On the outbreak of the civil war, Varus, an adherent of the
optimates, was stationed in
Picenum at the head of a considerable force. Upon the approach of Caesar, he was forced to evacuate the area. He and his levies joined Pompey in
Apulia. When Pompey left
Italy for
Greece, Varus crossed over into Africa, and took possession of his former province, which had been allotted to
Q. Aelius Tubero for the purpose of obtaining grain. Excluded from his province by Varus, Tubero then went to join Pompey. Varus was well known in Africa from his earlier propraetorship, and was thus able to raise two legions.
The battle for Africa Caesar sent Curio to Africa to take it away from the Pompeians. Curio was given command as a reward for his political support, but he had only limited military experience, and none at high command. He commanded legions that were initially recruited by the Pompeians but had switched allegiance at the surrender at
Corfinium. Curio successfully landed his forces near
Utica, surprising Varus' army. One of Varus' officers, Sextus Quinctilius Varus, who had been at Corfinium, appealed to Curio's legions to desert and return to their original loyalty. The troops refused and, after a success in a cavalry skirmish, Curio led them in a bold, uphill attack which swiftly routed Varus's army. Encouraged by this success, Curio acted on what proved to be faulty intelligence, and attacked what he believed to be a detachment of
Juba's army. In fact, the bulk of the king's forces were there and, after an initial success, Curio's forces were ambushed and virtually annihilated. Curio was surrounded with the remnants of his troops on a hilltop and died in the fighting. Only a small fraction of his army, including the historian
Asinius Pollio and the later consul
Gaius Caninius Rebilus, escaped to
Sicily.
Aftermath After the
Battle of Pharsalus, the remaining Pompeians, including
Cato, fled to Africa to continue the struggle. At Cato's insistence, Varus resigned the supreme command to the
consular Metellus Scipio. The official rank of Varus from 48 BC was
legatus pro praetore, as attested by
inscriptional evidence. In 46 BC, Varus was one of the commanders of the Pompeian fleet. After the defeat at the
Battle of Thapsus, Varus fled to
Hispania (Spain). There he was
defeated at Carteia in a naval battle by
Gaius Didius, who commanded Caesar's fleet, and forced to join the army on shore. He fell at the
Battle of Munda. His head, together with that of
Titus Labienus, was presented to Caesar. ==References==