege of that place. The soldiers, wearied with toil, piled the bodies and
arms of the slain together, fastened them to the earth with spears, and
encamped behind this kind of a wall. On the following day the city was
taken. Scapula, one of the Pompeian leaders, erected a funeral pile on which
he consumed himself. The heads of Varus, Labienus, and other distinguished
men were brought to Cæsar.
5 Pompeius himself fled from the
scene of his defeat with 150 horsemen toward Carteia, where he had a fleet,
and entered the dockyard secretly as a private individual borne in a litter.
When he saw that the men here despaired of their safety he feared lest he
should be delivered up, and took to flight again. While going on board a
small boat his foot was caught by a rope, and a man who attempted to cut the
rope with his sword cut the sole of his foot instead. So he sailed to a
certain place for medical treatment. Being pursued thither he fled by a
rough and thorny road that aggravated his wound, until fagged out he took a
seat under a tree. Here his pursuers came upon him and he was cut down while
defending himself bravely. His head was brought to Cæsar who gave
orders for its burial. Thus this war also, contrary to expectation, was
brought to an end in one battle. A younger brother of this Pompeius, also
named Pompeius but called by his first name, Sextus, collected those who
escaped from this fight; but as yet he kept moving about in concealment and
lived by robbery.
