The loeb classical library edition of caesar is in three volumes. The civil war pharsalia lucan harvard university press. Book vi, the shortest of the hooks in the gallic wars, relates caesar s adventures during 53 b. Due to his decision to cross the rubicon, thus invading italy. The pharsalia details the civil war between julius caesar left and pompey the great right. Even without the authority of suetonius, the diction itself would be sufficient to convince the most skeptical that caesar and no other was the author.
The internet classics archive the civil wars by julius caesar. The outbreak of the civil war in 49 bc, was effectively, caused by julius caesar. This edition of the civil war replaces the earlier loeb classical library edition by a. It consists of three books covering the events of 4948 bc, from shortly before caesar s invasion of italy to pompeys defeat at the battle of pharsalus and flight to egypt. Book 8 was written by aulus hirtius, after caesar s death. Like his gallic war, julius caesar s account of the civil war between himself and pompey has been called propaganda he does speak of himself in the third person after all, written intermittently by a very busy man engaged in many other affairs, to justify himself and his actions to. He used part of his growing wealth from gallic loot to hire political agents in rome. Go to previous table of contents book 2, go to next. At this point the book, and the whole work, ends abruptly. Think of sullas crime, the butchery in the saeptas pound on the campus martius. Where caesar s own account leaves off in 48 bc, his lieutenants take up the history, describing the vital battles of munda, spain and.
Caesar s civil war resulted from the long political subversion of the roman governments institutions, begun with the career of tiberius gracchus, continuing with the marian reforms of the legions, the bloody dictatorship of lucius cornelius sulla, and completed by the first triumvirate over rome. Rather than restoring republican balance, caesar s murder unleashes a brutal civil war in which the selfinterest and power of the warring parties are all that matter. As for the battle narrative itself, it concerns an early revolt of several tribes, quelled by caesar and labienus. At one point they were allies, being two of the powerful leaders involved in the first triumvirate, the third being marcus licinius crassus.
When caesar crossed the rubicon, the senate finally realized that they had made a terrible mistake. Summary while spending the winter in hither gaul, caesar hears rumors from various sources, supported by dispatches from labienus, that the belgae are. Books i and ii aris and phillips classical texts bk. Almost two years before the two rivals met at pharsalus, the roman republic, split by a half century of political unrest, had drifted into civil war. Together they had brought vast stretches of territory under roman dominion. Julius caesar and pompey the great were two of the greatest generals rome had ever produced. The supplement of dionysius vossius to caesars first book of the civil war.
This is a detailed discription of the war campaigns of julius caesar, starting from the time that he was in charge of the roman forces in france gaul. The civil war written by gaius julius caesar and three of his followers recounts the events of the civil war between the caesar and pompey the great, including the latters defeat and the subsequent moppingup of his partisans in egypt, pontus, north africa and spain. Caesar s writting style is that of a detailed factual report, prepared year by year, of the events. In the loeb classical library edition of caesar, volume i is his gallic war. Julius caesar, commentaries on the civil war, caesars. The civil war, on the otherhand, i could never get into. Perhaps its knowing that twothirds of the book, and probably more, are not by caesar s hand. 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. He prepared his seven books on the gallic war for publication in 51 bce when he still had serious revolts in gaul on his hands, and he wrote his books on the civil war and his anticato in the hectic years between 49 and 44 bce. Caesar s most amazing characteristic is his energy, intellectual and physical.
The mistake wasnt in letting the situation get that far, but in that they believed the roman and italian people would rally to defend the republican system. Where caesar s own account leaves off in 48 bc, his lieutenants take up the history, describing the vital battles of munda, spain and thapsus. This business being ended, as credit was beginning to fail in italy, and the debts could not be paid, he. Together with the alexandrian war, the african war, and the spanish war classics new impression by caesar, julius isbn.
A military leader of legendary genius, caesar was also a great writer, recording the events of his life with incomparable immediacy and power. The supplement of dionysius vossius to caesar s first book of the civil war. The campaign of ilerda and defeat of afranius and petreius. They are records of his own campaigns with occasional digressions in vigorous, direct, clear, unemotional style and in the third person, the account of the civil war being somewhat more impassioned. With the belgae and the seduni conquered and the germans driven out, caesar assumes gaul is relatively at peace, but before he can get to illyricum war once again kindles in gaul. In 49 bc they turned against each other and plunged rome into civil war.
In three short books, caesar describes how, in orde. The civil wars by julius caesar, part of the internet classics archive. This generously annotated edition places the war in context and enables the reader to grasp it. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. He changed the roman republic into a monarchy and laid the foundations of. Julius caesar personality and reputation britannica. Volume iii consists of alexandrian war, african war, and spanish war, commonly ascribed to caesar. Caesar s civil war download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Publius crassus has been wintering in the country of the andes with the seventh legion and has sent some of his officers to neighboring states to get grain. Click download or read online button to get caesar s civil war book now. After a brief introduction lamenting the idea of romans. In the first 10 minutes i provide 5 campaignbattle maps which are directly related to the events in book 1 58 b. Pompey led the patrician faction, the optimates best ones, composed of romes aristocrats and senators. In his epic the civil war, lucan 3965 ce carries us from caesars fateful crossing.
Julius caesar s civil war the great roman civil war, or julius caesar s civil war, had various causes. One major catalyst was the conflict that developed between julius caesar and pompey. In the third book of the critically acclaimed marching with caesar series, titus pullus and his friends in the 10th legion are called on to serve as the agents of change as their general, gaius julius caesar singlehandedly changes the roman republic to empire. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. After the conclusion of the war, caesar was informed of these expressions by some persons who were present at the conversation. Julius caesar antecedents and outcome of the civil war. Imagine the chains, imagine the cross reserved for caesar, my head set on the rostrum, limbs unburied. Julius caesar launched a civil war in ancient rome in order to take control of the government as the most powerful leader. The civil war is julius caesar s personal account of his war with pompey the great the war that destroyed the fivehundredyearold roman republic.
I think it needless to say any thing here, in opposition to those. This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. I will now say nothing concerning the absurd opinion of those who assert that the following commentaries on the civil war were not written by caesar himself. The first scene of the play depicts the conflict between romes republican past and caesar s ascendance. However, some scholars may argue that caesar had no intention to start a civil war nor had a choice, but was goaded by pompey and the optimates into it. Julius caesar julius caesar antecedents and outcome of the civil war of 4945 bce. Peskett 1914 with new text, translation, introduction, and bibliography.
Caesars civil war resulted from the long political subversion of the roman governments institutions, begun with the career of tiberius gracchus, continuing with the marian reforms of the legions, the bloody dictatorship of lucius cornelius sulla, and completed by the first triumvirate over rome the first triumvirate so denominated by cicero, comprising julius caesar, crassus, and pompey. During his conquest of gaul, caesar had been equally busy in preserving and improving his position at home. The civil war is a tense and gripping depiction of his struggle with pompey over the leadership of republican rome a conflict that spanned the entire roman world, from gaul and spain to asia and africa. By 65 he was composing the tenth book but then became involved in the. I think it needless to say any thing here, in opposition to those who pretend, that the following commentaries, concerning the civil war, were not penned by caesar himself. Book from the collections of unknown library language english. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Learn about the origins of this fighting and how it changed the roman. The full work is split into eight sections, book 1 to book 8, each varying in size from approximately 5,000 to 15,000 words. The civil war book by caesar 9 available editions half.
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