Battle of Tapsus - The Last Chance to Save the Republic

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]While Caesar was besieged in Alexandria, he moved through Asia, calming his rebellious legions. While in Africa, the Pompeans were gathering their forces.

[00:00:11]Many aristocrats whom Caesar had released after his victory at Farsales, including Ko and Scipio, along with the Numidian king Juba, were assembling their army. This situation was far from ideal for Caesar. As long as Pompei's followers continued their resistance, the civil war, which had already greatly strained society and his army dragged on. Moreover, the African provinces were the main source of grain for the capital. And as long as they remained under enemy control, the Romans face supply issues, which in turn increase citizen discontent and diminish the prestige of the dictator Caesar himself.

[00:00:51]In December of 47 BC, Caesar launched a campaign against the Pompeans in Africa.

[00:00:57]He crossed over to Sicily and began gathering forces for the invasion. The weather was completely unfavorable for navigation with winter storms raging at sea. Despite the delay caused by the weather, Caesar's forces continued to grow. Gradually, he assembled six legions for the invasion of Africa, although five of them were made up of recruits. In addition to the infantry, about 2,000 cavalry men were gathered in Sicily.

[00:01:24]Overall, Caesar planned to transport an army of 10 legions to Africa. These were substantial forces, yet still smaller than those the Pompeans had already managed to assemble. According to intelligence reports, the Pompeans had 14 legions in their army, not counting a considerable number of Numidian cavalry and lightly armed infantrymen. and the recruitment of troops in Africa continued. Therefore, Caesar was eager to cross the Tunis Strait as swiftly as possible. Finally, on December 25th, 47 BC, the weather cleared. Caesar quickly gathered his troops, boarded them onto ships, and set sail for Africa.

[00:02:06]Unfortunately, a storm broke out at sea, scattering the entire invasion fleet along the African coast. It wasn't until the fourth day of sailing that Caesar managed to land with part of his forces near the city of Hadrammitum.

[00:02:21]At that point, Caesar had just over 3,000 infantrymen and 150 cavalry men.

[00:02:27]He didn't know where the rest of his troops were, and even more concerning was that he hadn't set a rendevous point in case anyone got left behind or lost.

[00:02:36]As a result, the ships scattered along the coast had no instructions on where to regroup with their leader. At that time, a Pompean garrison of 9,000 men was stationed in Hajitum. Caesar decided not to attack the city, but to secure a defensible position instead. He quickly set up camp near the city, right on the seashore. Neither on that day nor the next did reinforcements arrive. And to make matters worse, scouts reported the approach of a substantial contingent of Numidian cavalry. With his forces pressed against the sea and outnumbered by the enemy, Caesar found himself unable to withstand a potential large-scale assault from the combined forces of the Hadramitum garrison and the Numidian cavalry.

[00:03:21]Consequently, he resolved to retreat.

[00:03:23]Without delay, Caesar broke camp and led his army southward with all possible speed.

[00:03:30]As soon as they left the camp, the Pompeans along with the advancing Numidians launched an attack on the Cesarians during their march. Their aim was to force Caesar to engage in battle on open terrain, encircle his infantry with the Numidian cavalry composed mainly of archers, and gradually annihilate it. However, Caesar foiled their strategy. He deployed several cohorts of veterans to the rear guard while his cavalry persistently harried the advancing Numidians, forcing them to retreat intermittently. With the horsemen and veterans keeping the enemy at a safe distance, the rest of the army moved swiftly and without pause towards the nearby city of Rusbina.

[00:04:11]Caesar's modest force narrowly averted disaster. Yet his position remained precarious. The following day, after leaving a garrison in Ruspina and instructing the establishment of a camp near the city, he set out with part of his forces towards the city of Leptus.

