De Bello Gallico and Other Commentaries

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About this book

At Alesia, the smallest change in the ground can alter a battle, and Caesar watches for the point where his troops need help. These commentaries recount Roman campaigns in Gaul and the civil conflict of 49 to 48 B.C., combining ancient history with a commander's attention to movement, timing and fortifications.

The battle account follows messengers, relief forces and attacks on defensive lines, showing how exhaustion and fear affect decisions. Vercingetorix comes out from Alesia with equipment for an assault while Caesar sends officers and fresh troops to threatened positions. Thomas De Quincey's introduction offers an admiring portrait of Caesar's character and early ambitions. Readers interested in Roman warfare can follow the practical detail of a campaign while considering how a commander presents his own actions and those of his opponents.

About the author

Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) was a Roman general, statesman, and author whose conquests extended Rome's reach across Gaul and whose seizure of power ended the Roman Republic. Besides the Gallic War, he wrote an account of the civil war that carried him to supreme authority. He was assassinated in 44 BC.