XII. Caesar and Pompey

Driven by the bitter wind, the twenty-eight blade pulp battleship sailed fast, the sharp bow split the blue water, and the thirty-five ships dragged out thirty-five white ribbons on the sea, which was really magnificent if viewed from the air.

On the sturdiest and most massive flagship, a fifty-year-old man dressed in a Roman senator's purple-trimmed "toga" held the eagle flag on the bow of the ship, representing the glory of the Romans, while touching his chin and squinting at the distant horizon, silent for a long time.

Although his resolute face is quite old, and most of the hair on his head is bald, his long-trained physique is still vigorous and powerful, and his straight figure also shows no signs of embarrassment, and in those eyes that are introverted, there is a burning ambition to conquer heaven and earth!

Is he Gaius? Julius? Caesar, the current dictator of Rome, the chief high priest of the Temple of Jupiter in Rome, the descendant of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, the conqueror of Gaul, the terminator of the Roman Republic, the invincible super-general, and the strongest shijie of the contemporary West!

Although he was not officially crowned in Rome until his death, many later historians respectfully referred to him as Julius Caesar.

Many subsequent European kings also used his name "Caesar" as their official or unofficial honorific title - from Augustus to Constantine, from Charlemagne to Napoleon, from the Russian Tsar to the science fiction Emperor of the Galaxy (the stalk of "The Legend of the Galactic Heroes").

At this moment, Caesar, who is over fifty years old. Just had the most glorious victory of a lifetime.

- In the miraculous Battle of Pharsalus, he decisively defeated the most formidable opponent of his life, Gnaeus? Pompey. It has basically established its undisputed hegemony within the Mediterranean.

However, Caesar's enemies, the Roman republicans, have not yet bowed their heads and conceded defeat, and the brutal Roman Civil War is far from over.

At present, more than 10,000 remnants of the republican army, led by Cato the Younger and Pompey the Younger, have successfully withdrawn from Macedonia. They are gathering in the old Carthage region of North Africa in preparation for the next round of the mortal battle with Caesar.

Pompey, who escaped from the battlefield of Pharsalus, also continued to flee in the eastern Mediterranean. Trying to regroup and fight again.

The most important thing is that Rome's colonies, vassals, and allies in the eastern Mediterranean are still not under Caesar's control at this time.

It is clear that Caesar will not allow these old rivals to revivenation. The Battle of Pharsalus had just ended. He didn't care about resting at all. He handed over the main force to Antony, and he himself pursued Pompey with a small army of all, and followed the former ally through the Aegean Sea, playing an exciting game of cat and mouse hunt - from Greece to Silesia, from Pergamon to Antioch, from Rhodes to Crete...... In just over a month, the fugitives and pursuers have traveled almost around the Eastern Mediterranean.

Under such a stubborn tailgating pursuit. Pompey was chased so that he had no time to gather the rest and catch his breath, but people kept falling behind and leaving the team. And all over Asia that surrounds the Eastern Mediterranean. Seeing this, they all opened the gates to Caesar and announced their surrender.

In general, the vast Asian territory of the Roman Republic, and the various departments under Caesar's command were at present almost without a fight, and the situation was very good.

However, in the course of this hunt, in order to recover and control Rome's Asian possessions one by one, it was necessary to garrison various important cities, and Caesar's legions became smaller and smaller. After he sent his henchman, General Demetrius, to lead three legions to Asia Minor, Caesar himself was left with only a disgruntled Sixth Legion, with a total of 3,200 infantry and 800 cavalry.

Caesar stuffed the small remaining force into thirty-five ships and set sail from Rhodes Island, once again embarking on the long journey in pursuit of Pompey.

On the other hand, after the news of the defeat at the Battle of Pharsalus, the various allies in Asia closed their doors, and the hapless Pompey could not find a place to stay.

