Caesar's General by Alex Gough

Author:Alex Gough
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2024-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

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Antony was in command of the Eighth and Ninth legions, but they had been so badly mauled at Dyrrhachium, they amounted to little more than a single full-strength legion. They were champing at the bit, however, desperate to avenge the dishonour of that defeat. Experienced veterans all, they had been tempered in battle after battle under Caesar, and feared no one. Antony, too, was supremely confident, though part of him knew they were facing severe odds. The Caesarian infantry numbered just over twenty thousand, against Pompeian forces double that size. But it was in cavalry that Pompey truly dominated, with their spies estimating around seven thousand horse to Caesar’s one thousand. There were veterans of the disaster at Carrhae on both sides of this conflict, who had witnessed how cavalry superiority could be used to destroy an army composed predominantly of infantry. Antony himself had commanded cavalry to great effect in Syria and Britannia. Still, overall, Pompey’s army was an inexperienced mishmash of legionaries and light infantry, and you only had to look at Alexander or Hannibal to realise that discipline, experience and great generalship could overcome numerical superiority.

The men were pulling up the stakes that made the palisade around their camp, extracting the nails that held the wooden buildings together, stuffing their backpacks with their kit, all in good humour, enjoying the unusually relaxed pace of their labours. Antony stood with Caesar, who was looking west towards Pompey’s camp intently, eyes narrowed. The sun was only just over the horizon, and it cast long shadows in the direction of the enemy, but illuminated the foothills where Pompey was stationed in an orange glow.

‘Anything?’ he asked Antony.

Antony squinted, striving to make out any detail at that distance.

‘I think… maybe. Yes. They are marching out.’

Caesar nodded. ‘Now we will see if they will just array themselves in defensive formation on the slope once more, or if they will seize this opportunity to force a result. It would be much to Pompeius’ advantage if he could defeat me in Greece and avoid a war on Italian soil.’

He turned to Antony. ‘You know the victor of this conflict will be greater than Sulla ever was. Unlimited power is at stake here.’

Antony nodded, and a chill went down his spine. He wasn’t sure if it was excitement or trepidation at that thought. He looked out towards Pompey’s position again.

‘They are at the bottom of the slope,’ he said. ‘They aren’t stopping. They are marching onto the plain.’

Caesar’s lips pressed together in a tight smile.

‘Let battle commence.’

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