Ancient History Quote of the Day: "Caesar perceived that because of the nature of the land he could not force them to engage in conflict unless they chose, he set out for Thapsus, in order that he might engage them, if they came to the help of the city" (Dio 43.7.1). #AHQOTD

Julius Caesar had spent much time manoeuvring around North Africa, in an attempt to force a decisive battle against the Republican forces under the command of Scipio and Cato, who had retreated there after the battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC.

Dio (43.5.1) tells us that "Caesar tried in every way to draw Scipio into conflict". Both generals also sent pamphlets over to their enemies in order to get their soldiers to desert. Dio states that Caesar's offers were little more than overt bribes, but they were successful.

Scipio was unsuccessful in his efforts as he "merely urged them to liberate the Roman people and the senate", while noble "he chose the course that was more becoming to acknowledge rather than the one that was more expedient for the situation in which he found himself" (43.5.4).

Scipio's plan was to blockade Caesar's forces into the peninsula of Thapsus, much as had been the case when Caesar had been blockaded in Thessaly prior to Pharsalus.

Image: Battle of Thapsus, depicted in an engraving after Andrea Palladio (Wikimedia)

However, Caesar attacked the elephants in Scipio's army, which were defending the area of Scipio's front not yet protected by ditches and palisades (43.8.2). Caesar's slingers threw the elephants into confusion who stampeded back towards Scipio's own men.

Following this, Caesar's victory was rapid and decisive. Plutarch (Life of Caesar 53.4) states that "in a brief portion of one day he... slew fifty thousand of the enemy, without losing as many as fifty of his own men".

In the days and weeks following the battle, two more champions of the Republic - Scipio and Cato the Younger - took their own lives, leaving only Gnaeus Pompeius - eldest son of Pompey the Great - to continue meaningful resistance to Caesar. #AHQOTD