Battle of Dyrrhachium

Battle context

The Battle of Dyrrachium, fought from April to late July 48 BC near the city of Dyrrachium (modern Durrës, Albania), was a major engagement of Caesar's Civil War between the forces of Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey. Caesar's army of approximately 28,000 faced a Pompeian force of around 50,000, a considerable numerical disadvantage. Pompeian casualties stood at approximately 2,000 against Caesarian losses estimated between 1,000 and 4,000, indicating the engagement was costly for both sides relative to their available strength. The battle represented a significant test of Caesar's position on the Adriatic coast, pitting his forces against Pompey's larger army in a prolonged operational confrontation lasting several months. The engagement was part of the wider struggle between Caesar and the Pompeian faction that defined the civil war initiated in 49 BC, and the commanders present on both sides — including Titus Labienus for the Pompeians and Mark Antony and Publius Sulla for the Caesarians — reflected the seniority and strategic importance each side attached to the theater.