FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1878   1879   1880   1881   1882   1883   1884   1885   1886   1887   1888   1889   1890   1891   1892   1893   1894   1895   1896   1897   1898   1899   1900   1901   1902  
1903   1904   1905   1906   1907   1908   1909   1910   1911   1912   1913   1914   1915   1916   1917   1918   1919   1920   1921   1922   1923   1924   1925   1926   1927   >>   >|  
t of the men began to mutiny; the Marsian recruits, who held such an infamy on the part of their general to be impossible, wished to fight against the mutineers; but they too were obliged reluctantly to believe the truth of the accusation, whereupon the whole garrison arrested their staff and handed it, themselves, and the town over to Caesar (20 Feb.). The corps in Alba, 3000 strong, and 1500 recruits assembled in Tarracina thereupon laid down their arms, as soon as Caesar's patrols of horsemen appeared; a third division in Sulmo of 3500 men had been previously compelled to surrender. Pompeius Goes to Brundisium Embarkation for Greece Pompeius had given up Italy as lost, so soon as Caesar had occupied Picenum; only he wished to delay his embarkation as long as possible, with the view of saving so much of his force as could still be saved. Accordingly he had slowly put himself in motion for the nearest seaport Brundisium. Thither came the two legions of Luceria and such recruits as Pompeius had been able hastily to collect in the deserted Apulia, as well as the troops raised by the consuls and other commissioners in Campania and conducted in all haste to Brundisium; thither too resorted a number of political fugitives, including the most respected of the senators accompanied by their families. The embarkation began; but the vessels at hand did not suffice to transport all at once the whole multitude, which still amounted to 25,000 persons. No course remained but to divide the army. The larger half went first (4 March); with the smaller division of some 10,000 men Pompeius awaited at Brundisium the return of the fleet; for, however desirable the possession of Brundisium might be for an eventual attempt to reoccupy Italy, they did not presume to hold the place permanently against Caesar. Meanwhile Caesar arrived before Brundisium; the siege began. Caesar attempted first of all to close the mouth of the harbour by moles and floating bridges, with a view to exclude the returning fleet; but Pompeius caused the trading vessels lying in the harbour to be armed, and managed to prevent the complete closing of the harbour until the fleet appeared and the troops--whom Pompeius with great dexterity, in spite of the vigilance of the besiegers and the hostile feeling of the inhabitants, withdrew from the town to the last man unharmed--were carried off beyond Caesar's reach to Greece (17 March). The further pursuit,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1878   1879   1880   1881   1882   1883   1884   1885   1886   1887   1888   1889   1890   1891   1892   1893   1894   1895   1896   1897   1898   1899   1900   1901   1902  
1903   1904   1905   1906   1907   1908   1909   1910   1911   1912   1913   1914   1915   1916   1917   1918   1919   1920   1921   1922   1923   1924   1925   1926   1927   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Caesar

 

Brundisium

 
Pompeius
 

harbour

 

recruits

 

embarkation

 

appeared

 

division

 

troops

 

wished


Greece

 
vessels
 
return
 

awaited

 
smaller
 
families
 

suffice

 

transport

 

pursuit

 

accompanied


including

 

respected

 

senators

 

multitude

 

divide

 

larger

 

remained

 

desirable

 

amounted

 
persons

managed

 

prevent

 
complete
 

closing

 

unharmed

 
caused
 

trading

 
carried
 

hostile

 
feeling

inhabitants

 

withdrew

 

besiegers

 
vigilance
 

dexterity

 

returning

 
exclude
 

permanently

 

presume

 
eventual