Battle of Ilerda

The Battle of Ilerda took place in June 49 BC between the forces of Julius Caesar and the Spanish army of Pompey the Great, led by his legates Lucius Afranius and Marcus Petreius. Unlike many other of the battles of the civil war, this was more a campaign of maneuvre than actual fighting.

Introduction

After having driven the optimates from Italy, in March 49 BC, Caesar turned his attention to the Republican army in the Spanish provinces. On his way to Spain, Caesar was delayed when in April the port city of Massilia rebelled under Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. Leaving the siege of Massilia to be conducted by Gaius Trebonius and Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus, Caesar moved on to Hispania Citerior to reinforce the three legions he had sent there as an advance guard under his legate Fabius.

The Ilerda Campaign

When he arrived on the Spanish border, Caesar was able to seize the Pyrenees passes from the republicans and march into Spain. Near Ilerda, the Pompeians made camp on a hill and Caesar endeavoured to camp about 400 paces from the foot of the hill. While the Pompeians under Afranius threatened to give battle, Caesar declined, but had his first two lines of troops form up for battle anyway, while the third line was ordered to dig a wide ditch behind the lines, unseen. As night came, Caesar withdrew his army behind the ditch and spent the night under arms.