Battle of Ilerda

Part of Caesar's Civil War

Date	June–August 49 BC
Location	Ilerda (modern-day Lérida), Spain
Result	Caesarian victory

Belligerents

Populares

Optimates

Commanders and leaders

Gaius Julius Caesar

Lucius Afranius
Marcus Petreius
Marcus Terentius Varro

Strength

37 000 (6 legions)

67 000 (7 legions and other units)

Casualties and losses

7 legions surrendered

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.

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.

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.

The next day was spent creating the rest of the ditch and the rampart which would form the defenses of Caesar's camp. For this operation Caesar kept a part of his force on guard. In the midst of the plain there was a portion of rising ground which Caesar wanted to occupy. As he tells it:

Between the city of Lerida, and the hill where Petreius and Afranius were encamped was a plain of about three hundred paces, in the midst of which was a rising ground, which Caesar wanted to take possession of; because, by that means, he could cut off the enemy's communication with the town and bridge, and render the magazines they had in the town useless.

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