Battle of Dyrrhachium (48 BC)

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Battle of Dyrrhachium

Date	July 10, 48 BC
Location	Dyrrhachium (today Durrës)
Result	Optimates victory

Combatants

Optimates

Populares

Commanders

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus

Gaius Julius Caesar

Strength

45,000

15,000

Casualties

Unknown

1,000

Caesar's Civil War
Massilia (land) – Ilerda – Massilia (naval) – Utica – Bagradas River – Dyrrhachium – Pharsalus – Ruspina - Thapsus – Munda

The Battle of Dyrrachium (or Dyrrhachium) on 10 July 48 BC was one of a series of contests between Gaius Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus that ended with Pompey's defeat in the Battle of Pharsalus a month later; however, at Dyrrachium Caesar was fortunate to escape disaster.

Caesar had been victorious against Pompey in Spain, but his lieutenants fared less well in Africa and around the Adriatic Sea. So he decided to attack Pompey directly, and brought 15,000 of his troops (among them legions later known as VIIII Hispana and IIII Macedonica) from Spain to Brundisium in Italy, and thence across the Adriatic to Epirus, landing there on 4 January 48 BC. Caesar occupied Oricum and Apollonia.

Moving north towards Dyrrhachium in today's Albania, he discovered Pompey entrenched there with an army of 45,000. Pompey saw no reason to risk a battle, since his fleet controlled the Adriatic, and Caesar's troops went hungry in the spring of 48, although eventually reinforcements arrived with Marcus Antonius.

Finally Caesar tried to surround Pompey in Dyrrhachium and squeeze his forces, but Pompey was able to cave in the right of Caesar's line. This broke the morale of Caesar's troops and they started to rout, despite personal efforts by Caesar himself to stop them. Instead of charging and obliterating Caesar's army, though, Pompey ordered a halt down his lines, assuming that Caesar's veteran soldiers would never break and that Caesar was setting a trap. Caesar had not set a trap, though, and was lucky to survive, saying, "Today the victory had been the enemy's had there been any one among them to gain it."

Caesar withdrew towards Thessaly and Pompeius decamped to follow him, which ended up leading to the Battle of Pharsalus.