Battle of Caesar's Civil War in the area of the city of Dyrrachium (in what is now Albania)
Caesar's failed siege at Dyrrachium forced his strategic retreat into Thessaly, directly leading to the decisive Battle of Pharsalus.
Key Facts
- Date range
- April to late July 48 BC
- Conflict
- Caesar's Civil War
- Location
- Near Dyrrachium (modern Durrës, Albania)
- Outcome
- Pompeian victory; Caesar forced to retreat into Thessaly
- Follow-on engagement
- Battle of Pharsalus
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During Caesar's civil war, Dyrrachium served as a critical logistics and supply hub for Pompey's forces. Caesar sought to capture the city in order to deprive Pompey of this strategic base, prompting Pompey to occupy the city and the surrounding heights before Caesar could seize them.
Caesar besieged Pompey's camp near Dyrrachium and constructed a circumvallation around it. After months of skirmishes, Pompey's forces broke through Caesar's fortified lines. Unable to capture the city or sustain the siege, Caesar was compelled to abandon his position and conduct a strategic withdrawal into Thessaly.
Following the battle, Pompey pursued Caesar into Thessaly. The two armies ultimately met at Pharsalus, where the decisive engagement of Caesar's Greek campaign was fought. Caesar's defeat at Dyrrachium thus shaped the operational conditions that produced the climactic confrontation at Pharsalus.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Gaius Julius Caesar.
Side B
1 belligerent
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus.