Anyone who has even a passing acquaintance with Latin knows "Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres" ("All Gaul is divided into three parts"), the opening line of De Bello Gallico, Julius Caesar's famous commentary on his campaigns against the Gauls in the 50s BC. But what did Caesar intend to accomplish by writing and publishing his commentaries, how did he go about it, and what potentially unforeseen consequences did his writing have?
"Julius Caesar" offers a lively, engaging, and thoroughly up-to-date account of Caesar's life and times. Richard Billows' dynamic and fast paced narrative offers an imaginative recounting of actions and events, providing the ideal introduction to Julius Caesar for general readers and students of classics and ancient history. The book is not just a biography of Caesar, but an historical account and explanation of the decline and fall of the Roman Republican governing system, in which Caesar played a crucial part.
This book explores the significance of Julius Caesar to different periods, societies and people from the 50s BC through to the twenty-first century. This interdisciplinary volume explores the significance of Julius Caesar to different periods, societies and people. Ranges over the fields of religious, military, and political history, archaeology, architecture and urban planning, the visual arts, and literary, film, theatre and cultural studies. Examines representations of Caesar in Italy, France, Germany, Britain, and the United States in particular. Objects of analysis range from Caesar's own commentaries on the Gallic wars, through Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and images of Caesar in Italian fascist popular culture, to contemporary cinema and current debates about American empire.
