Dyrrhachium Case Analysis

The battle of Dyrrhachium is one of the greatest risks taken from Caesar in his war with Pompey, who is in union with almost the entire Senate. The two ancient leaders fought against each other for the unilateral power over the Roman Republic. In Dyrrhachium, what is today’s Drach, Albania, Pompey wins, while Caesar barely escapes a catastrophic defeat. The war between the Optimates and the Populares is over a month later in the Battle of Pharsalus with a complete victory for Gaius Julius Caesar and his allies.
Once Caesar defeated the lieutenants of Pompey in Spain and once he stabilizes his power there he leaves Italy, and crosses the Rubicon in order to attack Pompey. At the time, Pompey has crossed the Adriatic and built his camp in Greece.
He commanded his engineers to build a circumvallation around the camp of Pompey, thus locking his army from moving forward, and the only option for Pompey to be the Ionian Sea behind him. Gnaeus Pompey’s response to the tactics of Caesar is the building of fortifications and walls around the camp, with which he can stop the advancement of Caesar and his forces. Taking as many hills as he could, Pompey sent light infantry to guard the fortifications that were built. At some point, however, the strong position Pompey had, began to turn on him. Caesar’s struggle for supplies for his men was ending, as the land was beginning to flourish and the army was soon to be provided with enough food while Pompey’s was just beginning. His only supplies could be delivered to the camp by ships, and he still lacked fresh water and grassland for the
To the south, where Caesar’s camp line connected with the Sea, the constructions were still unfinished and it was the perfect opportunity for Pompey to strike. At this spot, Caesar had stationed his IX Spanish Legion. Pompey used the advantage even further, ordering some of his forces to launch an attack by Sea. Caesar’s forces were decisively outnumbered and Pompey’s men easily broke through the weakened defense line, forcing the caesarean troops to fall back. Reacting to the heavy breach in his camp, Caesar sent Mark Antony leading the twelve cohorts to aid his men. Mark Antony’s counterattacks helped Caesar retake control over the wall and push the Pompeian troops off their ground. Pompey’s response is quick, he rounded Caesar’s right wing with 3,000 men cavalry. Soon after the Caesarian right wing is routed and the troops facing certain demise start to panic, breaking their lines. Caesar, realizing he had lost started to swiftly coordinate the retreat of his