Marcus Varro

Also known as: Varro · Family: Pompeian · Role: commander · First appears: The Civil War, Book I, 34–40

In Book I of the Civil War, Pompey’s lieutenant Marcus Varro shared out the Spanish departments with Lucius Afranius and Petreius. When the commanders chose the area around Ilerda for the war, Varro was assigned to guard Further Spain.

In Book II, Varro began preparing to support Pompey’s side, raising two legions and about thirty auxiliary cohorts and forcing the province to swear allegiance to himself and Pompey. He gave command of Gades to Caius Gallonius, but the senate at Corduba shut its gates against him, and the people of Carmona drove out his cohorts. Though Varro had a “very intimate tie” with Caesar, his Vernacula legion abandoned his camp and withdrew to Hispalis. Intercepted on the roads, Varro sent Sextus Caesar to deliver his remaining legion to Caesar, then went to him at Corduba.

Relationship record

Life events

Afranius, Petreius, and Varro divided their respective Spanish departments among themselves.(The Civil War, Book I, 34–40 · 📍 Spain)
- With: Pompey Vibullius Rufus Lucius Afranius Petreius
- “On the arrival of Vibullius Rufus, whom, we have already mentioned, Pompey had sent into Spain, Afranius, Petreius, and Varro, his lieutenants (one of whom had the command of Hither Spain, with three legions; the second of the country from the forest of Castulo to the river Guadiana with two legions; the third from the river Guadiana to the country of the Vettones and Lusitania, with the like number of legions), divided amongst themselves their respective departments.”
Petreius marched to join Afranius, while Varro guarded Further Spain; they chose Ilerda's vicinity for the war.(The Civil War, Book I, 34–40 · 📍 Ilerda)
- With: Petreius Lucius Afranius
- “Petreius was to march from Lusitania through the Vettones, and join Afranius with all his forces; Varro was to guard all Further Spain with what legions he had. These matters being settled, reinforcements of horse and foot were demanded from Lusitania, by Petreius; from the Celtiberi, Cantabri, and all the barbarous nations which border on the ocean, by Afranius. When they were raised, Petreius immediately marched through the Vettones to Afranius. They resolved by joint consent to carry on the war in the vicinity of Ilerda, on account of the advantages of its situation.”
Marcus Varro began to regulate his movements by fortune and prepared to support Pompey's side.(The Civil War, Book II, 14–19 · 📍 Further Spain)
- “he began to regulate his movements by those of fortune.”
Marcus Varro raised two legions and about thirty auxiliary cohorts.(The Civil War, Book II, 14–19 · 📍 Further Spain)
- “He made levies throughout the province; and, having completed his two legions, he added to them about thirty auxiliary cohorts:”
Marcus Varro gave command of Gades to Caius Gallonius.(The Civil War, Book II, 14–19 · 📍 Gades)
- “and gave the command of the town of Gades to Caius Gallonius, a Roman knight, and friend of Domitius”
Marcus Varro forced the province to swear allegiance to him and Pompey.(The Civil War, Book II, 14–19)
- “and forced the whole province to take an oath of allegiance to him and Pompey.”
The senate at Corduba shut the gates against Varro and detained two cohorts for the town's defence.(The Civil War, Book II, 14–19 · 📍 Corduba)
- “At the same time the senate at Corduba shut the gates of their own accord against Varro, and posted guards and sentinels on the wall and in the turrets, and detained two cohorts (called Colonicae, which had come there accidentally), for the defence of the town.”
The people of Carmona drove Varro's cohorts from the town and shut the gates against them.(The Civil War, Book II, 14–19 · 📍 Carmona)
- “About the same time the people of Carmona, which is by far the strongest state in the whole province, of themselves drove out of the town the cohorts, and shut the gates against them, although three cohorts had been detached by Varro to garrison the citadel.”
Varro's Vernacula legion abandoned his camp and withdrew to Hispalis.(The Civil War, Book II, 20–25 · 📍 Hispalis)
- “one of Varro's two legions, which was called Vernacula, carried off the colours from Varro's camp, he himself standing by and looking on, and retired to Hispalis”
Varro surrendered his legion to Caesar through Sextus Caesar.(The Civil War, Book II, 20–25)
- With: Caesar Sextus Caesar
- “Then indeed, when intercepted from every road, he sends word to Caesar that he was ready to deliver up the legion which he commanded. He sends to him Sextus Caesar, and orders him to deliver it up to him. Varro, having delivered up the legion, went to Caesar to Corduba”

The Civil War, Book I, 34–40

commander: Pompey “Afranius, Petreius, and Varro, his lieutenants”

The Civil War, Book II, 14–19

friends with Caesar “that, nevertheless, there existed a very intimate tie between him and Caesar”
commander: Pompey “being pre-engaged to Cneius Pompey in quality of lieutenant”
subordinate: Caius Gallonius “and gave the command of the town of Gades to Caius Gallonius, a Roman knight, and friend of Domitius”

The Civil War, Book II, 20–25

subordinate: Sextus Caesar “He sends to him Sextus Caesar, and orders him to deliver it up to him.”

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Extracted from the original text of Caesar's Commentaries — The Gallic War and The Civil War. Made with Rho MD.