Who was Rome’s greatest general, statesman, and nation-builder:Caesar or Pompey?

Few people have had as many words written about them down throughthe centuries as Julius Caesar—the brilliant general who made Queen Cleopatraof Egypt his mistress. He has captured the imagination of playwrights,historians, soldiers, and emperors.

Little has been written about his ally, son-in-law, and eventualenemy Pompey the Great, who crashed onto the Roman scene as a victorioustwenty-three-year-old general and who, at the height of his career, was arguablymore famous, more popular, and more successful than Caesar.

Caesar Versus Pompey tells the parallel life stories ofJulius Caesar and Pompey the Great, as their lives and loves became intertwined andinterdependent, as they grew from rivals to partners, then from joint rulers towarring foes. One strove to preserve the Roman Republic, the other destroyedit.