THE GALLIC WAR PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Julius Caesar,H.J. Edwards | 642 pages | 01 Jul 1989 | HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS | 9780674990807 | English | Cambridge, Mass, United States The Gallic War PDF Book However, although Caesar's bias is evident, this does not mean that the work has no value at all. As the Romans advanced towards the coast the Menapii and the Morini withdrew into their swamps, and the Romans were unable to catch them. Whatever their true motive, the Veneti revolt began when they seized Q. Oxford World's Classics. A poor harvest meant that Caesar's winter quarters were spread out over a larger area than normal, making them vulnerable to surprise attacks. The Romans followed the retreating Belgae, inflicting heavy casualties on them. During his lifetime, Caesar was regarded as one of the best orators and prose authors in Latin — even Cicero spoke highly of Caesar's rhetoric and style. Coins displaying images of the Gallic Wars were used to advertise and emphasise Caesar's military achievements during his war with Pompey. Caesar was clearly not satisfied with the results of this first expedition. There were two possible routes that the migrating Helvetii could take to cross Gaul. In return Caesar's command was to be extended for another five years. This time Caesar was in a vengeful mood, apparently angered by the Veneti's failure to respect the rights of ambassadors. After a month long siege the town fell to the Romans, and everybody in the place was killed. That morning a delegation of German leaders came to the Roman camp, apparently to apologise for the clash of the previous day. They had dispersed after the battle of Vesontio, but could just as easily return, especially if the Romans withdrew back to the south of France. The Belgae attempted to cross the Aisne using a ford, but Caesar was able to use his bridge to send his light troops to reinforce the small garrison on the south bank, and this attack was repulsed battle of the Aisne. Oct 29, Maksim Ovtsinnikov rated it really liked it. Crassus defeated the tribes of Aquitaine in a campaign that ended when he attacked their camp. Cicero may have appreciated Caesar's stylistic qualities, but when he compares the Gallic War to a work of history, he only proves that he is a victim of Caesar's superior literary skills. Afterward, the Senate decrees a thanksgiving of twenty days; once more, an unprecedented honor. He then raised a force of Gallic cavalry and led his army towards the Germans. Political Thought in Latin Literature. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Caesar took the fourteenth and sixth legions on a raid into Carnutes territory and once again caught them out by arriving before they were prepared. The Gallic War Writer Does my translation make much sense? In fact, as a testimony to the refined degree of Gallic craftsmanship, many of the equipment was actually adopted by the Romans themselves. Instead he built a strong camp a few miles from the siege, and waited for reinforcements to arrive. Although Caesar rather rushes over the details of this campaign, it clearly lasted for some time, for the Roman fleets were kept in port by storms for 'a great part of the summer'. Calls for Papers. During his lifetime, Caesar was regarded as one of the best orators and prose authors in Latin — even Cicero spoke highly of Caesar's rhetoric and style. This is the closest I could find to the book I have. Their decision to migrate from their homeland leads to their pillaging of peoples adjacent to the Roman province 1. I'm just not that interested in the Gallic war! Search form Search. For everyone else, probably give this one a miss, just watch the Rome tv show on HBO; it's good fun and the costumes are dynamite. The resulting battle generally known as the battle of Vesontio despite having taken place some way from that town ended with a crushing Roman victory. These plans were completely unacceptable to the Romans. Recognizing that the Romans had an upper hand on the battlefield due to their panoply and training, he declined to give battle against them and instead fought a " scorched earth " campaign to deprive them of supplies. Vercingetorix wanted to adopt a scorched-earth policy and attempt to starve the Romans out of Gaul, but the Bituriges persuaded him to try and defend Avaricum. The strong stand by the X legion and the prompt arrival of reinforcements enabled Caesar to regroup, redeploy and eventually repulse the Nervii once the Atrebates and Viromandui were put to flight. The Ph. Acco's death did indeed play a part in their discussions — a fear of sharing the same fate actually encouraged the rebels. The Romans suffered very few casualties. The aggressive maneuver totally took the