Pharnaces II of Pontus - War With Gaius Julius Caesar

War With Gaius Julius Caesar

In 49 BC, civil war broke out between the two surviving Roman triumvirs Gaius Julius Caesar and Pompey. Whilst the Romans were distracted by this, Pharnaces II decided to seize the opportunity and, with the forces under his disposal and against little opposition, made himself the ruler of Colchis and Lesser Armenia. The ruler of Galatia, Deiotarus, appealed to Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus, the lieutenant of Caesar in Asia, for support, and soon the Roman forces sought battle with Pharnaces. They met at Nicopolis in Anatolia, where Pharnaces II defeated the Roman army and overran Pontus.

After this show of strength against the Romans, Pharnaces II drew back to suppress revolt in his new conquests. However, the extremely rapid approach of Caesar in person forced Pharnaces to turn his attention back to the Romans. At first, recognizing the threat, he made offers of submission, with the sole object of gaining time until Caesar's attention fell elsewhere; but Caesar's speed brought war quickly, and battle took place near Zela, where Pharnaces was routed and was able to escape with just a small detachment of cavalry. Caesar himself, in a letter to a friend in Rome, said of the short war: “Veni, vidi, vici” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”).

Pharnaces II fled back to the Bosporan Kingdom, where he managed to assemble a small force of Scythian and Sarmatian troops, with which he was able to gain control of a few cities. His former governor and son-in-law Asander, attacked his forces and killed him. The historian Appian states that he died in battle; Cassius Dio says he was captured and then killed.