Page "Battle of Pharsalus" Paragraph 6

Pompey was camped in a strong position just south of Dyrrhachium with the sea to his back and surrounded by hills, making a direct assault impossible.

Caesar ordered a wall to be built around Pompey's position in order to cut off water and pasture land for his horses.

Pompey built a parallel wall and in between a kind of no man's land was created, with fighting comparable to the trench warfare of World War I.

Finally the standoff was broken by a traitor in Caesar's army, who informed Pompey of a weakness in Caesar's wall.

Pompey immediately exploited this information and forced Caesar's army into a full rout, but ordered his army not to pursue, fearing Caesar's reputation for setting elaborate traps.

This caused Caesar to remark, " The day was theirs had there been anyone among them to take it.

" Pompey continued his strategy of mirroring Caesar's forces and avoiding any direct engagements.

After trapping Caesar in Thessaly, the prominent Senators in Pompey's camp began to argue loudly for a more decisive victory.

Although Pompey was strongly against it-he wanted to surround and starve Caesar's army instead-he eventually gave in and accepted battle from Caesar on a field near Pharsalus.