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Book Description
`All over Italy men were conscripted, and weapons requisitioned; money was exacted from towns, and taken from shrines; and all the laws of god and man were overturned.' The Civil War is Caesar's masterly account of the celebrated war between himself and his great rival Pompey, from the crossing of the Rubicon in January 49 B.C. to Pompey's death and the start of the Alexandrian War in the autumn of the following year. His unfinished account of the continuing struggle with Pomepy's heirs and followers is completed by the three anonymous accounts of the Alexandrian, African, and Spanish Wars, which bring the story down to within a year of Caesar's assassination in March 44 B.C. This generously annotated edition places the war in context and enables the reader to grasp it both in detail and as a whole.
About the Author
John Carter retired from a Senior Lectureship at Royal Holloway, University of London in 1992. His most recent translation is the Greek historian Appian's account of the Roman Civil Wars (1996).
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
(I) . . . when Caesar's letter was delivered to the consuls, it was only by the most strenuous efforts that the tribunes won their agreement that the letter should be read out in the senate.* Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
(I) . . . when Caesar's letter was delivered to the consuls, it was only by the most strenuous efforts that the tribunes won their agreement that the letter should be read out in the senate.* Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible epic, Jun 18 2009
By reader 451 - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Civil War (Paperback)
Caesar, it is believed, wrote this account of the first part of the civil wars: the war between him and Pompey. Yes: `Caesar actually wrote this!' I kept repeating to myself as I read it (Wow, this was written by Caesar, can you believe it? Caesar wrote this, and now I am reading it...). But even if you don't share such childish obsessions, this is well worth looking at. The divine Julius was as good a story-teller as a politician and general, and this is one of the most readable works by any ancient writer I have tried. The battles are described with great realism, both ordinary soldiers' and the general's everyday concerns come across convincingly, and the broader picture is kept alive in a highly coherent narrative.Caesar's story focuses on the military events, with some, though limited references to the political side. Unfortunately, the beginning of Book I was lost, which would have contained more on the political origins of the civil war. And of course, there is no telling how much is propaganda, how much outright invention, and how much is true. We don't have Pompey's version, though Cicero, who was not on Caesar's side, did provide some corroboration. Thus Caesar always claims to have been the most magnanimous, loyal, and truthful leader, and always ready to negotiate peace, while his enemies were greedy and timorous. Nevertheless, this is an account of the highest quality. As a bonus, the introduction has excellent basic notes on the political context, the Roman constitution, and Roman military organisation. Three texts by anonymous ancient authors, also in this edition, continue with the war in Egypt, Africa, and Spain.
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