Germans by surprise — resulting in the massacre of not only men but also women and children. He reacted by raising two new legions, and preparing for a new campaign. Cambridge University Press. Then, unexplainably, there is a moment of panic within the Roman army, but it manages to regain its courage and crushes the German forces. Military history of ancient Rome. The Veneti were a seafaring people and had built a sailing fleet in the Gulf of Morbihan , requiring the Romans to build galleys and undertake an unconventional land and sea campaign. It would also have threatened the Roman road that connected Italy to their Spanish provinces. Caesar lined up on the right flank. Open Preview See a Problem? The primary historical source for the Gallic Wars is Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico in Latin, which is one of the best surviving examples of unadorned Latin prose. The Helvetii leaders asked to meet with Caesar, but nothing came of the meeting, and the migration continued. Julius Caesar. Taking two and a half of them he advanced towards the Treveri and tricked them into attacking him. The most complete and up-to-date critical edition. Most obviously it made navigating the unfamiliar shallow coastal waters around Brittany very dangerous. The downside of the standard reading De bello Gallico during the early years of Latin study is that it is an account of battles, with descriptions of tactics, techniques, and materials that can be hard to understand. Caesar was aware that he would soon be involved in a struggle with his political opponents in Rome, and the last thing he wanted was another Gallic revolt in his rear. The commentary about these two centurions, T. And while the Romans did successfully capture many fortified Gallic towns oppida on their way to crust the revolt, Vercingetorix adopted the defensive strategy of not offering the Romans direct battle. History at your fingertips. Public Statements. Their new province was officially called Transalpine Gaul, to distinguish it from Cisalpine Gaul in northern Italy, but was often simply called 'The Province'. This gave the Belgae a total of , men or , if the Veolcasses and Veromandui figure is for a single contingent. Accordingly, the Romans stopped their pursuit and headed for the Aedui town of Bibracte. In any case, the loss of so many officers curtailed the maneuvering capacity of the besieging Romans, and thus Caesar was forced to withdraw from Gergovia, resulting in a rare Gallic victory — which further enhanced the reputation of Vercingetorix. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Gallic War Reviews Ancient Roman wars. Jul 02, Ev rated it it was amazing. Only two years of language were re We had to read this in second year high school Latin in "the original. Download as PDF Printable version. Caesar's insights into the traditions of the Gaulish Celts, particularly the order of the druids, is fascinating, but the detailed descriptions of battles, especially when he frequently applauds his own heroism, can get a little tiring. But they were already cut-off from supplies and the Britons even managed to ambush many of Roman grain harvesters. Apparently Dumnorix was doing everything in his power to delay the supplies. The sacking of Avaricum was undoubtedly a setback for the Gallic coalition, and the next target for Caesar circa spring of 52 BC would pertain to Gergovia, the fortified stronghold of the Arverni, the tribe of Vercingetorix. In essence, the scorpions proved their value in various engagements during the Gallic Wars, with one particular example pertaining to the siege of Avaricum when the Gauls tried to set fire to the aforementioned terrace. The countries of Gaul were civilized and wealthy. Velanius and T. In the previous year Pompey had released coins proclaiming his naval power RRC ; Caesar's coins might be seen as a response. On this approach, Caesar's narrative of conquest can be seen to justify not only his own actions, but also the paternalistic militarism of Roman political thought. Caesar describes a meeting with a delegation of leading Gallic nobles who requested his assistance against Ariovistus, but a German presence west of the Rhine would probably have attracted his attentions anyway. But, translating the original Latin presented a completely different experience List of older school editions used in the creation of the notes, with links to full scans on Google Books. Updated August 03, This was very worrying for the Romans — if the Aedui joined the revolt then Caesar's ten legions would be dangerously isolated in their winter quarters. The Veneti were a seafaring people and had built a sailing fleet in the Gulf of Morbihan , requiring the Romans to build galleys and undertake an unconventional land and sea campaign.