, he passed the Alps
again, and marched through Italy to Brundusium, where he arrived at the
time of the winter solstice. There he crossed the sea, and landed at
Oricum; from whence he dispatched Vibullius, one of Pompey's friends,
whom he had brought prisoner thither, with proposals of a conference
between him and Pompey, in which they should agree to disband their
armies within three days, renew their friendship, confirm it with solemn
oath, and then both return to Italy. Pompey took this overture for
another snare, and therefore drew down in haste to the sea, and secured
all the forts and places of strength for land forces, as well as all the
ports and other commodious stations for shipping; so that there was not
a wind that blew, which did not bring him either provisions, or troops,
or money. On the other hand, Caesar was reduced to such straits, both
by sea and land, that he was under the necessity of seeking a battle.
Accordingly, he attacked Pompey's intrenchments, and bade him defiance
daily. In most of these attacks and skirmishes he had the advantage; but
one day was in danger of losing his whole army. Pompey fought with
so much valor, that he put Caesar's whole detachment to flight, after
having killed two thousand men upon the spot; but was either unable or
afraid to pursue his blow, and enter their camp with them. Caesar said
to his friends on this occasion, "This day the victory had been the
enemy's had their general known how to conquer."

Pompey's troops, elated with this success, were in great haste to come
to a decisive battle. Nay, Pompey himself seemed to give in to their
opinions by writing to the kings, the generals, and cities, in his
interest, in the style of a conqueror. Yet all this while he dreaded the
issue of a general action, believing it much better, by length of time,
by famine and fatigue, to tire out men who had been ever invincible in
arms, and long accustomed to conquer when they fought together. Besides,
he knew the infirmities of age had made them unfit for the other
operations of war, for long marches and countermarches, for digging
trenches and building forts, and that, therefore, they wished for
nothing so much as a battle. Pompey, with all these arguments, found it
no easy matter to keep his army quiet.

After this last engagement, Caesar was in such want of provisions, that
he was forced to decamp, and he took his way through Athamania into
Thessaly. This added so much to the