[00:04:27]According to scouts, some ships from the storm scattered fleet had been cited there. Indeed, in Leptus, Caesar successfully reunited with the main body of his army. Many transports carrying provisions for the entire army were lost, either sunk during the storm or captured by the enemy. The area around Rusbina had already been heavily plundered by the Pompeans and most of the local men had been recruited into their forces resulting in a particularly poor harvest that year. Consequently, the issue of provisions and forage became critical. Caesar promptly issued orders to the territories under his control, instructing them to send supplies as swiftly as possible. He even considered boarding ships with part of his army to search for the lost transports.

[00:05:15]Fortunately, the next day, most of the ships thought to be lost along with their troops and supplies arrived at Rusbina and Leptus.

[00:05:24]Meanwhile, Titus Lienus, once Caesar's most trusted leot during the Golic War and now commander of the Pompeian cavalry and light forces, set up camp near the Cesarian encampment.

[00:05:36]Although he did not plan to attack Caesar directly, he aimed to keep an eye on his troop movements. Scipio along with the rest of the army and the Numidian king Juba intended to join him soon. In Udica, Marcus Porsches Kato overseeing the city frequently hosted banquetss attended by nearly all the Pompean leaders. At one such gathering, Ko admonished Pompy's son, pointing out that at his age, the elder Pompei had already achieved numerous feats, whereas the younger Nais Pompei had accomplished nothing. Stung by this rebuke, the young Pompei assembled a detachment of slaves and freed men and attempted an attack on Moritania. However, his small force was easily defeated by the Moritanian king Bulgood. Despite its apparent insignificance, this battle had a considerable impact on subsequent events. After all the Cesarian troops finally gathered in Ruspina, the urgent issue of securing forage supplies arose.

[00:06:37]Separate foraging parties were intercepted and destroyed by the everpresent Numidian cavalry. In response, Caesar ordered a large formation to head out for forge collection, consisting of 30 cohorts, 400 cavalry men, and 550 archers totaling over 9,000 soldiers.

[00:06:55]Practically his entire detachment was made up of recruits. When the detachment had moved only a few miles from the camp, scouts reported to Caesar that dense clouds of dust were visible on the horizon, indicating the approach of a large force. Caesar immediately began deploying his troops in an extended line, striving to maximize the front's width. On the flanks, he stationed his small cavalry with explicit orders to prevent encirclement. And in the front of the entire army, he positioned the archers. Soon, the adversary appeared, and at first, Caesar thought it was an entirely infantry-based army because of how densely packed it was. However, scouts soon reported that the enemy force was mainly cavalry with a significant number of light infantry.

[00:07:40]This was Caesar's first encounter with Numidian battle tactics where cavalry played the central role and the foot soldiers attacked with arrows and javelins, skillfully avoiding close combat. The Pompeian forces were under the command of Titus Lienus. His command included 12,000 lightly armed infantrymen, 8,000 mounted archers, and 1,600 heavy golic and Germanic cavalry.

[00:08:05]As a reserve, a detachment of 1500 troops followed under the leadership of Petraeus. Libyanus' army was quite capable of defeating Caesar, not only because of its numerical superiority, but also because the Pompeans were led by commanders as experienced as Caesar himself. Lebianis quickly led his forces into an attack. The Nidian cavalry advancing on the move easily scattered the Roman archers positioned at the front line. At the same time, the heavy golic cavalry attacked the Roman horsemen on the flank, sparking a fierce and bloody skirmish. The Numidian horsemen used their preferred tactic of sudden raids followed by quick retreats, bombarding the Romans with missiles from a safe distance and avoiding direct combat. Lebianus' light infantry also unleashed a barrage of spears and arrows on the Roman cohorts.

[00:08:59]After a brief but intense clash, the heavy cavalry of the Pompeans routed the smaller Cesarian cavalry and hit the flank of the Roman cohorts. With no resistance left, the Numidians quickly moved to the rear of Caesar's army, showering the legionaries with arrows and javelins from all directions.

