Publius Sittius and Caesar's Revenge

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Erich B. Anderson describes the fortunate alliance between Julius Caesar and a Roman knight and mercenary, Publius Sittius, who helped the dictator defeat his enemies in Africa once and for all.

A Roman garrison on the Nile, detail from a mosaic pavement, c.80 BCOn August 9th, 48 BC Julius Caesar defeated Gnaeus Pompeius on the plains of Pharsalus. Soon after, on September 28th, having fled to Egypt, Pompey was stabbed to death by two Roman officers who had previously served under him. The defeat and death of Pompey the Great were two devastating blows to the Roman senators who had sided with him in 50 BC, calling Caesar a traitor and sparking the great Roman Civil War. But the Pompeian faction was not entirely defeated. Several prominent men had escaped to Africa, including Metellus Scipio, Marcus Petreius, Lucius Afranius and Titus Labienus. With the support of Juba, the king of Numidia, Caesar’s enemies began to raise an army large enough not only to be able to take the African province, but potentially to march on and invade the Italian peninsula and seize Rome. Caesar needed to act quickly to secure his advantage.

After pursuing Pompey to Egypt, Caesar settled affairs there and then returned to Rome to regroup. Before his victory at Pharsalus he had been appointed as dictator in order to oversee elections in 48 BC. Back in Rome one of his priorities was to shore up his political power. Once the remaining senators had reappointed him dictator he left for Africa on December 25th with a single legion. In the following week five more legions arrived, though most of the soldiers had previously been recruited to fight for Pompey. Caesar needed his veteran soldiers to arrive, such as the 13th and 14th legions that remained in Spain after their victory over the Pompeian forces there before he had defeated Pompey himself. However the forces of the Senate also continued to grow and, with the support of Juba, their cavalry greatly outnumbered Caesar’s. The longer he waited the more vulnerable he would become to enemy raids and attacks.

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