Why did Pompey and the Senate leave Rome after Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon?

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Statue of Julius Caesar in Roman military attire stands in front of a domed building in Rome, Italy, with a clear blue sky in the background. — Julius Caesar Julius Caesar, bronze sculpture in Rome.

After Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 BCE, Pompey and the Senate abandoned Rome and Italy as part of a deliberate strategic plan.1

Pompey intended to leverage his command of the sea and the vast resources of the East to establish a naval blockade and effectively starve out the Caesarian forces remaining in Italy. By withdrawing, Pompey sought to avoid a direct confrontation in Italy while he consolidated his strength elsewhere. Although this strategy was sound, its execution was hampered by a lack of full cooperation from his Optimate allies, and Caesar’s rapid advance southward only narrowly failed to prevent their successful withdrawal across the Adriatic Sea.1