I Came I Saw I Conquered

Reported by both Plutarch and Suetonius after Caesar's lightning victory over King Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela (in modern-day Turkey) in 47 BC — a battle won within five days of Caesar's arrival and lasting only about four hours. Caesar had come almost directly from his time in Egypt with Cleopatra. Suetonius records that the phrase was displayed on a placard carried in Caesar's triumphal procession in Rome in 46 BC, signifying not just the victory but the extraordinary speed with which it was achieved. The Latin veni, vidi, vici is a tricolon and a striking example of Caesar's literary craft.