Caesar in Gaul and Rome

War in Words

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Ancient & Classical, Nonfiction, History, Ancient History, Rome
Cover of the book Caesar in Gaul and Rome by Andrew M. Riggsby, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andrew M. Riggsby ISBN: 9780292774513
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Andrew M. Riggsby
ISBN: 9780292774513
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English

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? These are the questions that Andrew Riggsby pursues in this fresh interpretation of one of the masterworks of Latin prose. Riggsby uses contemporary literary methods to examine the historical impact that the commentaries had on the Roman reading public. In the first part of his study, Riggsby considers how Caesar defined Roman identity and its relationship to non-Roman others. He shows how Caesar opens up a possible vision of the political future in which the distinction between Roman and non-Roman becomes less important because of their joint submission to a Caesar-like leader. In the second part, Riggsby analyzes Caesar's political self-fashioning and the potential effects of his writing and publishing the Gallic War. He reveals how Caesar presents himself as a subtly new kind of Roman general who deserves credit not only for his own virtues, but for those of his soldiers as well. Riggsby uses case studies of key topics (spatial representation, ethnography, virtus and technology, genre, and the just war), augmented by more synthetic discussions that bring in evidence from other Roman and Greek texts, to offer a broad picture of the themes of national identity and Caesar's self-presentation.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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? These are the questions that Andrew Riggsby pursues in this fresh interpretation of one of the masterworks of Latin prose. Riggsby uses contemporary literary methods to examine the historical impact that the commentaries had on the Roman reading public. In the first part of his study, Riggsby considers how Caesar defined Roman identity and its relationship to non-Roman others. He shows how Caesar opens up a possible vision of the political future in which the distinction between Roman and non-Roman becomes less important because of their joint submission to a Caesar-like leader. In the second part, Riggsby analyzes Caesar's political self-fashioning and the potential effects of his writing and publishing the Gallic War. He reveals how Caesar presents himself as a subtly new kind of Roman general who deserves credit not only for his own virtues, but for those of his soldiers as well. Riggsby uses case studies of key topics (spatial representation, ethnography, virtus and technology, genre, and the just war), augmented by more synthetic discussions that bring in evidence from other Roman and Greek texts, to offer a broad picture of the themes of national identity and Caesar's self-presentation.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Landscapes Of Bacchus by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Texas Ranger John B. Jones and the Frontier Battalion, 1874-1881 by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Ancient Cuzco by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Theorizing Art Cinemas by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book The Republic of Football by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Ancient Burial Patterns of the Moche Valley, Peru by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book White Metropolis by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Thursday Night Lights by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volume 12 by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volume 1 by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book A Texas-Mexican Cancionero by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Jean-Claude Grumberg by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book The Political Economy of the Brazilian State, 1889–1930 by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Supplement to the Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volume 5 by Andrew M. Riggsby
Cover of the book Dangerous Gifts by Andrew M. Riggsby
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy