The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-03
ON PHARSALiA'S FIELD.
The Great Battle for Supremacy
Waged Between Caesar and
Pomp0v

Again the famous field of Pharsala
seems about to become the scene of an
important and may be decisive contest.
Lying as it does in the center of the
Greeks new and best line of defense on the
main road from Larissa to Athens, Edhem
Pasha must of necessity reduce it before
advancing further south.
Many times from it's first appearance on
the page of history (B. c. 4SO) to the be-
ginning of our era was Pharsalia (now
Pharsala) the scene of contests and sieges
more or less noted, but all of them dwindle
to mere historical Incidents in comparison
with the great battle between Caesar and
Pompey, June 30, 48 B. c., which finds
place In history as one OF the twelve most
important contests the world has known
In point OF results-waich gave to one
man the practical if not nominal control
OF the mighty Roman empire.
The administration of affairs of the
Roman world had gradually been taken
into the hands of a triumvirate, composed
of Crassus. Pompey and Cesar, who, di-
viding the countries controlled by Rome
between themselves, managed each his
own dominion independently OF the 9TH
ers and really of the Senate, which was
largely composed Of the creatures and
tools OF the three.
The death of Crassus in battle with the
Parthians, June 53 B. c., put an end to
the triumvirate and precipitated the con-
test for the sole control between Pompev
and Caesar.
Pompey was in Rome and Cesar at Ra-
VIENNA, 240 miles away, where he had
passed the winter. Backed by the aristo-
cratic party, Pompey sought to strip
Caesar OF what power he already had by
taxing away his legions and finally put
ting himself at the head of the troops on
hand and by raising fresh Ieves, pre-
pared TO march against him.
On receipt of the news Cesar was quick
to act. He called the Thirteenth Legion
from Tergeste (Trieste) to Ravenna and
with it crossed the Rubcon, the boundary
of his province, on the night of Decem Der
16. so B. c., civil war had begun. Leay-
ing Rome unmolested he pushed on down
the Adriatic coast, gaining city after city
and recruits, until he had Pompey and
his followers shut up in Brundisium
(Brindisi). Unable to withstand Casar
in Italy Pompey crossed over to Epirus,
sending Scipio to Syria to raise fresh
troops. This was in February, 49 B. C..
Caesar did not Immediately follow, but
turned to the reduction of Pompey's
power in Spain, Italy and Africa. He re-
turned to Brundisium (Brindisi) Novem-
Der IT, 40 B. c., and on the 2Sth set sail
with seven small legions and 800 horse for
Epirus, leaving Antony to follow with the
rest. He landed at Pa este (Paliassa). a
short distance north of Corfu. on the 29t b
and the same day marched over the hig b
noun tains to Oricum and thence to An.
palonia (Avlona), and on December 9
headed for Dyrrachlum (Durazzo), near
which Pompey lay, the most important
point on the coast, at the terminus of the
paved road, the Via Egnatia from the
east, via Therma or Thessalonica
(Salonika) to Italy. Effecting junction
with Antony, who had followed him over.
landing north of Dyrrachium, he sent de-
tachments under Longinus and Sabienus
to Thessaly and Etolla for forage. and
Domitlus by the Via Egnatia, into Mace
donia, to head off Scipio, who, recalled
from Syria by Pompey on C@sar's first
landing in Epirus, was advancing west
from Thessalonica. Engaging twice at
Dyrrachium, winning the first ana bein 9