The Battle of Thapsus (46 BC) (Hardback)
Caesar, Metellus Scipio, and the Renewal of the Third Roman Civil War
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9781526793669
Published: 18th March 2024
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Despite defeating his opponent Pompeius Magnus at Pharsalus, and the latter’s subsequent murder, Caesar still faced a determined opposition in the Civil War that had engulfed the late Roman Republic. Having become entangled in the intrigues and wars of the East, Caesar gave his opponents time to regroup under the lead of Metellus Scipio and Cato the Younger, scions of two of the Republic’s greatest families. Under their leadership Caesar’s dominance of the Republic was seriously challenged, culminating in a decisive battle at Thapsus in what is now Tunisia. Gareth Sampson describes the campaigns that set the context for the battle, including the role played by the various regional powers drawn into the Roman Civil War. He then recounts the battle itself in detail, analysing the relative strengths of the armies involved, their organization, equipment and tactics. He assesses the opposing commanders and the strategies on the day which led to another victory for Caesar. He concludes with a discussion of the bloody aftermath of the battle and the myths that developed around the deaths of Caesar’s opponents.
“The OOBs within the text are as good as accounts and speculation can get, so you can get the gist of a tabletop battle even if all Caesar's troops are represented by one single block on a blocky map.”
Historical Miniatures Gaming Society, June 2024
Read the full review here.
About Gareth C Sampson
After a career in corporate finance, Gareth C Sampson returned to the study of ancient Rome and gained his PhD from the University of Manchester, where he taught for a number of years. He now lives in Plymouth with his wife and children.