Battle off Carteia (46 BC) facts for kids

The Battle off Carteia was a small sea fight. It happened near the end of Caesar's Civil War. Caesar's side, led by Gaius Didius, won. They fought against the Pompeians, who were led by Publius Attius Varus.

Why the Battle Happened

The Roman Civil War

Caesar's Civil War started in 49 BC. It was a big fight between Julius Caesar and the Roman Senate. The Senate was the main governing body of ancient Rome. They turned to Caesar's old friend, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as "Pompey the Great."

Caesar famously crossed the Rubicon river in January 49 BC. This was an act of war against the Senate. He was called an "enemy of the people." Caesar quickly took control of Italy, Spain, Sardinia, and Sicily.

Caesar's Victories

Next, Caesar invaded Greece. He had a small problem at the Battle of Dyrrhachium. But he soon defeated Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus. Pompey then ran away to Egypt. Sadly, he was killed there by the Egyptians. They hoped to please Caesar.

Caesar then got involved in the Alexandrian Civil War. He also fought against King Pharnaces II in the east. After these events, Caesar went back to Italy. He planned to defeat the last of Pompey's supporters. These supporters were in the province of Africa.

End of the African Campaign

Caesar succeeded in 46 BC. He crushed the Pompeian army at the Battle of Thapsus. Many Pompeian leaders died after this battle. These included Cato the Younger and Metellus Scipio.

However, some Pompeians escaped to Hispania, which is modern-day Spain. They wanted to keep fighting. Among them were Pompey's sons, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Sextus Pompey. Also with them were Titus Labienus and Publius Attius Varus. Varus had been in charge of the Pompeian fleet at Thapsus.

Getting Ready for Battle

Rebellion in Spain

Pompey's sons, Labienus, and Varus started a rebellion in Spain. They joined forces with soldiers who had fought in the Battle of Ilerda. They began to attack and surround towns that supported Caesar.

Caesar was in Rome at the time. He sent two of his officers, Quintus Fabius Maximus and Quintus Pedius. They were supposed to handle the situation. But the rebellion was too big for them. They waited for Caesar to arrive. Caesar quickly came to Spain to fight the Pompeians.

Varus and Didius

Before the big Battle of Munda, Publius Attius Varus went to the southern Spanish port city of Carteia. He took his entire fleet from Thapsus with him.

Meanwhile, Caesar sent one of his commanders, Gaius Didius. Didius had a small fleet of ships from Sardinia. Caesar ordered him to sail to Hispania.

The Battle at Sea

We don't know many details about the actual battle. Didius arrived at Carteia. He probably tried to block the town's harbor. Attacking a harbor directly was very risky back then.

Varus responded by sailing his ships out of the harbor. He then fought Didius's fleet. Caesar's forces, the Caesarians, fought well. They destroyed and captured several Pompeian ships. They started to chase the remaining ships into the harbor.

The historian Cassius Dio wrote that the Pompeian ships only escaped because Varus was clever. He had anchors dropped side by side across the harbor entrance. The chasing Caesarian ships ran into these anchors. It was like hitting a hidden reef. This forced them to stop their chase.

What Happened Next

The End of the War

Varus later joined the rest of the Pompeians at Munda. They met Caesar there for a final battle. The Pompeians fought hard, but Caesar defeated them. Both Labienus and Varus were killed in this battle.

Gnaeus Pompey reached Carteia after the defeat at Munda. He was briefly captured by people in the city who supported Caesar. However, Pompey's supporters then attacked. They killed the pro-Caesar leaders and freed Gnaeus. This caused a fight between the two groups in the city. Gnaeus was wounded during this fight.

He and his men then got on 20 ships. They didn't have many supplies. They sailed north along the coast.

Didius's Pursuit

Didius had stayed nearby after his victory at Carteia. He heard about Gnaeus's escape. Didius began to chase him. He placed lookouts along the coast to watch for Gnaeus's fleet.

Gnaeus didn't have enough supplies. He was forced to land his ships. He burned most of them. Didius captured the rest. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus made his last stand against Lucius Caesennius Lento at the Battle of Lauro. He and most of his remaining supporters were killed there.

Sextus, Gnaeus's brother, escaped from Corduba. He became a pirate before the Bellum Siculum, a later conflict. Caesar had finally won the Civil War.

Didius could not enjoy his victory for long. After Gnaeus's death, Didius was killed in an ambush by the Lusitanians shortly afterward.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Carteia (46 a. C.) para niños