by a parallel route into Macedonia, and the two were again face to face. Pompey knew that he ought still to play a waiting game; but he lacked firmness to resist the urgency of his associates, who were elated with the victory which had been gained, and thought themselves now in a position to crush Cæsar at once.[1] Pompey had indeed performed wonders in raising and training in a single year an army which had held its own, so far, with credit. But his success came to an end, as soon as he allowed his own judgment to be overborne by the clamours of the ignorant Nobles. His troops required every advantage which consummate generalship could give them; they were not fit for a soldier's battle on fair ground with the veteran legions of Gaul, and the day of Pharsalia ended Aug., 48 B.C.in their utter overthrow. Pompey fled to Egypt where he was immediately murdered by order of the ministers of the boy-king who had succeeded his father "the Piper."
In spite of great military talents and in spite of honest but clumsy efforts to do his duty, Pompey's life had been a failure, because he aspired to guide the politics of his country without any political principles to carry into effect and without any party to which to be loyal. The errors of the statesman entailed the ruin of the soldier, and fate denied him even a soldier's grave. It was given to one of the petty Eastern Courts, so long the creatures of Pompey's will, to extinguish a personality which ever since the death of Sulla had occupied the fore-- ↑ Plutarch, Pomp., 67.
