Now Caesar was thus
employed. But Pompeius, who was examining the order of battle from his
horse, observing that the enemy were quietly awaiting in their ranks
the moment of attack, and the greater part of his own army was not
still, but was in wavelike motion through want of experience and in
confusion, was alarmed lest his troops should be completely separated
at the beginning of the battle, and he commanded the front ranks to
stand with their spears presented, and keeping their ground in compact
order to receive the enemy's attack. But Caesar finds fault[372] with
this generalship of Pompeius; for he says that he thus weakened the
force of the blows which a rapid assault produces; and the rush to
meet the advancing ranks, which more than anything else fills the mass
of the soldiers with enthusiasm and impetuosity in closing with the
enemy, and combined with the shouts and running increases the
courage--Pompeius, by depriving his men of this, fixed them to the
ground and damped them. On Caesar's side the numbers were twenty-two
thousand; on the side of Pompeius the numbers[373] were somewhat more
than double.
LXX.[374] And now, when the signal was given on both sides, and the
trumpet was beginning to urge them on to the conflict, every man of
this great mass was busy in looking after himself; but a few of the
Romans, the best, and some Greeks who were present, and not engaged in
the battle, as the conflict drew near, began to reflect to what a
condition ambition and rivalry had brought the Roman State.
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