ABSTRACT
In his Commentarii de Bello Civili Julius Caesar sought to re-invent his image and appear before his present and future readers in a way which he could control and at times manipulate. Offering a new interpretation of the Bellum Civile this book reveals the intricate literary world that Caesar creates using sophisticated techniques such as a studied choice of vocabulary, rearrangement of events, use of indirect speech, and more. Each of the three books of the work is examined independently to set out the gradual transformation of Caesar's literary persona, in step with his ascent in the 'real' world. By analysing the work from Caesar's viewpoint the author argues that by adroit presentation and manipulation of historical circumstances Caesar creates in his narrative a different reality, one in which his conduct is justified. The question of the res publica is also a key point of the volume, as it is in the Bellum Civile, and the author argues that Caesar purposely does not present himself as a Republican, contrary to commonly held views. Employing detailed philological analyses of Caesar's three books on the Civil War, this work significantly advances our understanding of Caesar as author and politician.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter |10 pages
Introduction
part I|62 pages
Bellum Civile I
chapter Chapter 1|6 pages
The Six Opening Chapters
chapter Chapter 2|22 pages
Pompey and the Pompeians in Bellum Civile I
chapter Chapter 3|18 pages
Rei Publicae Causa?
chapter Chapter 4|8 pages
Omissions and Manipulations in Bellum Civile I
chapter Chapter 5|6 pages
Civil War and the Ending of Bellum Civile I
part II|38 pages
Bellum Civile II
chapter Chapter 6|8 pages
The Uniqueness of Bellum Civile II
chapter Chapter 7|14 pages
Caesaris Miles
chapter Chapter 8|8 pages
The Pompeians in Bellum Civile II
chapter Chapter 9|6 pages
Civil War and the Ending of Bellum Civile II
part |52 pages
Bellum Civile III