Caesar's Gallic War—A Commentary

A classic of western literature, Julius Caesar’s Gallic War is also a staple of Latin language instruction at both the high school and college levels. This new edition for students, prepared by a senior classical scholar and translator, is among the most comprehensive available and will be especially valuable because Caesar is one of the two authors chosen for the new Advanced Placement curriculum in high school Latin.

The Gallic War is a lively autobiographical account. Caesar writes passionately of his military exploits in Gaul (58–51 b.c.), the region embracing territories we know today as France, Germany, and Britain. Including all 933 AP line selections from Caesar’s Latin text, this edition begins with Benario’s introduction to the life and career of Julius Caesar, followed by a brief history of Rome and the Gauls from the fourth century b.c. to Caesar’s consulship, when he conducted annual campaigns to subdue the Gallic threat once and for all. The volume also features:

· A brief analysis of the Gallic War and of Caesar’s prose style

· Benario’s extensive commentary, which leads the student through grammatical complexities, explains Caesar’s rhetorical, geographical, and historical references, and illuminates aspects of Roman life ranging from military technology to astronomy

· A comprehensive vocabulary

· A list of suggested readings

Benario’s wide-ranging commentary lends this book a value that goes beyond the classroom. Reading Caesar in this edition is not the plodding exercise in translation that generations of high school Latin students once endured. Instead readers see Rome’s Gallic frontier as one of its greatest military commanders saw it, reminding us why Caesar’s De bello Gallico has endured for more than two thousand years.

Herbert W. Benario is Professor Emeritus of Classics at Emory University and the author, translator, or editor of numerous articles and books, including Tacitus’ Agricola, Germany, and Dialogue on Orators.