What is hirtius and pansa?

Hirtius and Pansa were Roman politicians and military commanders who were involved in the final stages of Julius Caesar's civil war and the early stages of the formation of the Roman Empire under Augustus.

Aulus Hirtius was a consul and leading general in the Roman army. He was a close ally of Julius Caesar, serving as one of his lieutenants during the Gallic Wars. Hirtius was also a prolific writer, producing several works on military tactics and strategy, as well as a history of the Hellenistic period.

Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus was also a consul and prominent Roman politician. Like Hirtius, he was a supporter of Caesar and served as one of his lieutenants during the civil war against the senatorial forces. Pansa was wounded at the Battle of Mutina while trying to lift the siege of the city, and died soon thereafter.

Together, Hirtius and Pansa played a crucial role in defeating the forces of Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, two of the conspirators who had assassinated Caesar. After the death of Pansa, Hirtius took command of the army and pursued the retreating enemy, but was killed in battle shortly thereafter.

Despite their important roles in the final stages of Caesar's civil war, Hirtius and Pansa are perhaps best known today for their association with the poet and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero, who was a close friend of Hirtius and an ally of Pansa. Their relationship with Cicero, as well as their contributions to military strategy and tactics, make them important figures in the history of the late Roman Republic.