Julius Caesar's Bellum Civile And The Composition Of A New Reality
by Ayelet Peer /
2016 / English / PDF
1.3 MB Download
In his Commentarii de Bello Civili Julius Caesar sought to
re-invent his image and appear before his present and future
readers in a way which he could control and at times manipulate.
Offering a new interpretation of the Bellum Civile this book
reveals the intricate literary world that Caesar creates using
sophisticated techniques such as a studied choice of vocabulary,
rearrangement of events, use of indirect speech, and more. Each of
the three books of the work is examined independently to set out
the gradual transformation of Caesar's literary persona, in step
with his ascent in the 'real' world. By analysing the work from
Caesar's viewpoint the author argues that by adroit presentation
and manipulation of historical circumstances Caesar creates in his
narrative a different reality, one in which his conduct is
justified. The question of the res publica is also a key point of
the volume, as it is in the Bellum Civile, and the author argues
that Caesar purposely does not present himself as a Republican,
contrary to commonly held views. Employing detailed philological
analyses of Caesar's three books on the Civil War, this work
significantly advances our understanding of Caesar as author and
politician.
In his Commentarii de Bello Civili Julius Caesar sought to
re-invent his image and appear before his present and future
readers in a way which he could control and at times manipulate.
Offering a new interpretation of the Bellum Civile this book
reveals the intricate literary world that Caesar creates using
sophisticated techniques such as a studied choice of vocabulary,
rearrangement of events, use of indirect speech, and more. Each of
the three books of the work is examined independently to set out
the gradual transformation of Caesar's literary persona, in step
with his ascent in the 'real' world. By analysing the work from
Caesar's viewpoint the author argues that by adroit presentation
and manipulation of historical circumstances Caesar creates in his
narrative a different reality, one in which his conduct is
justified. The question of the res publica is also a key point of
the volume, as it is in the Bellum Civile, and the author argues
that Caesar purposely does not present himself as a Republican,
contrary to commonly held views. Employing detailed philological
analyses of Caesar's three books on the Civil War, this work
significantly advances our understanding of Caesar as author and
politician.
