Siege of Brundisium
Siege of Brundisium | |
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Part of Brundisium, Italia, Roman Republic 40°38′00″N 17°56′00″E / 40.6333°N 17.9333°E | |
Result | Caesarian victory |
Territorial changes | Capture of Brundisium by Julius Caesar |
Gaius Caninius Rebilus
Lucius Scribonius Libo
Lucius Manlius Torquatus
Legio XII
Legio XIII
3 freshly levied legions
The siege of Brundisium was an early military confrontation of
Background
Escalating tensions over the previous decade between
Prelude
Upon hearing the news of the defeat at Corfinium Pompey marched his men from his base in
Caesar had immediately broken camp once the siege of Corfinium was completed and headed south into Apulia to pursue Pompey, passing through the lands of the Marrucini, the Frentani, and the Larinati. The praetor Lucius Manlius Torquatus managed to flee Alba Fucens and reach Pompey with 6 cohorts, while another praetor Lucius Rutilius Lupus was intercepted leaving Tarracina with 3 cohorts by Caesar's cavalry commanded by Bivius Curius. During his march south Caesar managed to recruit several cohorts to his cause. Pompey's chief-engineer, Cnaeus Magius, was captured and sent along to Brundisium with the message that Caesar wished for an audience with Pompey where the two could more easily settle their differences than via messengers.[3]
Siege
Caesar arrived at Brundisium on 9 March 49 BC with a total of 3 veteran legions (Legio VIII, Legio XII and Legio XIII) along with 3 freshly levied legions. Pompey remained within the city with the equivalent of 2 legions.[4] He had been overseeing a massive logistical operation which involved requisitioning merchant vessels so that the vast majority of his forces, and most of the prominent senators who had accompanied him, had already been transferred across the Adriatic to Epirus in Greece.[5] Unsure of whether Pompey intended to stay at Brundisium and retain a foothold in Italy, from which to better exert control over both the peninsula and the Adriatic, or whether he was simply waiting for the remainder of his men to be evacuated Caesar resolved to besiege the city and cut off Pompey's communication lines in the event that the former was true. His plan of action was to build two mounds of dirt on each side of the harbour outside the city, then across the expanse of water would be anchored a number of double-floats. These floats would be thirty feet wide and covered with dirt so as to make them more easily defensible. On every fourth float there was to be constructed a two-storey high defensive turret as well as at either end of the structure.[6]
In response to this Pompey gathered boats from the harbour, erected his own three-storey high turrets upon them, and equipped them with siege engines so that he might be able to harry Caesar's defences. To this end a number of skirmishes occurred between the opposing sides, mainly using missiles, as Pompey's men tried to break through the floats and disrupt the construction work.[7]
Still believing there was a chance that Pompey would step back and hold peace negotiations, Caesar claims he approached hostilities in a solely defensive manner. He had been surprised that Pompey had not answered his previous request for a meeting, but nonetheless sent Gaius Caninius Rebilus to meet with one of Pompey's men named Lucius Scribonius Libo. Rebilus' task was to convince Libo, who was a close personal friend of his, to arrange a meeting between Caesar and Pompey where a peace could be negotiated. The answer that Pompey gave Libo was that any such negotiations would be impossible as neither of the serving consuls were present to oversee them. Caesar took this to mean that the opportunity for a peaceful settlement at Brundisium was over and so he began more aggressive action.[7]
After nine days, and at around the time where Caesar's flotilla was halfway complete, Pompey's transport fleet returned from
The people of Brundisium, apparently irritated by Pompey's and his men's attitude while within the city along with his disruptive defensive works, signalled to Caesar from the tops of houses once they realised that Pompey had left the city. Caesar received these signals and immediately ordered his men to prepare siege-ladders for a storming of the walls. As night fell, Pompey set off with his fleet. As they were scaling the walls Caesar's men were warned by the disgruntled residents of the many traps and fortifications which had been thrown up within them, and were then guided around the perimeter of the city to where the port lay.[10]
Using some of the small boats left in the port Caesar's men were able to capture two of Pompey's ships, along with all of the men on board, which had run up against one of the fortified mounds of dirt.[10] The rest of Pompey's fleet successfully bypassed Caesar's construction works and set a course for Dyrrachium.[11][12]
Aftermath
By capturing Brundisium Caesar now had control of the entirety of
On his way to Hispania, Caesar took the opportunity to return to
The state treasury (or Aerarium) located in the Temple of Saturn was raided to pay for the considerable army Caesar now possessed. A violent scene during which Caesar threatened to kill a dissenting tribune if he did not stand aside culminated in the treasury doors being broken down by his soldiers. The poet Lucan commented wryly that "for the first time Rome was poorer than a Caesar".[18]
Before he departed Caesar took the time to assign duties to his various commanders;
As he headed west, Caesar would encounter his old rival Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus who would again be defeated at the siege of Massilia.[21]
Pompey's legates would conduct themselves poorly in the upcoming campaign against Caesar where he would gain a decisive win at the Battle of Ilerda.[22]
References
- ISBN 1-84603-002-1.
- ISBN 978-0-300-12048-6.
- ^ a b Caesar, De Bello Civili, I, 24
- ISBN 1-84603-002-1.
- ISBN 978-0-300-12048-6.
- ^ Caesar, De Bello Civici, I, 25
- ^ a b Caesar, De Bello Civici, I, 26
- ^ Frontinus, Strategemata, I, 5.5
- ^ Caesar, De Bello Civici, I, 27
- ^ a b Caesar, De Bello Civici, I, 28
- ^ Dio, Roman History, XLI, 12.3
- ISBN 978-0415747332.
- ^ Caesar, De Bello Civici, I, 29
- ISBN 978-0-300-12048-6.
- ISBN 978-0-300-12048-6.
- ^ Plutarch, Life of Caesar, 35.4, 35.5
- ISBN 978-0-300-12048-6.
- ^ Lucan, Pharsalia, III, 190
- ISBN 1-84603-002-1.
- ISBN 978-0-300-12048-6.
- ISBN 978-0-300-12048-6.
- ISBN 978-0-300-12048-6.