[00:09:18]The situation was dire. All attempts by Caesar's supporters to engage in battle using Roman military tactics were futile. Whenever Romans tried to confront Pompei's forces, it would evade combat and retreat while arrows and javelins rain down on their unprotected flanks. Panic began to spread through Caesar's army. To maintain order and minimize casualties, Caesar ordered his troops to form a square and adopt a circular defense.

[00:09:47]However, it would be inaccurate to say that the Romans were entirely powerless in this predicament. The adversaries also suffered losses from the spears and javelins hurled by Caesar's men. Titus Libyanis himself was struck by a well- aimed javelin and was forced to withdraw from the battlefield. The assault on Caesar's army persisted until evening with the situation worsening by the hour. Only with the onset of darkness did Caesar attempt to retreat to the fortified camp. By launching simultaneous attacks in multiple directions, he managed to catch the opponent offg guard with a sudden surge of activity, temporarily pushed back the Numidians and successfully break through the encirclement.

[00:10:30]After this, Caesar swiftly marched his bloodied but battle ready army back to camp. However, a cavalry unit of the Pompeans led by Petraeus attacked Caesar's rear guard, forcing it to stop.

[00:10:43]Once again, fortune favored Caesar. A skirmish erupted, but the Pompeian commander was quickly wounded, causing his unit to retreat. With both commanders lost and exhausted from the prolonged battle, the Pompean forces lost control and retreated, allowing Caesar to break through to the camp. A few days after the battle at Ruspina, Scipio joined forces with Lebanianis and Petrus, bringing nearly all of the Optimate's forces, swelling the Pompeian army to over 60,000 warriors.

[00:11:15]Juba was expected to join them with the Numidian army, but events delayed him as he approached. Offended by Nais Pompei's attack on Moritania, Bacus, the brother of the Moritanian king, assembled an army under the leadership of the Cicerian Satus and invaded the Pompean allied Numidia. The Moritanians besieged and soon captured the Numidian city of Certa along with several other cities.

[00:11:41]Upon learning this, the Numidian king hastily returned with his entire army, sending only a small cavalry detachment and 30 elephants to the Pompeans.

[00:11:51]Despite this, Caesar found himself in a challenging situation. His forces were significantly outnumbered and the enemy's advantage in cavalry was undeniable. He was unfamiliar with the new tactics employed by his opponents and the army was illprepared to face war elephants.

[00:12:08]Consequently, Caesar decided to b his time. His troops were busy constructing and enhancing fortifications near Rusbina, while daily training sessions helped them develop strategies to counter the light infantry cavalry detachments. To prepare his army to face elephants, Caesar dispatched a messenger to Italy, and soon several elephants were delivered, allowing the legionaries to train against these formidable creatures.

[00:12:34]Nonetheless, the situation for the Roman commander was deteriorating. There was a severe shortage of food and experienced soldiers as nearly all his veterans were still in Sicily. Any attempts to gather forage were thwarted by the everpresent Numidian cavalry. The need for forage was so desperate that the legionaries had to feed their horses with seaweed.

[00:12:56]Meanwhile, Scibio almost daily positioned his army near the camp, challenging Caesar to battle. However, Caesar ignored these provocations and by the end of the day, Scibio would lead his troops back to camp. Such maneuvers occurred almost daily. Discontent began to spread among Pompei's forces with Numidians and Jullians defecting to Caesar every day. This standoff continued for several weeks until finally in January of the 46th year BC, a turning point emerged. Initially, Caesar's naval fleet, commanded by Custius Crispus, captured the Cenna Islands and discovered substantial grain stores there. Crispus promptly organized the delivery of provisions to Rpina.

[00:13:41]Then long-awaited reinforcements arrived from Sicily, consisting of two veteran legions, the 13th and the 14th, along with 800 Gula cavalrymen, a thousand slingers and archers, and a large caravan of provisions.

[00:13:56]With reinforcements from veteran soldiers secured and the food supply issue resolved, Caesar shifted from a defensive stance to an offensive strategy. On January 25th, he led all of his legions out of camp, directing them toward the ridge of hills where the Pompeans had set up their watch posts.

