battle of Pharsalus

1 9.9

An important battle in 48 BC during the Roman Civil War where Julius Caesar beat Pompey the Great

noun
/ˈbætəl əv fɑrˈsæləs/

: batalla de Farsalia

Many historians study the consequences of the battle of Pharsalus for the Roman Republic.

Examples

The battle of Pharsalus marked a turning point in Roman history.
The battle of Pharsalus was a turning point in Roman history.
During the battle of Pharsalus, Caesar's tactical genius secured his victory over Pompey.
Did Julius Caesar win the battle of Pharsalus?
The battle of Pharsalus marked a turning point in the Roman Civil War, as Julius Caesar emerged victorious over Pompey the Great.
In 48 BC, the tactical genius of Julius Caesar was evident during the battle of Pharsalus against Pompey the Great.
Historians agree that the battle of Pharsalus significantly influenced the course of Roman history.

Synonyms

Pharsalus

vsbattle of Pharsalus

1 9.9

An ancient town in Greece where Julius Caesar defeated Pompey in 48 BC

refers to the decisive military event of Caesar's victory in 48 BC

Surface Forms

battle of Pharsalus singular

battles of Pharsalus plural

Morphology

battle + of + Pharsalus

The phrase is a straightforward composition: 'battle' (a fight) + 'of' + the place name 'Pharsalus' yields 'a battle that took place at Pharsalus.' This location-labelled event construction is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would be able to infer it refers to a specific historical battle.

Etymology

The battle of Pharsalus was a famous fight in 48 BC where Julius Caesar, with a smaller and faster army, outsmarted and defeated Pompey the Great on the plain of Pharsalus. That's why the name now refers to that important clash and a 'turning point' in Roman history.