During the Civil War in 52 BC, Pompeius was, in
spite of the usual custom, elected for the only consul (Latin: sine
collega = without colleges of duty) with many exceptional
authorities. What became necessary because of this state of
emergency, in which the Roman State got in due to the disturbances
of Clodius. Clodius was dominating Rome with armed gangs, which he
founded as a People's Tribune. At his time, a climate of anarchy
and terror were in Rome.
While Caesar stuck in the Wars of Gallia, his political
enemies were, as already in the year before, trying to recall him
from there and put him to court in Rome. Pompeius also tried to use
this time favourable to get rid of his political enemy and to
secure the autocracy. For that reason he politically approached the
senate, which finally decided to dismiss Caesar after they tried to
make him despise his army in vain. Besides the senate gave all
authority to Pompeius and made him ready to pick up the fight
against Caesar.
The Civil War began in the beginning of the year 49 BC
when Caesar, according to the tradition, said these words: 'Alea
iacta est' ('The dice is thrown') by crossing the Rubikon, a small
frontier which separated his province Gallia Cisalpina from Italy.
After three months only, he got to the whole control over Italy and
afterwards both Spanish provinces, the actual support of Pompeius,
and finally after 1½ years of siege, he got also the
dockland-city Massilia (Marseille). Meanwhile, Caesar had been
appointed dictator. Actually, he wasn't dictator for a long time,
then only a few days later, he was elected for the consul for the
year 48 BC. At the beginning of the year, he pursued Pompeius to
Greece and there he defeated him finally on the battle of
Pharsalos. Pompeius escaped to Egypt, where he got murdered however
before Caesar could catch him up.
Caesar occupied Alexandria and determined the fight
about the Egypt throne in favour of Cleopatra, the daughter of the
deceased king Ptolemaios XI and which later will be mother of his
son (Caesarion). In 47 BC, he submitted Little Asia and came back
as dictator. His decisive victory against Pompeius' followers,
which returned their armies to the province in Africa, he won at
the battle of Thapsus in the year 46 BC. Afterwards he turned back
to Rome where he celebrated several triumph-parades and received
more price-giving.
After his victory against Pompeius' sons 45 BC near
Munda in Spain, Caesar had the unlimited autocracy.