Battle of Pharsalus
48 BCE · Greece
The Battle of Pharsalus was fought in 48 BCE in Greece between Caesar's forces vs the forces of Pompey and the Roman Senate; decisive Caesarian victory; Pompey fled to Egypt and was murdered.
Battle of Pharsalus: quick facts
- Date
- 48 BCE
- Location
- Greece
- Belligerents
- Caesar's forces vs the forces of Pompey and the Roman Senate
- Commanders
- Julius Caesar vs Pompey the Great
- Result
- decisive Caesarian victory; Pompey fled to Egypt and was murdered.
- Era
- 🏺 Ancient Greece & Rome
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Pharsalus?
Caesar's veteran legions faced Pompey's numerically superior army in the decisive battle of their civil war. Caesar placed a hidden fourth line of infantry to counter Pompey's cavalry, which routed after the unexpected attack. Pompey fled to Egypt where he was murdered. The victory made Caesar the undisputed master of the Roman Republic and set the stage for the fall of the Republic.
Did you know?
Before Pharsalus, Caesar ordered his infantry to use their javelins to stab at the faces of Pompey's aristocratic young cavalry, knowing they would flinch to protect their looks. The tactic worked perfectly.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Pharsalus on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.