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Caesar's three words, as Plutarch tells it

47 BCE, Asia Minor. As Plutarch tells it, over a century later.

Where and when

47 BCEAsia Minor

2,072 years ago

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Julius Caesar

, Asia MinorAs Plutarch tells it, over a century later

In plain words, ours

He won a big battle fast and wiped out the enemy army. Writing home to a friend, he summed it up in three words: came, saw, conquered.

At once, therefore, Caesar marched against him with three legions, fought a great battle with him near the city of Zela, drove him in flight out of Pontus, and annihilated his army. In announcing the swiftness and fierceness of this battle to one of his friends at Rome, Amantius, Caesar wrote three words Came, saw, conquered.

Plutarch, Life of Caesar 50.2Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1919)Read the full passage (Plutarch, Life of Caesar 50.2, opens scaife.perseus.org)

What was going on, our summary

As Plutarch tells it, over a century later: in 47 BCE Caesar left Cleopatra on the throne of Egypt and went on through Syria and Asia. There he heard that Pharnaces, son of Mithridates, had beaten Domitius and was seizing Bithynia and Cappadocia.

Checked claim by claim against: the passage around the quote.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. 49 BCE2 years earlier Caesar crosses the Rubicon with his army Same years
  2. 48 BCE1 year earlier Caesar defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Also about war and empire
  3. 48–47 BCEDuring it Caesar takes Cleopatra's side in Egypt Also about war and empire
  4. 48 BCE1 year earlier Caesar on his speech before Pharsalus More from Julius Caesar
  5. 48 BCE1 year earlier Caesar on Pompey's killing in Egypt More from Julius Caesar
  6. 47 BCEThis momentCaesar's three words, as Plutarch tells it
  7. 46 BCE1 year later Cato kills himself rather than accept Caesar's pardon Same years
  8. 46 BCE1 year later Caesar on Cato's death, as Plutarch tells it More from Julius Caesar
  9. 44 BCE3 years later Caesar is stabbed to death in the Senate Same years
  10. 41 BCE6 years later Plutarch on Cleopatra's charm Also in Asia Minor
  11. 41 BCE6 years later Cleopatra sails to Antony, in Plutarch Also in Asia Minor
  12. 117 CE163 years later The empire is at its largest when Trajan dies Also in Asia Minor

Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

But finally, after the king had gone away to the enemy, he marched against him and conquered him in a battle where many fell and the king himself disappeared. Then, leaving Cleopatra on the throne of Egypt (a little later she had a son by him whom the Alexandrians called Caesarion), he set out for Syria. On leaving that country and traversing Asia, he learned that Domitius had been defeated by Pharnaces the son of Mithridates and had fled from Pontus with a few followers; also that Pharnaces, using his victory without stint, and occupying Bithynia and Cappadocia, was aiming to secure the country called Lesser Armenia, and was rousing to revolt all the princes and tetrarchs there.

The quote: At once, therefore, Caesar marched against him with three legions, fought a great battle with him near the city of Zela, drove him in flight out of Pontus, and annihilated his army. In announcing the swiftness and fierceness of this battle to one of his friends at Rome, Amantius, Caesar wrote three words Came, saw, conquered.

In Latin, however, the words have the same inflectional ending, and so a brevity which is most impressive. After this, he crossed to Italy and went up to Rome, at the close of the year for which he had a second time been chosen dictator, though that office had never before been for a whole year; then for the following year he was proclaimed consul.

Plutarch, Life of Caesar 49.5–51.1Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1919)Read the full passage (opens scaife.perseus.org)

When, and whose words

Date
47 BCE. The battle of Zela in Pontus, 47 BCE; Plutarch wrote c. 100–120 CE.
Whose words
As Plutarch tells it, over a century later.
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

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