Julius Caesar as Artful Reporter: The War Commentaries as Political Instruments

by Anton Powell

Nine contributions demonstrate that the appearance of simplicity in Julius Caesar's writings is achieved through subtle skill in the selection of style, language and content, which promotes Caesar and downplays Roman enemies. Contents: The publication of De Bello Gallico (T. P. Wiseman); Ratio and Romanitas in the Bellum Gallicum (L. G. H. Hall); The Logos of Caesar's Bellum Gallicum (Catherine Torigian); C. E. Stevens and the tradition on Caesar the propagandist (Barbara Levick_; Caesar and his officers in the Gallic War commentaries (Kathryn Welch); Caesar and the presentation of massacre (Anton Powell); Noble Gauls and their other in Caesar's propaganda (Jonathan Barlow); Caesar's portrayal of Gauls as warriors (Louis Rawlings) and 'Instinctive genius': The depiction of Caesar the general (Adrian Goldsworthy).

225 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1999

About the author

Anton Powell (born 1947) teaches Greek classics at the University of Wales. He is the author of several books and lives in the countryside of Wales.

Reviews

[Robyn]

Nice collection of chapters from such worthies as Adrian Goldsworthy and Louis Rawlings; examines the extent of Caesar's self-fashioning and political positiong that underscores his "history" of the Gallic Wars.