Julius Caesar: The Gallic War
Julius Caesar, The Gallic War
The Gallic War, shortened and translated from the original Latin title Commentarii de Bello Gallico, was a third-person narrative written primarily by Julius Caesar himself. Written sometime in the 50s and 40s B.C.E., this non-fiction narrative speaks of Caesar’s firsthand accounts that he experienced during the war with the Gauls from 58-50 B.C.E. This account is split up into 8 total books; 7 of them written by Caesar and the eighth, which was a continuation written after Caesar’s death, was written by Aulus Hirtius, a high-ranking soldier who server under Caesar in Gaul. Each of the books describe the events that took place in each year and are written in chronological order. The commentaries “provide a glimpse of the realities of warfare and, at the same time, of how he won loyalty both at home and abroad” (Sources, p. 116). These accounts are written as descriptions of the events and battles that took place throughout the war. …show more content…
Like many other piece of Roman literature, The Gallic War was written in a way that one, tells a history of the events that took place and two, tells them in a way that attempts to be both informative and persuasive. Although historical in nature, pieces similar to this one are very much directed to the Roman population as a means to sway public opinion and gain and maintain loyalty, almost like a form of propaganda. The Gallic War is primarily a non-biased document telling the events, yet still focuses on describing how great of a leader and military strategist Caesar
The Gallic War, shortened and translated from the original Latin title Commentarii de Bello Gallico, was a third-person narrative written primarily by Julius Caesar himself. Written sometime in the 50s and 40s B.C.E., this non-fiction narrative speaks of Caesar’s firsthand accounts that he experienced during the war with the Gauls from 58-50 B.C.E. This account is split up into 8 total books; 7 of them written by Caesar and the eighth, which was a continuation written after Caesar’s death, was written by Aulus Hirtius, a high-ranking soldier who server under Caesar in Gaul. Each of the books describe the events that took place in each year and are written in chronological order. The commentaries “provide a glimpse of the realities of warfare and, at the same time, of how he won loyalty both at home and abroad” (Sources, p. 116). These accounts are written as descriptions of the events and battles that took place throughout the war. …show more content…
Like many other piece of Roman literature, The Gallic War was written in a way that one, tells a history of the events that took place and two, tells them in a way that attempts to be both informative and persuasive. Although historical in nature, pieces similar to this one are very much directed to the Roman population as a means to sway public opinion and gain and maintain loyalty, almost like a form of propaganda. The Gallic War is primarily a non-biased document telling the events, yet still focuses on describing how great of a leader and military strategist Caesar