Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico [Commentaries on the Gallic War]

Thomas Reginald Stevenson (University of Queensland)

Ed. by William John Dominik, University of Otago
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Jula Wildberger (The American University of Paris)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. -40

Places

Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Historical

Resources

The Bellum Gallicum, composed of eight books, is Julius Caesar’s account of his campaigns in Gaul from 58 to 52 BCE, with the eighth and final book added by Aulus Hirtius for the years 51-50 BCE. Its contents may be summarized as follows:

Book 1 (58): Caesar begins with a geographical outline of Gaul and moves on to describe battles against the Helvetii and the Germans. Aggression against the Helvetii is justified in terms of the potential – rather than actual – danger they pose to Roman territory. Aggression against the Germans is presented as being neither premeditated nor self-interested: it arises in response to constant Gallic appeals and arrogance on the part of the German king Ariovistus.

Book 2 …

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2362 words

Citation: Stevenson, Thomas Reginald. "Commentarii de Bello Gallico". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 July 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=25863, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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