[00:14:14]Caesar ordered the occupation of this ridge to dislodge the enemy and establish fortifications in its place.

[00:14:21]Seeing this move, Scipio also mobilized his entire force from the camp and advanced towards Caesar's army, signaling the likelihood of a major battle. Caesar began arranging his forces for combat. However, the battle did not take place that day. Caesar's cavalry executed a strategic encirclement of the enemy's right flank where Lebanian's Numidian cavalry was positioned, managing to get behind them and start their assault. Seeing this, Lebianis quickly began to withdraw his units. And in a state of panic, Scibio's legions followed suit, seeking refuge behind the protective ramp parts of their camp.

[00:15:00]Caesar chose not to pursue them and instead returned his troops to the task of building fortifications.

[00:15:06]The next day, Caesar advanced again, strategically positioning his army as he gradually approached Scipio's camp. His route also brought him closer to the city of Uzida, where the Pompeans had their main supply depot. Worried about losing these crucial supplies, Scipio quickly moved to defend the city, setting up his forces near the city walls under the cover of siege engines stationed there. Caesar, thinking Scipio was preparing for a full-scale battle, positioned his army opposite Uzita, but held back from advancing further to avoid exposing his troops to fire from the city walls. Thus, the two armies stood facing each other until the end of the day. This standoff continued over the following days with both armies facing off, but neither daring to initiate combat. Caesar was cautious about attacking an enemy fortified by the city's strong walls. Meanwhile, Scipio awaited the arrival of Juba, whom he had called upon immediately after Libyan's cavalry was defeated. By then, the Numidian king had repelled the invading Moritanians and leaving his commander Sabura with part of his forces soon brought his army to Uzita.

[00:16:17]Juba's forces included three legions, 800 heavily armed cavalry men, numerous light infantry and cavalry, and 30 elephants. The combined strength of the Pompeian forces now totaled 90,000 men.

[00:16:31]With a significant advantage in cavalry, the Pompes persistently harassed Caesar's forces. A series of skirmishes broke out between various detachments, each ending with mixed results. Although both sides tried to avoid a decisive battle, serious clashes were a constant occurrence. Meanwhile, two more legions, the famous 9inth and 10th, joined Caesar's forces. With a sizable contingent of seasoned soldiers, Caesar decided to take the initiative. His troops using the camp and fortifications on the hills gradually began to secure the nearest elevations and build redouts there. Then the legionaries started constructing two parallel lines of ramparts directing them towards the corners of the city of Uzita. Caesar aimed to besiege Uzzita and to prevent the numerous enemy cavalry from disrupting the siege he erected defensive ramparts against them. Before long, the defensive ramparts advanced so close to the city that the siege engines could reach its walls. Caesar then set up a new field camp and later built platforms for the siege engines. Onagers and scorpions relentlessly bombarded the city with projectiles both day and night.

[00:17:46]Each day the adversaries lined up their troops in battle formation. Yet neither side dared to make the first move. Daily soldiers from both armies dug new trenches and erected additional defensive ramparts. Each day, Caesar's army was strengthened by new defectors from the Pompeian ranks. Meanwhile, the supply and reinforcement routes for the Cesarians were under serious threat.

[00:18:09]Varys, commanding his naval fleet from Hajitum, launched aggressive attacks on the ships. He targeted merchant vessels docked in the harbor of Leptus, sinking many and setting fire to those he couldn't sink. In response, Caesar took it upon himself to tackle this urgent issue.

[00:18:27]Leading the remnants of his fleet, he launched a surprise attack on Varyus's fleet near Hyderitum.

[00:18:34]The assault was so unexpected that most of the enemy ships couldn't retreat to the safety of the harbor and were consequently set ablaze by Caesar.

[00:18:43]Following this victory, Caesar ordered the majority of his fleet to blockade the enemy ships in the harbors of Hyramitum and Thapsis. As the standoff continued, the Pompeans showed no urgency in withdrawing their troops from Uzita or engaging in a decisive battle.