In desperation, he had no choice but to flee to Egypt under the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty, believing that it was the most reliable place to flee - because Pompey was not only the closest political ally of the fallen Egyptian king Ptolemy XII, but also sent troops from the Syrian garrison to help the former king put down the rebellion and regain the throne, and specially left a Roman legion in Alexandria to help the Ptolemaic family maintain their kingdom. Legally, Pompey was even the guardian of the current king, Ptolemy XIII, and had the power to "administer" the kingdom.

And before Caesar led the fleet to pull anchor and sail out of Rhodes, he also learned from the sentinels in Cyprus that Pompey had fled to Egypt.

As a result, this game of cat and mouse hunting continued from Asia to Africa.

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Regardless of the era, after a boring voyage, sailors and passengers on board will always look forward to going ashore for recreation.

At this time, according to the guide, there was less than half a day's voyage to Alexandria, which made the people on board much more happy, and they talked about their plans after going ashore.

Even the overseers below deck seemed to be quite kind to the slave sailors. Several of the overseers all tied their whips to their waists and no longer swung them in the air. The rhythm of the drummers beating the drums is also very soft, and the relaxed tone is like the cheerful music of a carnival banquet.

- Previously, all the port cities on the coast of Asia had behaved with great trepidation and hospitality when Caesar came.

To this day, almost everyone in the fleet felt that the Egyptians in Alexandria would not have had the courage to oppose Caesar.

This lazy and leisurely atmosphere was inevitably transmitted to Caesar.

So, he turned away. He motioned to his lieutenant, Falaus, to pour himself a glass of wine. Unfortunately, as soon as the wine was in his mouth, Caesar couldn't help frowning, then turned around and spit out the side of the ship.

“…… Phew! This wine seems to have gone some sour! Faraus! Go to my bedroom. I remember having a few good bottles of wine under the bed! ”

“…… This one...... My lord, this bottle of wine was taken from under your bed. ”

The adjutant hesitated, but Zuihou decided to tell the truth, "...... No way, the weather in Egypt is too hot, plus the previous storm...... It's not that the wine on the ship is leaking, but it smells a little weird......"

“…… Case. Let the soldiers and sailors divide the rest of the wine! Caesar waved his hand a little displeased, "...... When we arrived in Alexandria, we brought a batch of good wine from the court of the King of Egypt on board! ”

Thereupon. The remaining wine urns on the ship were also opened one by one, and the water of the slightly spoiled but still drinkable wine was given to each soldier, and even the rowing slaves were given a small glass, and everyone was smiling for a while.

And the bow pointed ahead. The famous lighthouse on the island of Pharos towers into the sky. It has also quietly emerged at the end of the water level.

“…… My lord, the weather is nice today, I can already see the buoy! ”

An old seaman who had been to Alexandria pointed to a piece of colored cork floating on the surface of the sea and said excitedly, "...... Continue along this route and you'll be in Alexandria! ”

Next, including Caesar. All the Romans of the entire fleet were almost intoxicated by the unique exoticism of Alexandria:

- Magnificent bronze gates, palm trees, intricate palaces, and dotted gardens. Colourful mosaics, glittering statues and carriages, colourful plaster columns, bustling market bars and the huge lighthouse on the island of Pharos are impressive...... The city is truly luxurious, magnificent, and truly dizzying.

Between the island of Pharos and the land of the Nile Delta, where the lighthouse sits, stands a long white marble causeway. It is a sturdy sea-crossing bridge, made of solid, translucent marble, except for two arches in the middle for the passage of ships. The arches under the causeway were wide and tall enough for Caesar's fleet to pass through easily.

However, as Caesar's fleet had just arrived near Pharos and was about to slow down through the marble causeway, there was a cacophony of distant wharfs, mixed with the faint sound of long bugles. Immediately afterwards, several warships, also bearing Roman eagle banners, emerged from the other side of the marble causeway through the arch, and then launched a battle formation in a menacing manner.

