Kate Tiffany
Honors 141
September 24, 2002
Caesar's Alexandrian Campaign
I. Background
A. Civil War with Pompey
i. Pharsalus
a. dictator for a year
ii. Journey to Alexandria
a. Troy, Ephesus, Rhodes
iii. Alexandria
B. Rulers Instated by Caesar
i. Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra- Egypt
ii. Ptolemy XIV and Arsinoe- Cyprus
II. War
A. City Besieged
i. Ptolemy imprisoned
ii. Army led by Arsinoe
iii. Release of Ptolemy
B. Water Supply
C. Harbor- fire
i. Library
D. The Pharos
i. Heptastadion mole
E. Mithridates and auxiliary troops
i. Cilicia and Syria, collecting troops (3,000 Jewish troops)
ii. Battle of the Nile
a. Capture of Arsinoe, and death of Ptolemy
F. Victory- March 27, 47 BC
III. Afterwards
A. Cruise down the Nile
B. Legions left with Cleopatra- Rufio
C. June 14, 47-Cicero writes that Caesar hasn't written a letter
to Rome since December 13, 48.
IV. Sources
Caesar- Alexandrian
Campaign web site 1996 by Bruce J. Butterfield
Meier, Christian. Caesar: A Biography. Basic Books, 1982;
NY.
Gelzer, Matthias. Caesar Politician and Statesman. Harvard
University Press, 1968; Cambridge, MA. Pg
Fowler, Warde. Julius Caesar. The Knickerbocker Press, 1900;
NY.
Plutarch. Life of Caesar
Summary:
Stephanie Will
Summary: Caesar’s Alexandrian Campaign
During Caesar’s Civil War with Pompey, Caesar’s consulship
in Rome was coming to a close. If he did not run for office again,
he would lose the army and his ability to wage war on Pompey, but
if he left his military campaign it would fail. But due to his popularity
in Rome, he was appointed dictator for a year by the Senate and
continued to chase Pompey around the Mediterranean, collecting tributes
in cities such as Troy, Ephesus, and Rhodes. Then on October 2,
he landed in Alexandria with 2 legions, 800 horses, and 3,200 troops.
In Egypt, Cleopatra VII and her brother Ptolemy XIII were fighting
their own civil war. Caesar swept in and made Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra
sovereigns of Egypt and Arsinoe and Ptolemy XIV in charge of Cyprus.
But it did not settle well. Pothinus brought Ptolemy XIII’s
army back from Pelusum and besieged Alexandria for six months. Ptolemy
was captured and released only to later drown during the Battle
of the Nile, where Arsinoe was also captured. His troops burned
Egyptian ships in the harbor, which, unfortunately led to the burning
of the Alexandrian library after buildings on land had caught fire.
There was a battle fought for the control of the Pharos; whoever
controlled the lighthouse, controlled the harbor. Caesar literally
had to jump from his ship and swim to shore to save his life. Mithridates
brought auxiliary troops in to help Caesar in the war, most all
mercenaries who were offered incentives to come and fight for Rome.
They defeated Ptolemy and Arsinoe’s army on March 27, 47 BC.
After the war, Caesar and Cleopatra took their journey down the
Nile and Caesar left troops in Alexandria for safekeeping. His detachment
from Rome during this period was something that began to worry all
the Senators.