War in Gaul (Oorlog in Gallië)

(Dutch edition)

He is probably the most famous Roman of all time. And the man of veni vidi vici (‘I came, I saw, I conquered’). Famed general, ruthless strategist, clever politician and, above all, a masterful writer. Because Julius Caesar (ca. 100-44 BC) amazes friend and foe with blood-curdling accounts of his military expeditions. For example, he wrote extensively about the years-long war with which he conquered Gaul. All of Gaul? Yes, all of Gaul.

But it didn’t happen automatically. Uprisings and resistance, difficult actions in harsh regions, successes and defeats… anyone who reads between the lines of Caesar’s down-to-earth prose will see many shadowy and dubious things. Caesar did not shy away from mass murder and large-scale plunder. In short, he had a lot of explaining to do in Rome.