Battle of Ascurum
The Battle of Ascurum was a battle in 46 BC during Caesar’s Civil War which saw the defeat of an Optimate force under Pompey the Younger in battle against the Mauretanians 

In 51 BC a civil war broke out within the Roman Republic between the supporters of the general Julius Caesar, a prominent Populares, and the supporters of the general Pompey the Great, a prominent Optimate. The Kingdom of Mauretania decided to support Julius Caesar in this struggle, probably because their rivals Numidia supported Pompey. When a pro-Optimate rebellion broke out in Spain, Bogud of Mauretania intervened and helped put down the rebellion. 

The Mauretanians seemed to have picked the right side as the war swung in the favour of Julius Caesar following the Battle of Pharsalus and Pompey the Great’s murder in Egypt. The remaining Optimates fled to North Africa and set up at Utica. Here the Optimate leader Cato chastised Pompey’s son, called Pompey the Younger, stating how his father had achieved much more at his age. This convinced Younger Pompey to go on a campaign of his own and he decided to attack Mauretania to neutralise what was a potential threat. 

With a small force numbering around 2,000 Pompey landed on the Mauretanian coast and approached the town of Ascurum. The garrison of the town let Pompey approach very close until he was right outside the walls then launched a sudden sally. The surprised Pompeians, possibly outnumbered by the garrison whose size is unknown, were quickly broken and fled back to their ships. Full of shame Pompey did not return to Utica but instead fled to the Balearic Islands.

This attack spurred the Mauretanians into action, and with the help of the mercenary Publius Sittius they invaded and seized much of Numidia. Following Caesar invasion of Africa and victory at the Battle of Thapsus many prominent Optimates fled westward only to find their escape blocked by the Mauretanians, with many captured and killed and others committing suicide. Pompey the Younger, still in the Balearics, would later go to Spain and meet with any other remaining Optimates, who would launch a final rebellion against Caesar which was put down at the Battle of Munda where the Younger Pompey was killed.
Q4180
46 BC
TIME
Q1238338
Caesar’s Civil War
EVE
Q309155
Optimate
Concept
Q473280
Pompey the Younger
PER
Q309272
Mauretanians
LOC
Q17167
Roman Republic
LOC
Q1048
Julius Caesar
PER
Q271108
Populares
Concept
Q125414
Pompey the Great
PER
Q102679
Numidia
LOC
Q29
Spain
LOC
Q2347534
Bogud
PER
Q203681
Battle of Pharsalus
EVE
Q79
Egypt
LOC
Q27381
North Africa
LOC
Q166523
Utica
LOC
Q193506
Cato
PER
Q5765
Balearic Islands
LOC
Q723477
Publius Sittius
PER
Q849653
Battle of Thapsus
EVE
Q516760
Battle of Munda
EVE
Q106855846
Battle of Ascurum
UNK
+46^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
46
NUMBER
+51^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
51
NUMBER
opposite of
time period
conflict
member of political party