Caesar Julius
| série: | Histoire (Rome) |
| éditeur: | Evans |
| auteur: | Grant Michael |
| classement: | biblio2 |
| année: | 1992 |
| format: | cartonné avec jaquette |
| état: | TBE |
| valeur: | 10 € |
| critère: | ** |
| remarques: | english book the life of Julius Caesar split in 10 chapters >>> voir aussi le livre César de Gérard Walter Prologue Caesar an astute politician, a masterly propagandist, a clever administrator, a gifted writer, a man of taste and a military genius, quick to make decision, to move with speed and exercise magnetic authority over his troops and also favoured by the deity Fortune! by respect to Caesar, the following emperors called themselves "Caesar" 1/ Rome and the young Caesar - the consuls, the nobility (patrician), the senate, however the lawgiving body was the assembly of the Roman people who also elected the principal officials - mariage of Caesar with Cornelia, daughter of Cinna, friend of Marius in order to tighten friendship with the Julian house against Sulla - after his dispute with Sulla, Caesar is sent to Anatolia, at the death of Sulla, Caesar returns to Rome and enters an activity in the law-courts, well educated by a former slave of him, named Antonius Guipho, a master of Greek and latin rhetoric - the tribun = a kind of ombudsman - for the next 7 years, Caesar's activity was subordinated to the two most important men in Rome: Pompey and Crassus 2/ - under the shadow of Pompey and Crassus - description of Pompey whose father was a trustworthy general of Sulla, Pompey gains power by dismantling the pirates in the Mediterranean sea - description of Crassus, a courteous affable man but without great leadership, Crassus with his enormous fortune was willing to support Caesar - the two men who Caesar disliked most throughout his life were Catulus and Cato >> p. 23 the masterly held speech of Caesar concerning the judgement in the conspiration of Catiline - description of Cato, the conservative Republican >> p. 29 Pompey's triumph in Asia makes him the wealthier man in Rome 3/ the three-headed monster - Caesar becomes proconsul of Further Spain where he reveals himself as a good military commander, then, when returning to Rome, he is elected consul with Bibulus - creation of the first triumvirat (but without Cicero), one of the best laws raised by Caesar: the publication of all the acts of the Senate to the public - Caesar is given the provinces of Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum but later on due to the defection of Metellus Celer, Caesar gets also the Narbonese province, door to the entire Gaul - description of Clodius, henchman of Caesar >> the reason of the name Clodius instead of Claudius 4/ atrocites against Gauls and Germans - the Gallic war that was to occupy Caesar's life for the next 8 years >> p. 47-48-49 comments about Caesar's "bello gallico" (commentaries = note book), appreciated even by Cicero and written by Hirtius, Caesar's officer, who finished himself the commentaries with the 8th book, the most purpose of these commentaries was however propaganda and Caesar's justification for his deeds - 200 tribes ruled then the Celtic Gaul (about 10-15 mio people), political unity was weak but there was an advanced civilisation: agriculture, breeding and metallurgy, Gauls' strength was their cavalry but even with that force, it was not a match against the well-disciplined and well-organised Roman legions (the Celts were rather showy than dangerous!) - the migration and threat of the Helvetes >> p. 52 war against Ariovistus, up then friend and ally of Rome, alliance with the Remi against the Belgic tribes, campaign against the Nervii and Atuatuci who were nearly obliterated, P. Crassus (son of Crassus) occupies Britanny and Normandy, Caesar returns to Cisalpine Gaul with the view that the war in Gaul was over - political intrigues in Rome, Cicero tries to wedge the triumvirate between Caesar, Pompey and Crassus but at Luca where the triumvirs met 56 BC, Caesar receives "carte blanche" for his further military operations in Gaul - war against the Veneti, the principal sea-traders of Gaul and the leading Gaulish sea-power, war also against the Usipetes and the Teucteri >> p. 61 the affair with Egypt 5/ raids on Britain and Germany - the expedition to Germany with a bridge across the Rhine, first expedition to Britain where Caesar is confronted for the first time with the war-chariots of the Britons - description of Labienus, first lieutnant of Caesar who organised the cavalry in a new way - death of Julia, Caesar's daughter, married with Pompey which ended the good relations between Caesar and Pompey - death of Dumnorix, second expedition to Britain but except for propaganda's purposes, this expedition did not win any material success 6/ crisis in Gaul and Rome >> p. 73 description of the Druids - war against Ambiorix, siege of Quintus Cicero's camp (brother of Cicero), execution of Acco, death of Crassus in Asia - Pompey marries Cornelia, widow of Publius Crassus back from Gaul who died with his father Marcus Crassus in Parthia and daughter of the greatest aristocrat in Rome and enemy of Caesar: Metellus Scipio, nevertheless Pompey makes Caesar his fellow consul, murder of Clodius (52 BC) - Vercingetorix, revolt of the Arverni, sacking of Avaricum, defeat at Gergovia (near Clermont-Ferrand), then victory at Alesia, failure of the relief army to deliver Vercingetorix - the great revolt was over, if declared 2 years later, it would have been more effective as Caesar would possibly have been caught in the civil war - Gaul had been vanquished due to their own dissenssions and instead of being subordinated to other Gaulish tribes, the Gauls had found less humiliated to be under an alien ruler; Caesar had achieved an even better conquest and fame than Pompey - at Nemetacum (Arras), Caesar gave the newly conquered country, the name of "Gallia Comata" (long-haired Gaule, Gaule chevelue) - the genius of Caesar consisted particularly in changing his plans at short notice (speed) with exceptionally skilful timing (finger-trip-feeling) >> p. 84 Caesar repeatedly staked everything in a single throw, he had abnormal endurance with quickness of mind and