AFRANIUS, LUCIUS

born , Picenum died 46 BC, Africa province [now in Tunisia] Roman general, a devoted adherent of Pompey the Great. In 60 BC, chiefly by Pompey's support, Afranius was raised to the consulship, in which office he proved himself incompetent to manage civil affairs. In the following year, while governor of Cisalpine Gaul, he obtained a triumph; and, on the allotment of Spain to Pompey (55 BC), Afranius and Marcus Petreius were sent to govern it as legates. On the rupture between Julius Caesar and Pompey, Afranius and Petreius were compelled, after a short campaign in which they were at first successful, to surrender to Caesar at Ilerda (49 BC). Caesar dismissed them on their promise not to serve again in the war. Afranius, however, went to join Pompey, and, at the Battle of Pharsalus (48 BC), he had charge of Pompey's camp. On Pompey's defeat, Afranius, despairing of pardon from Caesar, went to Africa, and he was present at the disastrous Battle of Thapsus (46 BC), at which Caesar defeated the supporters of Pompey and gained control of Roman Africa. Although he escaped from the field with a strong body of cavalry, Afranius was afterward taken prisoner and was killed (according to varying accounts) either by seditious soldiers or at the command of Caesar.