f a large army, which heused to subjugate Gaul. He gained enormous political strength from the Gallic Wars,which lasted from 58 to 51 BC. Although Caesar's daughter, Julia, married Pompey in 59, strain, encouraged byCrassus, developed between the two men. The "Triumvirate" was renegotiated at Luca in56, but the death of Julia in 54 and Crassus in 53 and the phenomenal success of Caesar inGaul eventually destroyed Caesar's relationship with Pompey. In 50 Pompey joinedopponents of Caesar's bid for a second consulate. Caesar's offers of compromise wererejected by the Senate, and on Jan. 10, 49 BC, Caesar precipitated civil war by leading hisarmy across the Rubicon into Italy proper.Caesar's veteran army soon overran Italy, forcing the unprepared Pompey towithdraw to Greece. In August 49 a lightning campaign secured Spain, and Caesar thencrossed to Greece. At Dyrrhachium he suffered a loss, but his hardened veterans totallydefeated Pompey's superior numbers at Pharsalus on Aug. 9, 48. Pompey fled to Egypt,where he was murdered. Following him there, Caesar became involved in the civil warbetween Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII. He made Cleopatra his mistress as wellas queen of Egypt.In 47 BC Caesar went to Anatolia, where he defeated Pompey's ally Pharnaces,king of Bosporus, at Zela; this victory occasioned Caesar's famous boast Veni, vidi, vici("I came, I saw, I conquered"). He returned to Rome, but in December 47 he crossed toNorth Africa to meet a new threat from the Pompeian forces. After victory at Thapsus, hereturned home to an unprecedented quadruple triumph in 46 BC. Pompey's sons, however,organized new resistance in Spain. Caesar's victory over them at Munda, on Mar. 17, 45,was the hardest of all.Caesar was now showered with political powers and honors. He was appointeddictator , then dictator for 10 years , and finally dictator for life. He was also electedconsul , appointed prefect of morals , awarded tribunician sacrosanc...
