Who Was The Better General, Caesar Or Pompey? Most Would Agree That

Caesar was by far the better general, simply based upon the outcome of the
Roman Civil War of 49 BC to 46 BC. Two of Rome’s finest generals,
Caesar and Pompey, were pitted against each other, with Caesar emerging
victorious after one of Rome’s most devastating civil wars. Caesar first
discovered his military prowess while campaigning in Spain and honed his
expertise during his ten year conquest of Gaul. Pompey had proven himself,
with the defeat of Spratacus, in the slave revolt. And against Mithridates in
the glamorous Eastern Command, but was Pompey deserving of the fame and
recognition he gained? The civil war began with Caesar’s crossing of the
Rubicon, he committed the first act of war by bringing his army onto Italian
soil and was declared an enemy of the state by the Senate. Pompey was
given the ominous duty of defeating Caesar and his legions, at first glance it
appeared that Pompey had the upper hand, he had the awesome might of
Rome behind him and had a vastly larger army than Caesar. Why then was
Caesar able to defeat Pompey? Caesar won the war by using masterful
techniques of diplomacy, his genius in military strategy, and Pompey’s
ineptness as a military commander. These factors all contributed to Caesar’s
victory over Pompey and his eventual rise to supreme power, which changed
Roman politics until the collapse of the Empire some 500 years later.

Caesar was a master in the art of diplomacy and was able to use these
skills to alter the tide during the course of the war. From the beginning of
Caesar’s career with help from Crassus, he held large circus’s for the mobs,
this made him very popular with people of Rome. With his triumphant
conquering of Gaul, he was hailed as a hero by the mob, and enjoyed popular
support entering the civil war. Caesar was far outnumbered at the onset of
the war, and had to increase the size of his army. To solve this dilemma
Caesar granted amnesty to all defeated armies, by doing this Caesar was able
to simply absorb surrendered armies into his own. Armies of the day were
filled with professional soldier’s who cared more about their salary, then the
cause they were fighting for. Caesar also declared that he would not attack
any Roman citizen if they did not bear arms against him. Thus, Pompey’s
legionnaires were faced with guaranteed amnesty if they surrendered to
Caesar or deserted from Pompey. The morale in Pompey’s camp would be
severely affected by this act.1 In another act of diplomacy, in 49 BC Caesar
granted Roman citizenship to the Gauls who had fought for him during his
conquering of Gaul. This made the Gauls fiercely loyal to Caesar.2 Caesar
was easily able to tip the scales of power in the war by using diplomacy to his
advantage.

Caesar was also able to take the upper hand in the conflict, by being
the superior general. It is no stretch of the imagination to declare Caesar as
the best general that ever lived, and if not the greatest, he is most certainly at
par with the likes of Alexander, Hannibal, and Napoleon. Caesar was known
for acting swiftly and decisively in battle, he deployed this rapid action
strategy perfectly against Pompey. Once he crossed the Rubicon, he marched
his army towards Rome on such a pace that made Pompey first flee Rome,
then Italy all together. This gave Caesar control of the centre of the Roman
universe and now he had all of Rome’s riches behind him. Caesar was able
to use this strategy to take the advantage in the war, with out fighting a single
battle. Another reason for Caesar’s success as a General was that he was
beloved by his troops, they were fiercely loyal to him and would easily put
their life on the line for their commander. Caesar did this by leading by
example, as seen with his relentless pursuit of Pompey.

He marched so fast that he left all his army behind
him, except six hundred chosen horse and five
legions, with which he put to sea in the very middle
of winter, about the beginning of the month of
January (which corresponds pretty nearly with the
Athenian month Posideon), and having passed the
Ionian Sea, took Oricum and Apollonia, and then
sent back the ships to Brundusium, to bring over
the soldiers who were left behind in the march.

They, while yet on the march, their bodies now no
longer in the full vigour, and they themselves
weary with such a multitude of wars, could not but
exclaim against Caesar, “When at last, and where,
will this Caesar let us be quiet? He carries us from
place to place, and uses us as if we were not to be
worn out, and had no sense of labour. Even our
iron itself is spent by blows, and we ought to have
some pity on our bucklers, and breastplates, which
have been used so long. Our wounds, if nothing
else, should make him see that we are mortal men
whom he commands, subject to the same pains and
sufferings as other human beings. The very gods
themselves cannot force the winter season, or
hinder the storms in their time; yet he pushes
forward, as if he were not pursuing, but flying
from an enemy.” So they talked as they marched
leisurely towards Brundusium. But when they
came thither, and found Caesar gone off before
them, their feelings changed, and they blamed
themselves as traitors to their general. They now
railed at their officers for marching so slowly, and
placing themselves on the heights overlooking the
sea towards Epirus, they kept watch to see if they
could espy the vessels which were to transport
them to Caesar.3
Caesar pushed his troops hard, but he pushed himself even harder, the
example he set for his troops was a key factor in the success of his armies.

The loyalty and love for Caesar that his troops had for him can also bee seen
at the Battle of Dryyrachium when he was far outnumbered by Pompey’s
legions.

Caesar, collecting his soldiers together, told them
that Corfinius was coming up to them with two
legions, and that fifteen cohorts more under
Calenus were posted at and Athens; he then asked
him whether they would stay till these joined them,
or would hazard the battle by themselves. They all
cried out to him not to wait, but on the contrary to
do whatever he could to bring about an
engagement as soon as possible.4
His soldiers would wage battle even if the odds were not in their favor, just
so they could win glory for their beloved Caesar. Caesar’s tactics as a
general were astounding, he controlled perhaps the greatest army in Roman
history with an iron fist and he still managed to win their love and loyalty.

This no doubt was a large part of Caesar’s formula for success.

Perhaps Caesar’s biggest reason for success in the civil war against
Pompey, was Pompey himself. Pompey was not the military mastermind, he
was believed to be. True, he did have military glory, but they were not of his
own making. He would take a command at the end of a campaign that had
already been waged by someone else and steal their thunder and keep it for
himself. As seen with the campaign against Spartacus, Crassus had already
defeated the slaves, but Pompey came in at the end to mop up some of the
remaining rebels and was credited for the entire campaign. This can also be
seen with the campaign against Mithridates, Pompey again came in at the end
after Luccullus had already won the war, but Pompey was again credited
with the victory.5 Pompey was not capable of the job bestowed upon him by
the senate, to save Rome from Caesar. It was apparent at the beginning of
the war that Pompey was no match for Caesar, when Caesar crossed the
Rubicon Pompey declared Rome to be in a state of anarchy and fled the city
first then Italy all together. Rome was in complete chaos, as described by
Plutarch. “It was a melancholy thing to see the city tossed in these tumults,
like a ship given up by her pilots, and left to run, as chance guides her, upon
any rock in her way.”6 This questionable decision by Pompey gave Caesar
control of the centre of the Roman universe and gave Caesar the advantage.

Pompey ineptness as a general can be seen again in the Battle of Dyrrachium,
Pompey had Caesar routed and could have delivered the final blow, but
instead retreated, allowing Caesar to fight another day. “Caesar, upon seeing
his withdrawal, said to his friends, ‘The victory to-day had been on the
enemies’ side if they had a general who knew how to gain it.’ ”7 If Caesar
had to face another, more skilled general, in the civil war he might not have
won the war and history would have different face altogether. But because of
Pompey’s less than desirable generalship, Caesar was able to win the civil
war and gain absolute power over Rome.

The Roman civil war which pitted Caesar against Pompey was one of
the most monumental civil wars in history, its outcome changed Rome from a
Republic to an Empire. From the onset of the war it appeared that Pompey
had the considerable advantage over Caesar, but Caesar was able to turn to
the tides of favor in his direction by using masterful techniques of diplomacy,
his genius in military strategy, and Pompey’s ineptness as a military
commander. One of the unusual characteristics of this civil war is that the
key player’s in the war, Pompey and Caesar, both didn’t want it to happen,
they were both pushed into it by the power hungry Senate. Caesar had two
options, disband his army and most certainly be killed by his opponents or
not disband his army and fight a civil war. When Caesar defeated Pompey at
Pharsalus he was not happy, but rather upset. “When Caesar, when he came
to view Pompey’s camp, and saw some of his opponents dead upon the
ground, others dying, said, with a groan, ‘This they would have; they brought
me to this necessity. I, Caius Caesar, after succeeding in so many wars, had
been condemned had I dismissed my army.’ ”8 Pompey on the other hand
was pushed into it by the Senate, if he did not go against Caesar he would
have been declared a traitor to the Republic as well. It was either do or die
for both men. Who was the superior General Pompey or Caesar? Caesar.