ABSTRACT
Julius Caesar lacked Hannibal's cunning and Alexander the Great's sense of destiny yet probably understood the social, psychological, and practical implications of warfare as well as any of the great leaders of the ancient world. In 62 B.C., after a short stint in the Third War, Gaius Iulius Caesar was appointed praetor and propraetor to Spain. Caesar was transformed into a most powerful political leader and an exceptional commander of troops. In the process he conquered a large, wealthy area that would provide Rome with lands, gold, and soldiers to fight its wars. The direct beneficiaries of Gallic subjugation would, of course, be Caesar and his men—but this also included Rome. Caesar meticulously examined the strategic moves necessary for victory. Caesar's understanding of logistics, like that of Rome in general, was based on the assumption that the terrain would provide more than enough—a realistic conclusion in a place like Gaul.
