 Caesar's civil war fought between 49 and 45 BC are up to due to tensions between Julius Caesar and the Roman Senate led by Nius Pompeius Magnus, or Pompey. Caesar's rapid rise in consolidation of power threatened many in the Senate. In 49 BC, Caesar crossed the Rubicon River, a symbolic act of defiance, triggering the war. The pivotal battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC resulted in Pompey's defeat in subsequent flight to Egypt where he was assassinated. In 45 BC, Caesar defeated the last of the Pompeians at the Battle of Munda before being appointed dictator in perpetuity the following year. His position was controversial however, leading to resentment amongst the senatorial class that culminated in his assassination on the Ides of March in 44 BC, with Rome transitioning from a republic to an empire shortly after this. Subscribe for more.