Louisiana capitolian., 1879-08-02
THE BATTLE OF PHARsALIA.
; TFroude's Caesar. I

The BATTLE OF PHARSALIA.f -.
FrOude's Cesar +. 8!i
Pompey had ordered his first line
to stand still to receive Caesars charge.
They would thus be fresh while the
enemy would reach them exhausted
a mistake on Pompey's part, as Caesar
thought, "for a fire and alacrity," he
observes, "kindled in all men when
they meet in battle, and a wise gen.
eral should rather encourage than re-
press their fervor." The signal was
given. Caesars front rank advanced
running. Seeing the, Pompeians did
not move, they halted, recovered
breath, then rushed on, flung their
darts, and closed sword in hand. At
once Pompey's horse bore down, out
flanking Caesars right wing, with the
arches behind and between them rain
ing showers of arrows. Caesars cav
airy gave way before the shock, and
the outer squadrons came wheeling
round to the rear, expecting that there
would be no one to encounter them.
The fourth line, the pick and flower
Of the legions, rose suddenly in their
way. ad ,to
Surprised and shaken by the fierce
ness of the attack on them, the POM
peians turned, they broke, they gal
loped wildly off. The best cavalry in
those Roman battles were never a
match for infantry when in close
formation, and Pompey's brilliant
squadrons were carpet knights from
the salon and the circus. They never
rallied, or tried to rally; they made
off for the nearest hills. The archers
were cut to pieces; and the chosen
corps, having finished SO easily the
service for which they had been tolled
off, threw themselves Oh the now ex-
posed flank of Pompey's left wing. 1t
was composed, as has been said, Of
the legions which had once been C9-
sar's, which had fought under him at
the Vingeanne and Alesia. They ILL
liked, perhaps, the change of masters,
and were in no humor to stand the
charge of their old comrades coming
on with the familiar rush of victory.
Caesar ordered up his third line, which
had not yet been engaged; and at
once on all sides Pompey's great army
gave way and fled. .a e.
Pompey himself, the shadow of his
old name, long harrassed out of self
respect by his senatorial directors, a
commander only in appearance, had
left the field in the beginning of the
action. He had lost heart on the de-
feat of the cavalry, and had retired to
his tent to await the issue of the day.
The stream of fugitives pouring in
told him too surely what the issue
had been. He sprang upon his horse
and rode off in despair. His legions
were rushing back in confusion. CH-
sar, swift always at the right moment,
gave the enemy no leisure to reform,
and fell at once upon the camp. 1t
was noon and the morning had been
sultry, but heat and WEAKNESS were
forgotten in the enthusiasm of a tri-
umph which all then believed must
conclude the war. A few companies
of Thracians, who had been left on
guard, made brief resistance, but
they were soon borne down. The
beaten army, which a few hours be-
fore were sharing, in imagination, the
lands and Offices of their conquerOrs,
fled out through the opposite gates,
throwing away their arms, t1inging
down their standards, and racing, Off
GERS and men, for the rocky hills
which, at miles distance, promised
them shelter. .,. /.
The camp itself was singular pic
ture. Houses of turf had been built
for the luxurious patricians, with ivy
trained over the entrances to shade
their delicate faces from the summer
sun; couches had been laid out for
them to repose on after their expected
victory; tables were spread with plate
and wines and the daintiest prepara-
tions of Roman cookery. Caesar COM
mented on the scene with mournful
irony. Sand these men," he said,
"accused my patient; suffering army,
which had not even common necessi-
ties, Of dissoluteness and prohigacy!"
Two hundred ONLY of Caesars men