The Civil War

An extraordinary account of the Great Roman Civil War, this work relates the years of battles and brilliant strategies that led to the beginning of the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great were widely known as two of the greatest generals ever to have lived in Rome, and their four-year struggle for supremacy is one of the biggest political and military conflicts in recorded history. While these two men had united to gain vast amounts of territory under the power of Rome, they turned against one another in 49 BC, initiating a war that pitted legion against legion in Italy, Greece, Hispania, Africa, and Egypt in a vicious civil war. Though the armies were evenly matched, the Roman Republic came to an end when Caesar's military genius and luck made him victorious. After defeating Pompey and his conservative faction of Optimates, Caesar became the Perpetual Dictator of Rome, which led to a change in government that lasted for the next five centuries. A remarkable historical document, "The Civil War" brings to life all of the hostilities and campaigns of unparalleled commanders, and all of the enormous political ramifications that followed for the people of Rome and the ancient world.