[369] A place in Thessalia north of Pharsalus where Titus Quinctius Flaminius defeated King Philip of Macedonia, B.C. 197.
[370] τὸν φοινικοῦν χιτῶνα. Shakspere has employed this in his Julius Cæsar, Act V. Sc. 1:
"Their bloody sign of battle is hung out."
Plutarch means the Vexillum. He has expressed by his word (προθεῖναι) the 'propono' of Cæsar (Bell. Gall. ii. 20; Bell. Hispan. c. 28, Bell. Alexandr. c. 45). The 'hung out' is a better translation than 'unfurled.'
[371] Plutarch in this as in some other instances places the Prænomen last, instead of first which he ought to do; but immediately after he writes Lucius Domitius correctly. The error may be owing to the copyists.
The order of the battle is described by Cæsar (Civil War, iii. 89). Plutarch here and in the Life of Cæsar (c. 44) says that Pompeius commanded the right, but Cæsar says that he was on the left. Domitius, that is, L. Domitius Ahenobarbus (Consul B.C. 54), may have commanded under him. Cn. Domitius Calvinus (Consul B.C. 53), whom Plutarch calls Calvinus Lucius, commanded Cæsar's centre. The account of Appianus (Civil Wars, ii. 76) does not agree with Cæsar's.
[372] See Cæsar B.C. (iii. 88), and Appianus (ii. 79), who quotes Cæsar's letters.
[373] The whole number of Italian troops on both sides was about 70,000, as Plutarch says in the next chapter. There were also other troops on both sides (Appianus, Civil Wars, ii. 70). The battle was fought on the ninth of August, B.C. 48, according to the uncorrected calendar.
[374] Dion Cassius has some like reflections (41. c. 53-58); and Appianus (ii. 77), who says that both the commanders-in-chief shed tears; which we need not believe.
[375] Lucan, i. 6.