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The Commentaries of Caesar
Excerpt from The Commentaries of Caesar
There is an eighth book, referring to an eighth and ninth campaign, but it is not the work of Caesar.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
There is an eighth book, referring to an eighth and ninth campaign, but it is not the work of Caesar.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
- GenresHistory
392 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1870
About the author
Anthony Trollope
2,620 books1,828 followersAnthony Trollope became one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of Trollope's best-loved works, known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire; he also wrote penetrating novels on political, social, and gender issues and conflicts of his day.
Trollope has always been a popular novelist. Noted fans have included Sir Alec Guinness (who never travelled without a Trollope novel), former British Prime Ministers Harold Macmillan and Sir John Major, economist John Kenneth Galbraith, American novelists Sue Grafton and Dominick Dunne and soap opera writer Harding Lemay. Trollope's literary reputation dipped somewhat during the last years of his life, but he regained the esteem of critics by the mid-twentieth century.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_...
Trollope has always been a popular novelist. Noted fans have included Sir Alec Guinness (who never travelled without a Trollope novel), former British Prime Ministers Harold Macmillan and Sir John Major, economist John Kenneth Galbraith, American novelists Sue Grafton and Dominick Dunne and soap opera writer Harding Lemay. Trollope's literary reputation dipped somewhat during the last years of his life, but he regained the esteem of critics by the mid-twentieth century.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 14, 2025
“From bloodthirstiness he slaughtered none; but neither from tenderness did he spare any.”
Trollope summarizes ten of Julius Caesar’s Commentaries (or memoirs)—the ten that are believed to have been written by Caesar himself. These describe Caesar’s various campaigns in Gaul and his fight against Pompey. The covered material ranges from Gaulish custom, to Caesar’s building of a bridge in ten days to cross a river, to Pompey’s murder and decapitation, to Caesar’s burning of most of Egypt’s royal library, to his relationship with Cleopatra:
“First, because he wanted some ready money, and secondly, because Cleopatra was pretty, Caesar nearly lost the world in Egypt.”
In is notable how Trollope distinguishes between Roman rulers, setting Caesar apart from Marius, Sulla, Octavius, and Antony, all of whom he views as greedy, power-hungry, “monsters of cruelty.” By contrast, he describes Caesar as merciful, brave, and focused on duty. Interestingly, Trollope’s overall view of Roman society during and immediately before Caesar’s time, and especially of Roman politics, is not a favorable one.
“Power had produced wealth, and wealth had produced corruption … An honest man with clean hands and a conscience, with scruples and a love of country, became unfitted for public employment.”
Trollope summarizes ten of Julius Caesar’s Commentaries (or memoirs)—the ten that are believed to have been written by Caesar himself. These describe Caesar’s various campaigns in Gaul and his fight against Pompey. The covered material ranges from Gaulish custom, to Caesar’s building of a bridge in ten days to cross a river, to Pompey’s murder and decapitation, to Caesar’s burning of most of Egypt’s royal library, to his relationship with Cleopatra:
“First, because he wanted some ready money, and secondly, because Cleopatra was pretty, Caesar nearly lost the world in Egypt.”
In is notable how Trollope distinguishes between Roman rulers, setting Caesar apart from Marius, Sulla, Octavius, and Antony, all of whom he views as greedy, power-hungry, “monsters of cruelty.” By contrast, he describes Caesar as merciful, brave, and focused on duty. Interestingly, Trollope’s overall view of Roman society during and immediately before Caesar’s time, and especially of Roman politics, is not a favorable one.
“Power had produced wealth, and wealth had produced corruption … An honest man with clean hands and a conscience, with scruples and a love of country, became unfitted for public employment.”
July 22, 2019
This is a well-written overview.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews