What was the relationship between Julius Caesar and Pompey?
The basic problem was ego: Caesar wanted to be treated as Pompey’s equal and Pompey saw himself as having no equal. In fact, throughout the early stages of the war, Caesar made frequent offers to lay down his arms if Pompey would do the same. Pompey persistently refused, on the grounds that Caesar was his subordinate and was duty-bound to cease his advance and dismiss his armies before any negotiations could take place. Pompey was not too bright. He consistently got into trouble when he failed to follow up opportunities when fighting with Caesar. Eventually he lost one too many battles. Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was murdered by an officer of King Ptolemy XIII.
