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Commentaries on the Gallic War by Julius…
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Commentaries on the Gallic War

by Julius Caesar

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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2,410292,332 (3.89)58
  1. 02
    Asterix and the Banquet by René Goscinny (Artymedon)
    Artymedon: The description of Gaul by this contemporary of Asterix will enlight the reader as to where Asterix' banquet takes place.
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English (24)  French (2)  Dutch (2)  Spanish (1)  All languages (29)
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Edition: // Descr: viii, 502 p. : ill., maps 18.5 cm. // Series: Call No. { 878 C11 8 } By William Rainey Harper and Herbert Cushing Tolman Contains Notes, Exercises in Latin Composition, Word Lists, Classification of Words, General Vocabulary, Special Vocabulary to Book Eight, and Indexes of Geography and Proper Names. // //
  ColgateClassics | Oct 26, 2012 |
Edition: Revised Edition // Descr: lxiii, 377 p. : ill., maps 19 cm. // Series: Standard Classical Textbooks Call No. { 878 C11 12 } With Notes, Dictionary, and a Map of Gaul by Albert Harkness. // //
  ColgateClassics | Oct 26, 2012 |
Edition: // Descr: 238 p. : ill., maps 19 cm. // Series: Call No. { 878.1 Ga5ri c2. } Edited with Notes, Summary of Forms and Syntax, Prose Composition, and Vocabulary by Ernest Riess and Arthur L. Janes Combined with Janes's Sight Reading. // //
  ColgateClassics | Oct 26, 2012 |
Edition: // Descr: 283 p. 18.5 cm. // Series: The Penguin Classics Call No. { 878 C11 9 } Series Edited by Betty Radice Translated by S.A. Handford Contains Notes and Glossary. // //
  ColgateClassics | Oct 26, 2012 |
My reactions in 1991.

This was an interesting book to read, an account of an ancient conquest told by the conqueror.

This book confirmed first hand things I’ve read elsewhere. As Benjamin Isaac points out in The Limits of Empire, the Romans didn’t really have a clear grasp of geography as pointed out in Caesar’s description of Britain. I’ve heard elsewhere of Caesar’s emphasis on luck in war and several times he mentions fortune, both for and against him. And, in this account, one can see why five Julio-Claudian emperors were able to mooch off Caesar’s reputation.

Caesar was brilliant in strategy, knew when to reward and when to discipline his troops. One can see why the legions developed a fierce loyalty to his family. One can see his oratorical skills (however palely reflected in translation) and mercy (with few exceptions, he’s remarkably lenient with the conquered Gauls -- but there were also practical political and military reasons for that). This book shows some of the flavor of warfare of the time: the importance of deception on the battlefied (and occasionally outright treachery at the parlay), the difficulties of supply, the amazing engineering skill of the Roman legions, the compactness of the ancient battlefield.

I wonder if Caesar’s descriptions of Gallic customs are correct and likewise with the Druids. I suspect Caesar perhaps overstates the client-patron relationships (a characteristic Roman social construct) in Gallic society.

Unfortunately, the book leaves me ignorant on points of ancient warfare I’d like to know: how were hostages (and there are lots in this account) and prisoners kept?, how quiet was the ancient battlefield (we here of speeches given on the field constantly)?, how close did various units camp?, what does a siege terrace look like?, how were the men tactically deployed? It isn’t Caesar’s fault these aren’t mentioned. He’s writing for an audience that knows these background details firsthand and needs no explanation. It would be like a modern history or novel not bothering to explain all that is implied by the words “telephone” or “fax machine”. ( )
  RandyStafford | Oct 10, 2012 |
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» Add other authors (160 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Julius Caesarprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Barabino, AndreaEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cunliffe, Barry W.Contributorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Edwards, H. J.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hammond, CarolynTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Handfors, S. A.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Huibregtse, P.K.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tadema, A.A.Illustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wiseman, A.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wiseman, AnneTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wiseman, P.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wiseman, PeterTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisi est.
Gaul comprises three areas, inhabited respectively by the Belgae, the Aquitani, and a people who call themselves Celts, though we call them Gauls.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Best war memoir ever written by the greatest general who ever lived.
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Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0140444335, Paperback)

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres... It is, perhaps, the most famous opening line of any memoir in Western civilization. What Caesar and the Romans called "Gaul," although we usually think of it as France, also comprised Belgium, the German lands west of the Rhine, southern Holland, and much of Switzerland. This is the only military campaign of the ancient world for which we have a chronicle written by the general who conducted it, and Julius Caesar is an insightful historian, with a keen eye for detail, as in this scene from the repulsion of the forces of the German king Ariovistus:
Caesar placed each of his five generals ahead of a legion and detailed his quaestor to command the remaining legion, so that every soldier might know that there was a high officer in a position to observe the courage with which he conducted himself, and then led the right wing first into action, because he had noticed that the enemy's line was weakest on that side.

(retrieved from Amazon Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:16:47 -0400)

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