June–August 49 BC · Hispania Citerior (Spain) Theater
June–August 49 BC
While Pompey organized the eastern legions in Greece, Caesar turned to eliminate the seven veteran Pompeian legions in Spain under Afranius and Petreius — 'an army without a general,' he called them, intending to deal with Pompey afterward as 'a general without an army.' The campaign around Ilerda (modern Lleida) on the Ebro was Caesar's most patient operation: he maneuvered to cut off water and supply rather than fighting pitched battles, outmaneuvered the Pompeian position through a series of forced marches and river crossings, and eventually trapped the entire Pompeian force without food or water. When Afranius and Petreius attempted to march to the Ebro, Caesar surrounded them on a waterless plateau. After five days the Pompeian soldiers began deserting in large numbers. The commanders surrendered.
Commanders