Unfortunately for the Egyptians, Caesar had sent his Gallic and Germanic cavalry to ford the river ahead of the main army. Ptolemy sent a detachment of cavalry and light infantry to stop them from crossing the river. In order to reach the Egyptian camp they had to ford a small river. Caesar and Mithridates met 7 miles from Ptolemy's position. Caesar arrived shortly afterwards, before Ptolemy could attack Mithridates' army. The Egyptians had set up camp in a strong position along the Nile, and were accompanied by a fleet. The Ptolemaic army, equipped in the Greek manner, was slightly larger. The combined force, about 20,000 strong, met the Egyptians in February 47 BC at the Battle of the Nile. Caesar, getting a message that his allies were close, left a small garrison in Alexandria and hurried to meet them. A Jewish force, led by Antipater, also joined them. Arriving in Egypt in January, Mithridates stormed and took the strategic city of Pelusium and marched on towards the Nile Delta where he defeated an Egyptian force sent to stop him. Caesar had requested reinforcements from his allies who gathered an army of about 13,000 troops trained in the Roman style of warfare under Mithridates of Pergamum, who marched overland from Asia Minor to assist him. īy January, the Egyptians had begun to get the upper hand in their efforts to cut the Romans off from reinforcements and resupply. When Caesar began to appear to favour Cleopatra over him, Ptolemy was first captured, but then released by Caesar, and gathered his army to besiege the Romans in a small area of Alexandria. He was attempting to resolve the Egyptian Civil War between Ptolemy XIII and his sister Cleopatra. įrom September 48 BC until January 47 BC, Caesar was besieged in Alexandria, Egypt with about 4,000 men. Further information: Early life of Cleopatra VII and Reign of Cleopatra VIIĪfter pursuing his rival Pompey to Egypt, Caesar, recently victorious in a civil war closer to home, became entwined in the Alexandrine civil war after his rival, Pompey Magnus, was killed by King Ptolemy XIII in an attempt to please Caesar.
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