Commentarii de Bello Gallico, in English Commentaries on the Gallic War, is Julius Caesar's own account of his military campaigns in Gaul. It consists of seven books, each covering a year of fighting, with an eighth book added after Caesar's death by his officer Aulus Hirtius. Written in plain Latin and in the third person, it describes battles against Gallic and Germanic tribes, the crossing of the Rhine, the expeditions to Britain and the siege of Alesia, where Vercingetorix surrendered. The work served as political propaganda, presenting Caesar's conquests as necessary and successful for the Roman public. It is a famous source on the Celts and a standard text for students of Latin, which opens with the statement that all Gaul is divided into three parts.
Before and after
- 63 BCEBirth of Strabo
- 23 September 63 BCEBirth of Augustus
- from 60 BCE to 106 CEDacia
- from 59 BCE to 51 BCECaesar begins the conquest of Gaul
- 58 BCEPublication of Commentarii de Bello Gallico
- 58 BCEBattle of Vosges
- 58 BCEBattle of the Arar
- from 58 BCE to 51 BCEGallic War
- from 57 BCE to 935 CESilla
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The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 1st century BCE.