Angry Emperors

When Julius Caesar was told to surrender his legions and return to Rome to face a court for alleged crimes against Rome, he chose not to, for he saw in it the destruction of all the power he had gained. He crossed the Rubicon with his army.

The Senate turned to Pompey the Great to defend Rome and the Republic. Pompey, older now, came out of retirement and off the laurels of a wildly successful military career to stop Caesar.

He failed. In countless battles he was defeated or his legions went over the side of the conquerer. Pompey was driven east to the Kingdom of Egypt, a client state of Rome, there seeking refuge with his allies, where he hoped to rebuild an army.

But Ptolemy would have none of that. Fearing Caesar he invited Pompey off the ship and had him murdered in the surf. His head was separated from his shoulders and made a gift to Caesar.

For his part Casear was unamused with the fate of his colleague and this famed Roman General. He had the assassins put to death and the ashes of Pompey taken to his wife in Rome, there to be interned in the family crypt.

The lesson is, be wary of the conquerer, for his mind is known only to him.