|
Caesar's defeat of Pompey in the Civil War (49-56 BC) paved the way for his dictatorship, his assasination, a decade of chaos and the emergence of his adopted son, Augustus, as the first emperor of Rome. A general of genius, Caesar was also one of the most vivid and powerful writers in Latin literature. His masterly narrative of the early part of Civil War is completed here by his lieutenants' accounts of the decisive campaigns outside Italy, which saw crucial battles in Munda in southern Spain and Thapsus in Tunisia and installed Cleopatra (later Caesar's mistress) on the throne of Egypt. Together they paint a full and surprisingly fair picture of the great struggle that brought Caesar supreme power - and led, only months later to his death. They also throw a unique light on the personality and actions of one of the most fascinating figures of the ancient world.
|