“…… That's Pompey's battleship! Pompey is here! Repeat! Pompey is here! ”

The lookouts on the mast shouted hoarsely, and the legionnaires, who had been lazy and lazy, as if they had been whipped at once, quickly grabbed their weapons, tightened their ballistas, and the archers were ready to shoot, while the unrelated personnel were hurried out of the bilge.

At first, Caesar's side was so confident that he even had time to reprimand the sailors, saying, "...... What are you panicking about? It's okay to be prepared. In the past, when Pompey had several times more troops than us, we were not afraid of him. Now that he's been beaten to a bare pole, do you still need to make such a fuss? ”

These words effectively comforted the morale of the army and boosted morale.

But then, as one after another warships flying the Roman eagle flag and the Egyptian Ptolemaic flag rushed out from behind the marble causeway, Caesar, who had always been afraid of heaven and earth, could not help but feel a little hesitant.

After fleeing all the way, Pompey should not have so many warships on hand. In this case, it can only be that he has mastered the Egyptian navy - from this jiashi, it seems that the Egyptians have been determined to defect to Pompey, so isn't the city full of enemies?

“…… My lord, it is not good for us to break out a naval battle here! Make a decision! His lieutenant, Falaus, also came over to persuade him.

- Caesar's ships at this time were mainly from merchant ships temporarily collected on the pursuit road, and the number of warships was very small.

Pompey's ships, on the other hand, were mostly purpose-built warships, and their power in naval battles was self-evident, even in broadside battles, they were stronger than Caesar's ships. What's more, Caesar's oarsmen had just gone through a long voyage and had exhausted their physical strength. And Pompey's oarsmen had just gone to sea. Full of energy.

In this case, the most conventional option, naturally, is to temporarily turn around and withdraw from the battlefield. Find a place to break anchor and recuperate, and then make a comeback.

However, Caesar, who has always been known for his boldness and adventure, obviously does not want to give up the bustling city in front of him, and is even more unwilling to roll up the flag and flee in front of his defeated general (Pompey).

“…… In that case, let's get ashore as soon as possible and let everyone climb to Pharos! ”

Despite the adjutant's dissuasion. He raised his short sword high and gave the order to the whole army, "...... Everybody's on orders! Turn the bow of the boat xiangyou! Get ready to beach! Just like when we landed in Britain! Crush Pompey's mourning dogs from land! Caesar will fight alongside you! ”

Accompanied by the commander-in-chief's crazy orders. Caesar's fleet immediately dodged the oncoming ship of Pompey like a suicidal whale and turned to crash into the beach of Pharos at the foot of the lighthouse.

Of these, only a handful of ships are able to dock at the piers of Pharos. All that remains is for the ship to lie as gently as possible between the mud and sand.

And then. Veterans of the Sixth Legion jumped waist-deep into the water, carrying heavy weapons and equipment, and trudged with difficulty towards the island.

However, Pompey's army, which had seized the city, also seemed to see the importance of Pharos Island, and had already deployed a squad of infantry on the island beforehand, using javelins and bows to block Caesar's army from going ashore, accompanied by the sound of a whooshing sound of breaking through the air. For a moment, the blinding blood almost stained the sea water.

But Caesar's men soon used the stranded ship as a platform of fire, also projecting bows and arrows and javelins. Ballistas were also used to throw stone projectiles to return fire. A small number of warships tried their best to maneuver around the sea with the overwhelming superiority of the enemy fleet and cover the landing of the cavalry and infantry on the transport ships.

Moments later, the attackers and defenders began to engage in hand-to-hand combat in the sea, and as the waves on both sides were too much to line up, the battle became a contest of courage and martial arts - after a short and tragic battle, Pompey's new men, hastily recruited on the way to escape, soon could not withstand the imposing attack of the Sixth Legion, and had to flee back to the lighthouse in disarray, allowing Caesar's army to set foot on dry land.

