There were some attempts at negotiation.  The armies were so exasperated against each other on account of the privations and hardships which each compelled the other to suffer, that they felt too strong a mutual distrust to attempt any regular communication by commissioners or ambassadors appointed for the purpose.  They came to a parley, however, in one or two instances, though the interviews led to no result.  As the missiles used in those days were such as could only be thrown to a very short distance, hostile bodies of men could approach much nearer to each other then than is possible now, when projectiles of the most terribly destructive character can be thrown for miles.  In one instance, some of the ships of Pompey’s fleet approached so near to the shore as to open a conference with one or two of Caesar’s lieutenants who were encamped there.  In another case, two bodies of troops from the respective armies were separated only by a river, and the officers and soldiers came down to the banks on either side, and held frequent conversations, calling to each other in loud voices across the water.  In this way they succeeded in so far coming to an agreement as to fix upon a time and place for a more formal conference, to be held by commissioners chosen on each side.  This conference was thus held, but each party came to it accompanied by a considerable body of attendants, and these, as might have been anticipated, came into open collision while the discussion was pending; thus the meeting consequently ended in violence and disorder, each party accusing the other of violating the faith which both had plighted.

[Sidenote:  Undecided warfare.] [Sidenote:  Bread made of roots.]

This slow and undecided mode of warfare between the two vast armies continued for many months without any decisive results.  There were skirmishes, struggles, sieges, blockades, and many brief and partial conflicts, but no general and decided battle.  Now the advantage seemed on one side, and now on the other.  Pompey so hemmed in Caesar’s troops at one period, and so cut off his supplies, that the men were reduced to extreme distress for food.  At length they found a kind of root which they dug from the ground, and, after drying and pulverizing it, they made a sort of bread of the powder, which the soldiers were willing to eat rather than either starve or give up the contest.  They told Caesar, in fact, that they would live on the bark of trees rather than abandon his cause.  Pompey’s soldiers, at one time, coming near to the walls of a town which they occupied, taunted and jeered them on account of their wretched destitution of food.  Caesar’s soldiers threw loaves of this bread at them in return, by way of symbol that they were abundantly supplied.

[Sidenote:  Caesar hems Pompey in.] [Sidenote:  Anxiety of the rivals.]