The
Great Roman Civil War (49–45 BC), also known as
Caesar's Civil War, was one of the last politico-military conflicts in the
Roman Republic before the establishment of the
Roman Empire. It began as a series of political and military confrontations, between
Julius Caesar (100–44 BC), his political supporters (broadly known as
Populares), and his
legions, against the
Optimates (or Boni), the politically conservative and socially traditionalist faction of the
Roman Senate, who were supported by
Pompey (106–48 BC) and his legions.