Immediately afterwards, Caesar left a small number of troops to monitor the enemy in the lighthouse, and then led the remaining 3,000 men, taking advantage of the fact that the enemy had not yet broken the causeway, rushed through the causeway connecting Pharos Island and Alexandria, and killed Pompey directly in front of Pompey, who was sitting in the royal palace.

Immediately, the entire prosperous and splendid Alexandria was plunged into a fierce battle between Caesar and Pompey, two groups of Romans.

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One evening in Zuihou in September of that year, in the wilderness outside Alexandria, the flag of Queen Cleopatra was finally erected.

And in front of her, the largest city on the coast of the Eastern Mediterranean, was plunged into an unprecedented catastrophe of blood and fire.

“…… This is the worst of all - what do the Romans think of my capital? Their own gladiatorial arena? ”

Looking at the raging fire that reflected the red sky, and the dense black smoke that was clearly distinguishable more than a dozen miles away, the Egyptian queen couldn't help but stomp her feet and curse.

For Queen Cleopatra, this is the worst possible situation.

- Not only did Pompey not die, but he also took advantage of the chaos to take over the Roman legions stationed in Egypt, turning Alexandria into a base for his counteroffensive against Caesar. And Caesar also did not show weakness and attacked decisively, taking advantage of Pompey's unstable foothold, he entered Alexandria in one fell swoop!

At this time, the two sides were fighting each other street by street in the downtown area of Alexandria, and they were wantonly setting fires. Due to the narrow terrain in the city, no one could make much progress - Caesar's command was still extraordinary, and he won tactical victories again and again, defeating Pompey's army many times in a row, but he could not attack the royal palace with difficult terrain, nor could he change the strategic dilemma of cutting off the logistical supply lines: his ships were either stranded on the reef or sunk and captured by Pompey's fleet, and the backup from the sea was cut off.

As a result, Caesar's soldiers had to make a living, like Hannibal on his expedition to Italy, by plundering grain in the city.

And Pompey's fortune was as bad as ever: he finally put Caesar in a rat trap, but he was still defeated again and again, and he was miserable. What's worse is that this time he didn't have a clear advantage in strength, and it was far more difficult to defeat Caesar than in the past.

If this situation continues, it will probably be a long time before the chaos in Alexandria will continue before the winner is decided.

To make matters worse for Queen Bixia, both Caesar and Pompey could easily call in a lot of foreign aid near Alexandria.

- Cato the Younger, with 10,000 of the most elite republican descendants, had just escaped from Macedonia by sea, and was now camped in Cyrenaica (today's Benghazi, Libya) not far away. If he had received news of Pompey's war in Egypt, he would have been able to come to the rescue in a few days.

Caesar also had three legions of mobile troops stationed in Silesia (roughly equivalent to the southwestern coast of modern-day Turkey), originally prepared to deal with the Pontus king Pharnassis who invaded from the northern Black Sea coast. But if the war situation on the Egyptian side is urgent, it can be transferred at any time.

A little further afield, Caesar was in Greece and Italy, and fifteen legions were currently under Antony's temporary management. Although it was impossible for him to empty all the remaining forces in his large rear and give others an opportunity to take advantage of them, it was still possible to mobilize ten legions to support the Egyptian battlefield.

On the other hand, the Republicans, who had just suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Pharsalus, still had a large force of ten legions in North Africa, and a naval fleet under Pompey the Younger, which could move their troops to Alexandria and launch a new decisive battle with Caesar.

Considering the armies of Roman vassal states such as the Kingdom of Numidia, the Kingdom of Judea, and the Kingdom of Pergamum, which may be involved in the war, as well as the Parthians who are also likely to come from the two rivers valley to join the army, Alexandria will really turn into a vigorous Shijie battlefield if it is not done well!

At that time, if the situation really develops to this point, no matter who wins or loses, at least the whole of Egypt will be crushed.

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PS: Musharraf in the previous chapter should have been changed to Mubarak, accidentally written incorrectly. (To be continued.) )