[00:19:00]Meanwhile, the situation regarding provisions and forage for Caesar's army worsened. Consequently, Caesar decided to lift the siege of Uzzita and set out with his forces in search of new food sources. Under the cover of night, he ordered the camp to be dismantled and burned and then marched towards the city of Agar with Scipio in pursuit.

[00:19:21]Along the way, Caesar encountered little resistance and managed to capture several cities under Pompeian control, including Zetta and Sarsura. Although the Pompeian army trailed him, its larger size made it less mobile, preventing it from keeping pace with Caesar. Only Libyanis, leading the Numidian cavalry, persistently harassed Caesar with raids, hindering his efforts to gather forage.

[00:19:47]Soon, several thousand seasoned veteran legionaries joined Caesar, having previously been unable to arrive with their units due to illness or leave.

[00:19:56]With their arrival, Caesar finally deemed the time ripe for a decisive battle. He resolved to lay siege to the strategically vital city of Thapsis, a stronghold of great importance to the Pompagans. Caesar anticipated that this siege would compel Scipio and Libyanis to come to the city's aid. On April 4th, 46 BC, Caesar's forces reached the walls of Thappapsis, which was already under blockade by the Cesarians from the sea.

[00:20:24]Thapsis could be approached by two routes. From the south, where a narrow strip of land lay between the coastline and expansive marshes, or from the northwest. Upon approaching the city and initiating the siege, Caesar immediately commanded the construction of extensive defensive works. The southern passage was fortified with a system of ramparts, trenches, and readouts. Around the city, two lines of fortifications began to rise. As with the siege of Alleia, one line faced inward against the besieged city to thwart any sordies by the garrison, while the other faced outward to defend against the enemy forces attempting to relieve Thepsis. Between these lines, Caesar established a military camp. Caesar came up with a plan to block the Pompean's southern route, forcing them to attack from the northwest on a relatively narrow strip of land. This restricted area made it difficult for the Numidian cavalry to be effective, creating a challenge for the Legionaries.

[00:21:24]Scibio planned to advance from the south, but encountered the defensive structures of the Cesarians. Reluctant to attack the fortifications, he moved his army northward, skirting the marsh.

[00:21:35]His goal was to overpower Caesar with sheer numbers and prevent his escape to the south. To accomplish this, he placed his most mobile units, the cavalry under Lebanian, in ambush.

[00:21:48]After getting around the marsh, Scibio didn't waste any time. As soon as he set up camp, he arranged his troops for battle. This decision worked in Caesar's favor, as the Pompean soldiers were already tired from their long march and fortification efforts. Caesar quickly deployed his army, lining them up for combat as well. The battle took place on the same day, April 6th, 46 BC.

[00:22:13]Caesar commanded 10 legions, totaling about 50,000 men, including 5,000 cavalry. On the right flank, he placed two veteran legions, the second and the 10th, while the eighth and the 10th, also seasoned, form the left flank. The remaining troops, a mix of veterans and recruits, made up the center. The forces were arranged in three lines. Caesar strategically split the fifth legion into two parts, positioning them on the flanks to protect the rear from enemy cavalry attacks. Cavalry, light infantry, archers, and slingers were also stationed on the flanks. He left part of his army, two legions of recruits, as a garrison for the camp fortifications, anticipating a potential sorty from Theapsis. Scibio commanded around 72,000 warriors, including 14,000 cavalry and 60 elephants. His infantry was similarly arranged in three lines with archers and cavalry on the flanks and elephants positioned at the front of the flanks intended as the primary striking force. The armies faced each other. Yet for a while, neither Scibio nor Caesar dared to give the order to engage. During this standoff, Caesar's veterans noticed an unusual commotion in the rear flanks of Pompy's forces. They urged Caesar to signal the attack, seeing the enemy as hesitant and seemingly intimidated. However, Caesar was reluctant to start the battle. It was then that the veterans of the 10th Legion compelled their trumpeters to sound the attack signal, taking the initiative to advance. The rest of the troops followed the veterans on the right flank. Realizing he could no longer contain his soldiers fervor, Caesar finally ordered the attack and joined the charge himself.

