Raglan's Roman Civil Wars during the Age of Caesar (Hollywood Style)

[Lord Raglan]

The Rubicon’s Echo



The Tiber ran sluggish under winter’s breath, its banks swollen with rain and rumor. Rome held its breath. In the north, a storm gathered—not of thunder, but of marching feet and iron will.

Julius Caesar stood at the edge of the Rubicon, his cloak damp with mist, his thoughts heavier still. Behind him, Legio XIII Gemina waited, veterans of Gaul, eyes sharp, hearts steady. Before him lay Italy—his homeland, his prize, his peril.

“To cross,” he whispered, “is to cast the die.”

And so he did.

The Senate, once his ally, now branded him traitor. Pompey the Great, his former friend and son-in-law, had taken up the mantle of the Republic. He fled south, gathering legions, calling upon the old guard, the optimates, the men of tradition. Caesar moved swiftly, claiming cities without bloodshed, his name alone enough to open gates.

But war is never gentle.

In Dyrrhachium, Pompey struck hard. Caesar’s lines buckled, his supply faltered. Yet he did not break. He retreated, regrouped, and chose his ground—Pharsalus.

The morning of battle was quiet. Caesar’s men ate in silence, sharpening blades, whispering prayers. Across the field, Pompey’s army outnumbered them nearly two to one. Senators watched from gilded tents, confident in victory.

Caesar rode the line, his voice calm, his gaze fierce. “They fight for privilege,” he said. “We fight for survival.”

The clash was thunderous. Pompey’s cavalry surged, but Caesar had prepared—hidden reserves, flanking maneuvers, discipline honed by years of conquest. The tide turned. The Senate’s hopes drowned in blood and dust.

Pompey fled to Egypt, seeking refuge. He found a blade instead.

Rome was Caesar’s now—but peace would not come easily. The Republic was broken, and in its place rose something new, something imperial.

Major Campaigns:

•    Italy (49 BCE): Caesar swept through Italy with minimal resistance; Pompey fled to Greece.
•    Greece (48 BCE): After a setback at Dyrrhachium, Caesar won decisively at Pharsalus, despite being outnumbered. Pompey fled to Egypt and was assassinated.
•    Egypt & Asia Minor (47 BCE): Caesar intervened in Egyptian dynastic struggles, aligning with Cleopatra VII.
•    Africa (46 BCE): Caesar crushed the remnants of Pompey’s forces at Thapsus; Cato committed suicide.
•    Hispania (45 BCE): Final victory at Munda, defeating Pompey’s sons and Titus Labienus.

[Lord Raglan]

Caesar’s Civil Wars - Legio IX Hispana. The Caesarian 9th Legion fought in the battles of Dyrrhachium and Pharsalus 48 BC and in the African campaign 46 BC. After his final victory, Caesar disbanded the legion and settled the veterans in the area of Picenum.

[Lord Raglan]

Caesar’s Civil Wars - A Spanish Legionary Detachment loyal to Pompey the Great. During the civil war, temporary legions were created without specific names or numbers that are recorded in history.

[Lord Raglan]

Caesar’s Civil Wars - Legio V Vernacula (conjectural number and name). Another legion raised in Hispania to swell Pompey’s ranks.

[Emperorbaz]

Great to see you doing romans again! Very nice

[Rick]

You forgot to mention that the end of this era was his death in 44BC, with Rome still (in name at least) a republic. It would take a continuation of these civil wars, first against Caesar's killers, then amongst the ruling triumvirate before the Imperial era began in 27BC with Caesar Augustus. Basically the same civil war with different generals, from 49-27BC.

[Lord Raglan]

Such a great period, so much potential for us wargamers 👌