Taking Sides, Making Sides

Characterization in a civil war narrative is more important, and more difficult, than it is in a colonial narrative, such as the Gallic War, of “us” against “them.” When the principal combatants are all Roman and all members of the governing elite, the difference between “us” and “them” needs careful delineation. But drawing the lines is complicated when the composition of the two parties shifts over time, as it did in dramatic fashion after the battle of Pharsalus in August of 48. Men who had joined Pompey at the outset of the conflict, in January of 49, or in the course of the ensuing months, faced a choice after his military defeat: to continue resisting Caesar, to withdraw from the contest, or to join Caesar. Those who chose the last moved from “them” to “us,” and the neutrals might still, it could be hoped, so realign themselves. Only the first group (and those who died at Pharsalus) remained in the category of “them.”

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