Pinnock's improved edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Rome eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 554 pages of information about Pinnock's improved edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Rome.

Pinnock's improved edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Rome eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 554 pages of information about Pinnock's improved edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Rome.

20.  What was the consequence?

21.  What were Caesar’s farther commands?

22.  What followed?

23.  What use did Caesar make of his victory?

24.  Did not fatigue abate the ardour of Caesar’s troops?

25.  Did they attempt to defend the camp?

SECTION V.

  Sad Pompey’s soul uneasy thoughts infest,
  And his Cornelia pains his anxious breast,
  To distant Lesbos fain he would remove. 
  Far from the war, the partner of his love.—­Lucan.

1.  Caesar, seeing the field and camp strewed with his fallen countrymen, was strongly affected at the melancholy prospect, and cried out to one that stood near him, “They would have it so.” 2.  In the camp, every object presented fresh instances of the blind presumption and madness of his adversaries.  On all sides were to be seen tents adorned with ivy and myrtle, couches covered with purple, and sideboards loaded with plate.  Every thing gave proof of the highest luxury, and seemed rather the preparatives for a banquet, or the rejoicings for a victory, than dispositions for a battle. 3.  A camp so richly furnished would have engaged the attention of any troops but Caesar’s; but there was still something to be done, and he permitted them not to pursue any other object than their enemies. 4.  A considerable body having retired to the adjacent mountains, he prevailed on his soldiers to join him in the pursuit, in order to oblige these to surrender.  He began by inclosing them with a line drawn at the foot of the mountain; but they quickly abandoned a post which was untenable for want of water, and endeavoured to reach the city of Laris’sa. 5.  Caesar, leading a part of his army by a shorter way, intercepted their retreat.  However, these unhappy fugitives again found protection from a mountain, at the foot of which ran a rivulet that supplied them with water. 6.  Night approaching, Caesar’s men were almost spent, and fainting with their incessant toil since morning; yet still he prevailed upon them to renew their labours, and cut off the rivulet that supplied the defendants. 7.  The fugitives, thus deprived of all hopes of succour or subsistence, sent deputies to the conqueror, offering to surrender at discretion.  During this interval of negociation, a few senators that were among them, took the advantage of the night to escape, and the rest, next morning, gave up their arms, and experienced the conqueror’s clemency.  In fact, he addressed them with great gentleness, and forbade the soldiers to offer violence, or to take any thing from them. 8.  Thus Caesar gained the most complete victory that had ever been obtained; and by his great clemency after the battle, seemed to have deserved it.  His loss amounted only to two hundred men; that of Pompey to fifteen thousand; twenty-four thousand men surrendered themselves prisoners of war, and the greatest part of these entered

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Pinnock's improved edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Rome from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.