The Civil War of Caesar (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Julius Caesar (Author), Jane P. Gardner (Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0140441875 | ISBN-13: 978-0140441871 | Publication Date: November 18, 1976

A military leader of legendary genius, Caesar was also a great writer, recording the events of his life with incomparable immediacy and power. "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. 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, and the installation of Cleopatra, later Caesar's mistress, as Queen of Egypt. Together these narratives paint a full picture of the events that brought Caesar supreme power - and paved the way for his assassination only months later.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)

About the Author

Gaius Julius Caesar was born in 100BC into an ancient patrician family. He was imprisoned for a time with his familly, for protesting against the then leadership of Sulla, but advanced slowly through the sixties rising to the rank of praetor and forming the 'first triumvirate' with Pompey and Crassus. Elected consul in 59BC, he then became Governor for Transalpine Gaul. After the death of Crassus and the defeat of Pompey in 45BC, Caesar returned to Rome as dictator. He was assassinated in March 44BC. Jane Gardner received degrees in Classics from Glasgow and Oxford Universities and was Senior Lecturer in Classics at Reading University. She is the author of, among others, Women in Roman Law and Society and The Roman Household: A Sourcebook.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (November 18, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140441875
• ISBN-13: 978-0140441871
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #422,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting reading but..., September 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Civil War of Caesar (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

A much wider ranging story than his War in Gaul (De Bellum Galli) that covers campaigns in Africa, Spain, Greece, etc but ultimately not as much fun to read. To me, the most interesting parts of Caesar's accounts are the smaller scale anecdotes and stories. For example, after the initial route of Caesar's legions by an African army with elephants he brings an elephant into camp and describes how he familiarizes his men with the beast and develops tactics for the troops to fight against them. He also tells the story of a centurion who tries to rescue a slave being crushed by an attacking elephant. The centurion is caught by the elephant in it's trunk and is about to be dashed on the ground but manages to free himself by hacking at the elephant's trunk with his sword. The elephant drops the centurion, turns and barrels back through enemy lines. The anecdote presumably shows troops that attacking elephants can be challenged, successfully fought and made to release a soldier, and can even turned into weapons against their own armies. The only downside of this book is that much of it is not written by Caesar, but by his officers. These sections aren't written as well and tend to miss the interesting details and instead focus on the larger scale events. You can clearly tell the difference in the writing. Caesar's eye for detail is meant to help his troops in future battles (and negotiations) and makes the events come alive.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conflicts Toward The Inevitable., March 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Civil War of Caesar (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

The Civil War is finely narrated by Caesar concerning his vainful efforts in trying to get Pompey & his opponents to accede to peace in order to avert the outcoming conflict.He fails,despite his sound & convincing pleas.The rest of the campaigns are written by either eye-witnesses to the accounts or second hand informed ones who manage to carry their narrative well,except for the difficult & quite laborious prose of the Spanish campaign.Though not as exciting as The Gallic Campaign,Caesar's talent still shines through,particularly in Pharsalus & Spain during the first part of the Civil War,& Caesar's speeches & handling of people & situations are convicing & admirable.Indispensable reading & good education for military matters.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A civil account of the civil wars., May 28, 2000

By 

Lance Kirby (Portsmouth, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Civil War of Caesar (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

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 the Senate and people of Rome. If this is so I would happily cast my vote for any candidate who could write with such lucidity and straightforward style, even if that candidate harbored imperial aspirations of his own.