Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico [Commentaries on the Gallic War]

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The

Bellum Gallicum

, composed of eight books, is Julius Caesar’s account of his campaigns in Gaul from 58 to 52 BCE, with the eighth and final book added by Aulus Hirtius for the years 51-50 BCE. Its contents may be summarized as follows:

Book 1 (58): Caesar begins with a geographical outline of Gaul and moves on to describe battles against the Helvetii and the Germans. Aggression against the Helvetii is justified in terms of the potential – rather than actual – danger they pose to Roman territory. Aggression against the Germans is presented as being neither premeditated nor self-interested: it arises in response to constant Gallic appeals and arrogance on the part of the German king Ariovistus.

Book 1 (58): Caesar begins with a geographical outline of Gaul and moves on to describe…

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Citation: Stevenson, Thomas Reginald. "Commentarii de Bello Gallico". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 July 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=25863, accessed 09 October 2024.]

25863 Commentarii de Bello Gallico 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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