[00:24:01]The archers on Caesar's right flank unleashed a torrent of arrows and javelins at the elephants. While trumpets blared and soldiers fiercely shouted, clashing their swords against their shields. Although the elephants were trained to endure projectiles, they weren't used to such loud and piercing sounds. The elephants on the right flank, unnerved by the wailing Roman trumpets and the general uproar of Caesar's advancing forces, couldn't withstand the overwhelming barrage and terrifying noises. They turned back, causing chaos within the battle formations of the Pompeans themselves.

[00:24:37]Consequently, Caesar's right wing overwhelmed the left wing of Scipio's army and breached the camp. At the same time, on Caesar's left flank, the elephant showed greater resilience. They broke through the ranks of Caesar's archers and cavalry, engaging with the cohorts of the fifth legion. The seasoned veterans of the fifth legion withstood the elephants assault and used all of their training against these formidable beasts. They targeted the animals vulnerable spots, bombarded them with spears and arrows and sounded their horns. Before long, the elephants, unable to endure the onslaught, turned back and driven by fear and pain, wrecked havoc on Scipio's formations.

[00:25:18]The resistance of the Pompeans crumbled across the entire front, leading to the route of Scipio's army. Amidst the battle's intensity, the garrison of Thapsis attempted a sorty to strike Caesar from behind. However, two of Caesar's legions stationed for defense easily repelled the attack.

[00:25:38]The commanders of Pompei's forces along with the remnants of their troops turned and fled. The defeat of Pompe's forces was total. Various reports suggest that between 10 and 50,000 of Pompe's men were killed, while Caesar's losses ranged from 1 to 2,000 soldiers.

[00:25:56]Many commanders from Scipio's army fled the battlefield. Lucius Ephranius retreated to Numidia, but Cidius, who had already defeated Sabura, intercepted his detachment, captured Ephranius, and soon executed him. Leinius, Varus, and Pompe's sons, Na, and Sexus, managed to escape to Spain, where they quickly began gathering troops to continue the war.

[00:26:22]Petraeus and Juba returned to Numidia only to find all of the city gates shut against them by the king's own subjects who had heard of their defeat. For a while, Petraeus and Juba wandered the countryside, but in utter despair, they decided to die as warriors. They engaged in a sword fight where Petraeus defeated the former king and then ordered a slave to end his life with a sword.

[00:26:48]Scibio tried to escape to Spain, but his ship was intercepted by Caesar's fleet.

[00:26:53]To avoid capture, Scibio chose to take his own life. After his victory, Caesar faced no resistance as he occupied Uzita and Hajitum and then moved on to Udica.

[00:27:05]The city's commander, Kato, was preparing for a prolonged siege, but the citizens did not share his determination. As a result, Ko disbanded his troops and helped the Romans fleeing from Caesar until the very end. Upon seeing Caesar's standards on the horizon, Ko took his own life.

[00:27:23]Caesar stayed in Udica until a delegation from Numidian Zama arrived, inviting him to take control of Juba's former kingdom. Caesar accepted the offer and incorporated this vast territory into the Roman domain. Africa had been subdued, but it was too soon to relax as the Civil War was far from over. If you made it to the end of this video, we really appreciate it if you liked and subscribed. Follow along on our journey through ancient civilizations in history. If you'd like to support the channel, join our Patreon or become a YouTube channel member. You get early access to new episodes, behindthe-scenes looks, and more. You can also leave a super thanks below to give us a little extra boost. If you want to listen to history on the go, check out our allnew podcast, Parabellum History. You could find it on all major podcast platforms. Thanks again for tuning in, and we hope to see you next time.