Pharsalia

so called from Pharsalus, anciently a town in The aly, now Turkey in Europe, which lies a little to the south of Lari a. This spot was rendered memorable in history by the battle that was fought between Pompey and Cæsar, when they contended for the empire of the world. Plutarch has given the following account of the engagement:— “Both armies were now arrived at the fields of Pharsalia, conducted by the two greatest generals alive; Pompey at the head of all the Roman nobility, the flower of Italy and Asia, all armed in the cause of liberty. Cæsar at the head of a body of troops firmly attached to his interests, men who had faced every appearance of danger, were long inured to hardships, and had grown from youth to age in the practice of arms. Both camps lay in sight of each other. In this manner they spent the night; when next morning, Cæsar’s army was going to decamp, word was brought him, that a tumult and murmur were heard in Pompey’s camp, as of men preparing for battle. Another me enger came soon after with tidings that the first ranks were already drawn out. Cæsar now seemed to enjoy the object of his wishes. Now , cried he to his soldiers, the wished for day is come, when you shall fight with men, not with want and hunger . His soldiers, with joy in their looks went each to his rank, like dancers on a stage; while Cæsar himself at the head of his tenth legion, a body of men that had never yet been broken, with silence and intrepidity waited for the onset. While Cæsar was thus employed, Pompey on horseback viewed both armies; and seeing the steady order of the enemy, with the impatience of his own soldiers, he gave strict orders, that the vanguard should make a stand, and keeping close in their ranks receive the enemy. Pompey’s army consisted of 45,000 men, Cæsar’s not quite half that number. And now the trumpet sounded the signal for battle on both sides, and both armies approached each other. “While but yet a little space remained between either army, Caius Crastinus, a devoted Roman, i ued from Cæsar’s army at the head of 120 men, and began the engagement. They cut through the opposite ranks with their swords, and made a great slaughter; but Crastinus still pre ing forward, a soldier run him through the mouth, and the weapon came out at the back of his neck. In the mean time Pompey, designed to surround Cæsar, and to force his horse, which amounted to only one you sand, to fall back upon his infantry, gave orders that his own cavalry, consisting of 7000 men, should extend itself, and then attack the enemy. Cæsar expecting this, had placed 3000 foot in reserve, who rushed out fiercely, and attacked Pompey’s horse, letting fly their javelins in the faces of the young delicate Romans, who, careful of their beauty, turned their backs and were shamefully put to flight. Cæsar’s men, without pursuing them flanked the enemy, now unprotected by their horse, and soon a total rout began to ensue. Pompey, by the dust he saw flying in the air, quickly conjectured that his cavalry was overthrown, and overpowered by the event retired to his camp in agony and silence. In this condition he sat pondering in his tent, till roused by the shouts of the enemy breaking into his camp, he cried out: What, into the very camp! and without uttering any thing more, but putting on a mean habit, to disguise his flight, he departed secretly.” During the seven years war Frederick the great, king of Pru ia, was much in the same situation. He had retired to his tent, and had given up every thing for lost, when the daring enterprise of Ziethen, who commanded the Death Hu ars, turned the fortune of the day; and though he lost an incalculable number of Pru ians, he secured the victory, and thereby restored to his master both his kingdom and his crown.