summed up his services to the state and demanded that he could keep his legions and provinces till he was elected consul. In January 49Bc Mark Anthony, Caesar's trusted lieutenant, demanded that the ultimatum was read aloud in the senate. But although the majority would have sued for peace, the opponents of Caesar blocked all compromises and bullied all the frightened senators that Caesar should disband his armies or be declared enemy of the state. Caesar was stripped of all his offices. The Republic declared war on Caesar. Caesar heard of the senates response and did what he did best, he acted. On January 11th he led his single legion which he had assembled across the bridge over a small stream that marked the boundary between his province and the Roman homeland. Pompeius tried to stop Caesar, but all was in vain. No one dared to stand up against Caesar's veteran soldiers. The senate panicked and left Italy, leaving the treasury intact behind them. The senate and Pompeius fled to Albania(Meier 298).Once in Rome Caesar wasted no time. Against no effective opposition, he assembled a makeshift senate, took control of the government and broke open the treasury. Mark Antony was put in charge of the Italian legions and Caesar himself went to the independent city of Massilia. He could not capture the city, but he went to Spain and crushed Pompeius followers. When Caesar returned to Massilia, he was lenient and did not sack the city, but it was no longer independent. He returned to Rome as a victor, but there was still Pompeius and the old senate. Pompeius himself had raised a massive army in Macedonia. Caesar lacked a navy and was forced to land in Yugoslavia with only 20,000 men. Caesar was lucky again. Although Caesar was badly outnumbered, Pompeius did nothing. Caesar was joined by Mark Antony and the remainder of his armies. Strangely Pompeius withdrew, Caesar remarked "Today the enemy would have won, if they had a commander who was a wi...
