As soon as his troops were outmatched at the Battle of Pharsalus, rather than rally them by fighting at their side, Pompey retreated to his tent, almost obliviant to the chaos ensuing around him. Seeing events deteriorate further, his defenses breached and Caesar closing in, he exclaimed in fear, “Even in our own camp?” After uttering these words, he fled a second time, abandoning any remaining members of his cause. It would have been more honorable for him to die by Caesar’s weapon than by the sword of the traitor Septimius, who had once served under him. But seeing as this man harbored within his heart hatred, remorse, the shame of defeat and the desire for power, it is no surprise that in his quest for dominion, he eventually lost his sanity. But upon recognizing that Caesar knew the art of victory, let's see, Lepidus, if he used his victory wisely, if he was inhumane or lenient, if he was just or stern, if he was a tyrant or a Roman citizen. As soon as he had taken the battlefield and the fervor of battle had cooled, he looked around and saw the great number of dead soldiers surrounding him, shedding as many tears as he had caused blood to be shed. "Oh gods!" he cried out in tears. "You know they wanted this and forced me to be their victor!" For Caesar, after achieving so many victories, would no doubt have been criticized had he abandoned his army.<hr>
          Any victor other than Caesar would have shed tears of joy after winning the battle, but for him, he could not rejoice in his victory, for it had cost the lives of some of his fellow citizens. Believe me, Lepidus, tyrants do not weep for their enemies. They are unfamiliar with the feelings of mercy and compassion. However, you know that Caesar forgave almost all of his own. He even took care to seek out the traitor who would later take his life, and when Brutus surrendered to him, he treated him like his own son. Alas, I can intuitively perceive my Caesar going group to group inquiring about Brutus, sifting through the dead to see if any could still be saved, and doing all within his power to rescue the one who would plant a dagger in his chest. Could it be that Caesar could make such a choice? That out of all Romans, he delighted more in his assassin than anyone else?<hr>
          And the gods, who took such unique interest in his life, did they not warn him that the one he held most dear would be the cruelest to him? However, it is not yet the time to discuss Brutus' ungratefulness. Caesar's mercy and kindness provide too much fertile ground to move on so quickly. And to render his assassins' crime as gruesome as it is, we must highlight his virtues with as much brilliance as they possessed. Sometimes tyrants have set a bounty on their enemies’ heads, they promised to pardon all crimes of those who brought it them, and when they were satisfied, they accepted this dreadful offering with rejoicing. But it was not so with Caesar. He did not wish to see Pompey's head, he wept bitterly for it, he scorned the one who had brought it to him, forcing him to flee in order to save his own life.<hr>
          
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