Page:Light and truth.djvu/200

198 The battle of Pharsalia was fought by Pompey against Cæsar the Great, about 4S years B. C. Caesar, in his attempt to deprive Pompey of his government, entered Rome before him, and had time to collect an army, with many of the Senate. lie immediately left Rome, and marched directly to attack Pompey's lieutenants, who were in Spain Scipio and Cato. Having subdued them, and being in the mean time appointed dictator, and soon after consul, he had the right of acting in the name of the republic.

By this time, Pompey had raised a numerous army of Roman citizens to oppose Cæsar by force of arms. Cæsar was anxious to bring him to an engagement. He met him in the field of Pharsalia, and entirely defeated his army. Fifteen thousand were slain, and twenty-four thousand surrendered themselves prisoners; and Pompey, who had been chosen the Roman consul, and was engaged in wars on account of the republic, after conquering various countries, was forced to flee into Egypt, and was slain by Ptolemy the king. This deed was effected by Ptolemy, in order to con- ciliate the favor of Cæsar, the enemy of Pompey.

How happy would it have been for him to have died in that sickness, when all Italy was putting up vows and prayers for his safety! or, if he had fallen by the chance of war, on the plains of Pharsalia, in the defence of his country's liberty, he had died still glorious, though unfortunate; but, as if he had been referred for an example of the instability of human greatness, he, who a few days before commanded kings and consuls, and all the noblest of Rome, was sentenced to die by a council of slaves; murdered by a base deserter; cast out naked and headless on the Egyptian strand; and when the whole earth, as Velleius says, had scarce been sufficient for his victories, could not find a spot upon it at last for a grave. His body was burnt on the shore by one of his freedmen, with the planks of an old fishing boat; and his ashes, being conveyed to Rome, were deposited privately, by his wife Cornelia, in a vault by his Alban villa. The Egyptians however raised a monument to him on the place, and adorned it with figures of brass, which, being defaced afterwards by time, and buried almost in sand and rubbish, was sought out, and restored by the Emperor Hadrian. [Middleton.]