Battle of Munda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Munda |
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| Part of Caesar's Civil War | |||||||
.jpg) Initial troop deployment of the battle |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Caesarians | Pompeians | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Julius Caesar Quintus Fabius Maximus Quintus Pedius Gaius Caninius Rebilus Bogud of Mauretania |
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus Sextus Pompeius Titus Labienus † Publius Attius Varus † |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 8 legions, 8,000 cavalry, auxiliaries unknown Total: Caesar: 40,000 Modern Estimates: 50,000−60,000 |
13 legions, cavalry and auxiliaries Total: c. 70,000 men |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 7,000 | 30,000 | ||||||
The Battle of Munda happened on March 17, 45 BC, in southern Spain. It was the very last battle of Caesar's civil war. This war was fought between Julius Caesar and the leaders of a group called the Optimates. The Optimates wanted to keep the old ways of the Roman Republic.
After Caesar won at Munda, his main enemies, Titus Labienus and Gnaeus Pompeius (the oldest son of Pompey the Great), were killed. This victory allowed Caesar to return to Rome as a hero. He then became the elected Roman dictator, meaning he had total power. Later, Caesar was assassinated, which led to the end of the Roman Republic and the start of the Roman Empire under Emperor Augustus.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
The civil war had been going on for a while. At first, Pompey the Great led the Optimates. But after the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC, Pompey died. Then, in 46 BC, Caesar's army defeated the remaining Pompeian forces at the Battle of Thapsus.
After these defeats, the only major opposition to Caesar was in Hispania (modern Spain and Portugal). In 46 BC, two Roman legions in Hispania, who used to fight for Pompey, switched sides. They joined Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey's son) and kicked out Caesar's governor. Soon, other Pompeian soldiers joined them.
These forces were led by Gnaeus and Sextus Pompeius (Pompey's sons), Publius Attius Varus, and a skilled general named Titus Labienus. Labienus had actually been one of Caesar's most trusted generals during the Gallic Wars. They gathered a large army of four legions. They took control of most of southern Spain, including important cities like Italica and Corduba. Caesar's generals, Quintus Fabius Maximus and Quintus Pedius, waited for Caesar to arrive.
Caesar had to travel from Rome to Hispania to fight the Pompeius brothers himself. He brought three of his best legions and one newer legion. He also used soldiers already in Hispania. Caesar traveled about 1,500 miles (2,400 km) in less than a month. He arrived in early December.
Fighting Around Cities
When Caesar got to Hispania, the Pompeians were attacking a city called Ulia, which was loyal to Caesar. Caesar sent some soldiers to help Ulia. These soldiers sneaked into the city at night during a storm, surprising the Pompeians.
Caesar then marched his main army towards Corduba, a city defended by Sextus Pompeius. Caesar built a temporary bridge to cross a river and set up camp near Corduba. Soon, Gnaeus and Labienus arrived with their army. There were fierce fights over the bridge. Caesar wanted a big battle, but it wasn't happening here. So, one night, Caesar's army secretly left their camp and marched to another city, Ategua.
Siege of Ategua
Caesar began to surround Ategua. Gnaeus and Labienus tried to surprise Caesar by attacking from an unexpected direction. They approached in a thick fog, but Caesar's army was well-prepared. Caesar had taken control of all the high ground around the city.
The Pompeians attacked one of Caesar's camps but were pushed back. The next day, Caesar got help from his allies, including King Bogud of Mauretania. Labienus advised Gnaeus Pompeius to avoid a direct battle. Caesar had to fight through the winter, finding food and shelter for his army.
In early 45 BC, some people in Ategua wanted to surrender to Caesar. But the Pompeian soldiers in the city found out and killed those leaders. The Pompeian soldiers then tried to escape but were stopped. The city surrendered soon after. This was a big blow to the Pompeians' confidence, and some of their local allies started to join Caesar.
Moving Towards Munda
After taking Ategua, Caesar moved his camp near the Pompeian camp across the River Salsum. Gnaeus attacked quickly, catching Caesar off guard. Two brave Roman officers helped save the day. After this, Caesar decided to move to Sorecaria, cutting off one of the Pompeians' supply routes.
Another small fight near Soricaria on March 7 went well for Caesar. Many Romans in the Pompeian army started thinking about switching sides. Gnaeus Pompeius realized he could no longer avoid a big battle. He broke camp and marched his army south towards the town of Munda.
The Battle of Munda
The two armies met on the plains of Munda in southern Spain. The Pompeian army was on a small hill, less than a mile (1.6 km) from Munda's walls, in a good defensive spot. Caesar had eight legions, about 8,000 horsemen, and other light soldiers. Pompeius had thirteen legions, 6,000 light soldiers, and about 6,000 horsemen. Many of Pompeius's soldiers had fought for Caesar before and then left his army. They knew Caesar might not forgive them a second time, so they fought very hard.
Caesar tried to trick the Pompeians into coming down the hill, but it didn't work. So, he ordered a direct attack. The battle cry was "Venus", the goddess Caesar believed was his ancestor.
The fight lasted for eight hours. Neither side seemed to be winning. The generals, including Caesar himself, had to leave their command posts and join the fighting. Caesar later said he had fought many times for victory, but at Munda, he had to fight for his life.
Caesar took charge of his right side, where his favorite legion, the Legio X Equestris, was fighting fiercely. Inspired by Caesar, the Tenth Legion began to push back Pompeius's forces. Seeing the danger, Gnaeus Pompeius made a big mistake. He moved a legion from his own right side to help his struggling left side.
As soon as the Pompeian right side was weaker, Caesar's cavalry launched a powerful attack. King Bogud and his cavalry from Mauretania attacked the Pompeian right side, breaking through and getting behind the Pompeian army. Titus Labienus, who led the Pompeian cavalry, saw this and moved some troops to stop them.
But the rest of the Pompeian army misunderstood. They were already being pushed back on both sides. They thought Labienus was retreating. The Pompeian legions broke their lines and ran away in chaos. Some found safety inside Munda's walls, but many more were killed as they fled. About 30,000 Pompeians died. Caesar's army had much fewer losses, about 1,000. All thirteen flags of the Pompeian legions were captured, showing their complete defeat. Titus Labienus and Attius Varus died on the battlefield and were buried by Caesar. Gnaeus Pompeius managed to escape.
What Happened Next
Caesar left his general, Quintus Fabius Maximus, to surround Munda. Caesar then went to bring peace to the area. Corduba surrendered, and the armed men there were executed. The city had to pay a large amount of money. Munda held out for a while but eventually surrendered, and 14,000 prisoners were taken.
A naval commander loyal to Caesar, Gaius Didius, hunted down most of the Pompeian ships. Gnaeus Pompeius tried to hide on land but was caught and killed during the Battle of Lauro.
Even though Sextus Pompeius was still free, after Munda, there were no more armies challenging Caesar's power. When Caesar returned to Rome, people were not happy with his victory parade. This was because he had defeated fellow Romans, not foreign enemies. Caesar was made dictator for life. However, his success did not last long. Caesar was murdered on March 15 of the next year (44 BC) by a group of Roman leaders, including Brutus and Cassius.
Where Was Munda?
The exact place where the Battle of Munda happened has been debated for a long time.
Some historians in Spain thought Munda was the Roman name for modern-day Ronda. Other early researchers thought it was near Monda or Montilla. For example, in the story Carmen, the narrator says his research points to Munda being near Montilla.
However, other experts believe Munda was fought just outside Osuna, in the province of Seville. This idea is supported by ancient slingshot bullets found near La Lantejuela, which is between Osuna and Écija. Also, old writings found in Écija and Osuna praise the town of Astigi (Écija) for supporting Caesar during the battle. So, the Battle of Munda probably took place on the Cerro de las Balas and the Llanos del Aguila near La Lantejuela.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Munda para niños
