Battle of Munda — Caesar's Final Victory
After Thapsus the sons of Pompey raised fresh forces in Spain, attracting veterans loyal to their father's name and Spanish tribes willing to resist Caesar. Caesar was forced to campaign in person in winter conditions. On 17 March 45 BCE the armies met on a ridge near Munda. Caesar held the lower ground. The battle was brutal and prolonged, with Caesar's veterans making little headway. At one point, ancient sources record, Caesar seized a shield from a soldier and ran toward the front line personally, shaming his men into pushing harder. The decisive moment came when Caesar ordered his cavalry on his right to feign a withdrawal. The Pompeians, thinking a rout had begun, began moving laterally to exploit it. This broke their cohesion. Caesar's infantry attacked the disrupted line, and the battle turned. Gnaeus Pompey the Younger was hunted down and killed. Sextus escaped. Caesar himself said afterward that he had often fought for victory, but at Munda he had fought for his life.
- Year: 45 BCE
- Category: Military
