They were allies, then father and son-in-law, then the two men whose rivalry tore the Roman Republic apart. Pompey the Great was Rome's first soldier until Julius Caesar surpassed him, and their civil war ended on the field of Pharsalus. Here they are, side by side.
Pompey the Great was the most celebrated Roman of his generation, famous for sweeping the Mediterranean of pirates and for his conquests in the East3. He joined Caesar and Crassus in the First Triumvirate4, but as Caesar grew too powerful Pompey became the champion of the Senate against him, and led the Republican cause in the civil war.
Marble portrait of Pompey the Great in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. Public domain
Caesar: the man who ended the Republic
Julius Caesar made his name conquering Gaul, then crossed the Rubicon in 49 BC to challenge Pompey2 and the Senate. Outnumbered, he beat Pompey decisively at5Pharsalus in 48 BC, pursued his rivals across the Mediterranean, and made himself dictator, until he was assassinated in 44 BC.2
Marble bust of Julius Caesar in the Greek Cross Hall of the Vatican Museums. CC0 (public domain)
The verdict
Pompey had the greater early career and, for a time, the greater name, the organiser who brought the East under Rome. But Caesar beat him where it counted, winning the civil war against the odds at Pharsalus and reshaping Rome itself. Pompey was the last great soldier of the old Republic; Caesar was the man who ended it, and whose name became a title for emperors.
Julius Caesar receiving the head of Pompey, painted by Giovanni Battista Bertucci about 1495; Royal Castle in Warsaw. Public domain
Each commander above has a full biography on this site, with its own sources. Judgements of who was "greater" are ours and openly a matter of debate; the facts and dates follow established histories. See our editorial approach.
Frequently asked questions
Who won, Pompey or Caesar?
Caesar. He defeated Pompey decisively at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC; Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was murdered.1
Why did Pompey and Caesar go to war?
Once allies in the First Triumvirate, they fell out as Caesar's power grew. When the Senate, backed by Pompey, tried to strip Caesar of his command, he crossed the Rubicon and civil war followed.
What was the Battle of Pharsalus?
The decisive battle of the civil war, in 48 BC, where Caesar, though outnumbered, defeated Pompey's larger army in Greece6.
Who was the greater general?
Pompey had the more impressive early record, but Caesar beat him in their civil war and is generally ranked the greater commander for his campaigns in Gaul and the civil war.
How did Pompey die?
After losing at Pharsalus he fled to Egypt, where he was assassinated on the orders of the Egyptian court as he came ashore3 in 48 BC.
Sources and notes
Numbered notes in the text point to the works below.
World History Encyclopedia (James Lloyd), “Pompey”↩ ab
Adrian Goldsworthy, Caesar: Life of a Colossus (Yale University Press, 2006). ↩ abc
Plutarch, Parallel Lives: Pompey, Pompey 24 to 28 (the pirate war), 77 to 80 (death in Egypt). ↩ ab
Robin Seager, Pompey the Great: A Political Biography (2nd ed.) (Blackwell Publishing, 2002). ↩
