Commentaries on the Gallic War

Julius Caesar’s firsthand account of his campaigns in Gaul, written as a series of yearly dispatches during the 50s BC, is both a military record and a work of political self-promotion. Describing his conquest of the Gallic tribes, his crossings of the Rhine, and his expeditions into Britain, Caesar wrote of himself in the third person with a spare, matter-of-fact clarity that has made the text a standard for students of Latin ever since. Beyond the battles, it preserves valuable early descriptions of the Celtic and Germanic peoples and their customs. This edition, translated by W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn, also gathers his other commentaries. Free PDF and EPUB editions are available here.