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Pharsalus
#1
I saw a post on another section of this site, but feel that this section might be more appropriate to ask my question.

I rather feel that most of us have read many accounts of the Battle of Pharsalus, including of course Caesar's.

Using Google Earth, sometime back I pulled up a satellite image of the area it is generally thought that the battle took place. From this image, it appears to me that there is a tributary running off of the Enipeus River. From the image I cannot be for certain that is what it is. I was wondering if anyone in this forum might have also looked at the area and have any insight on this.

If this is a stream, and if it existed in the time of Caesar, it might answer some unanswered questions I have regarding the flow and outcome of the battle. Here is a link to the view:

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.39241 ... &t=h&hl=en

Any insight would be appreciated.
Gregory

****************************

I love the name of honor, more than I fear death.
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#2
I don't know. I checked the map in Loeb and compared it to Google earth. Loeb shows tributaries branching off, but about four miles to the southeast of where they thought the battle took place. It appears the same tributaries are on Google's map.

One problem with trying to pin down the locations of ancient rivers is that rivers tend to change with time: they sometimes snake across the landscape and are no longer where they were 2000 years ago.

But what were your "unanswered questions" about the battle?
David J. Cord
www.davidcord.com
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#3
David,

My question particularly relates to the terrain where Pompey's cavalry was deployed. If there was a stream or dry strem bed with steep banks that chanelled or restricted his cavalry's movement, it explains a lot.

So many times reading Caesar I find it of particular interest not what he says, but what he does not. I do not feel that Pompey had 7,000 cavalry, nor do I believe it was all deployed on his left flank, but feel the estimate of three to four thousand to be more correct.

If this were the case, and Caesar had closer to 2,000 cavalry rather than some 1,000 as is what I believe he states, then restricted terrain, his cavalry, supported by six cohorts make oh so much more sense, at least to me.
Gregory

****************************

I love the name of honor, more than I fear death.
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