there was also his famous luck (Fortunate) >> p. 86 the magnetic sentimental relationship between Caesar and his soldiers >> p. 87 description of the Roman army, one of the greatest military machine in history moving quick and with discipline - with Curio, Caesar secures himself now a strong supporter in Rome as well as with Marcus Antonius, a newly elected tribun 7/ war against Pompey - with only one legion, Caesar passed the Rubicon river from the Cisalpine Gaul and marched on Rome, Cato is the only one who now realizes the real danger for the Republic - finally the Senate takes party for Pompey and leaves Rome - defection of Labienus whose personality was incompatible with that of Caesar, Pompey with his legions escapes Caesar at Brundusium - discussion between Caesar and Cicero at Formiae, Caesar now occupies also Sicily and Sardinia - siege of Massillia, a wealthy Greek city-state allied with Pompey >> p. 108 after victory in Spain, Caesar is confronted with the mutiny of Placentia, but Dolabella and Anthony's brother are beaten in the East and Curio is beaten in Africa by Juba, king of Numidia (Algeria) - back in Rome, Caesar is nominated dictator by Marcus Aemilius Lepidus - Caesar lands at Palaeste in Albania (48 BC), battle at Dyrrachium, defeat of Caesar against Pompey but victory at Pharsalus (Thessaly) 8/ the wealth and charm of Cleopatra - Pompey's flight to Egypt ends with his death, Egypt was then ruled simultaneously by Cleopatra VII and Ptolémée XIV - salvage fight in Alexandria and war with Ganymede as mentioned in the "Alexandrian war" by an unknown author - after 8 months (which gave time to Caesar's enemies to reorganize), Caesar leaves Egypt, not annexed to Rome but also not quite an independant state, with 3 legions stationed in Alexandria and commanded by Caesar's freedman Rufio - defeat of Pharnaces by Caesar at Zela (47 BC), veni vidi vici 9/ the last campaigns: North Africa and Spain - back at Rome where trouble was developing, defeat of Scipio at Thapsus and legendary suicid of Cato at Utica (47 BC) >> p. 135 one of the best speeches of Cicero "Brutus" >> p. 135-136 the magnificent four triumphs of Caesar >> p. 137 the execution of two old soldiers as a human sacrifice (!) >> p. 138 reform of the calendar "the Julian calendar" which is still in force nowadays - war against Pompey's sons Cneius and Sextus in Spain (45 BC), death of Cneius and Labienus at the battle of Munda, Sextus succeeded in reaching his fleet and escaping 10/ the despotic last years - 35 legions were now in existence throughout the empire and what was now needed was not only money but land for the veterans and this not only for soldiers but also for many workless people living in Rome, becoming dangerous for the government, about 80'000 were sent to provinces - a new naval base was created at Forum Julii (Frejus), new settlers were sent to Corinth and Carthagene which had been totally destroyed in the past - romanisation was therefore taking place at least in the western regions - Caesar was the first Roman to deal with the problem of surplus metropolitan proletariat, a new law was raised for debts protecting debtors and which created a base for future bankruptcy regulations - the senate was reorganised including representatives of the provinces, at the same time Caesar reduced the power of the aristocrats as well as of the tribuns and further officials, thus creating against him a fierce opposition and hatred from his opponents - problem with Cicero who fights again in favour of the Republic >> p. 149 the dinner of Caesar at Cicero's house with 2000 soldiers! - February 44 BC, Caesar is nominated dictator for life "dictator perpetuo" and this bore obvious affinities with kingship, by doing so he was practically a king but did not break the Roman constitution, however Cleopatra in Rome did influence Caesar to become a king - Caesar makes a will but only related to his material properties, because as a dictator he had no right to influence his succession, his properties were left to his nephew Octavius who was in facto made the legal heir of Caesar, further heirs were Antony and Decimus Brutus but not Caesarion (Ptolémée XVI) who might have been Caesar's natural son according to Cleopatra - tired of Rome, Caesar plans now a campaign against Parthia which was to be seen as a pretext to avenge Crassus' death and recollecting Roman eagle emblems, Vatinius is charged to secure and expand Illyricum >> p. 155 the plans of Caesar for his campaign - Antony and Dolabella were given Macedonia and Syria whereas Lepidus got Spain while Balbus and Oppius would control Rome with armed cohorts during Caesar's absence - the plotting against Caesar develops more concretely, led by Cassius who had not been chosen by Caesar in his expedition despite the fact that Cassius had acquired great experience with Parthia during his campaign with Crassus - Brutus was in favour of Caesar but he had married Cato's daughter and therefore Cato was his father in law, Brutus finally joined the conspiration by way of his ancestors who had always been against tyranny and made it a sacred duty >> p. 157 the reason of Decimus Brutus as a murderer of Caesar - the mistake of the conjurers was however to spare the life of Antony who, at least they thought, would join their movement afterwards - March 44 BC, death of Caesar at the age of 56 Biography a) ancient: Cicero's letters, Sallust, Paterculus, Lucan, Suetonius,Plutarch, Appian and Dio Cassius b) modern: - Carcopino: Caesar - Badian: journal of Roman studies - Fuller: Julius Caesar, man, soldier and tyrant - Grant: Julius Caesar - Meyer: Caesar's monarchy - Mommsen: Roman history - Volkmann: Cleopatra - Walser: Caesar und die Germanen - Walter: Jules César (1953) = semi-fictional >> a good political, economical and military study about the life of Julius Caesar with some comments about Roman history and armies as well as some additional details and explanations about the causes and origins of certain events the book contains some explanatory maps and is easy to the lecture with some interesting illustrations, quite a good book to study Julius Caesar |
| couvertures: |  |
Copyright 2008 - 2024 G. Rudolf