Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome, episode 45, The End of the War.

In early 47 BC, after settling the Civil War in Egypt and firmly establishing Roman dominance

over the Nile, Caesar took a month-long cruise up the Great River with Cleopatra.

Though no doubt relaxing, it was not simply an uncharacteristic vacation.

Caesar took with him some 400 ships, the slow-moving entourage was meant to display the power

of Rome to any Egyptian who may be planning resistance to the new regime.

Caesar had a dozen major problems to deal with as he reshaped the political map of the

ancient world.

He did not need a revolt and newly pacified Egypt to become one of them.

Of those major problems, his greatest lay near the remains of Old Carthage, where the

senatorial forces that had fled from Farsilus were regrouping under the command of Mattelos

Gipio, who was building a massive army with the help of the Numidian King Juba.

The problem was in fact so big that Caesar knew he could not face it right away.

His men were exhausted, the cash supply was running dangerously low, and the entire eastern

half of the empire seemed ready to revolt at a moment's notice.

Plus, between the battle of Farsilus and the war in Alexandria, he had basically lost

contact with Rome itself.

The population, who had once received regular, glowing reports from Caesar during the Gallic

Wars, had now gone more than six months without any updates at all.

Before he could face his enemies in North Africa, Caesar would have to solidify his hold

over every other corner of the empire, including the capital city itself.

So rather than marching west, Caesar took the road east out of Alexandria.

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