Commentarii de Bello Gallico

What it is

This is Julius Caesar's first-hand written account of his campaigns in Gaul, covering roughly 58-50 BCE. It is written in the third person and split into eight books; the last was added after Caesar's death by Aulus Hirtius. The manuscript shown here is a later copy with an illuminated initial, kept in a library collection.

Why it matters

Caesar wrote this account to build political support among ordinary Romans while his enemies in the Senate plotted against him. It shows how Caesar used writing as a tool of propaganda, presenting his wars as just and himself as a brilliant general, at a time when control of public opinion mattered as much as control of an army. Later historians have questioned some of his claims, such as the huge enemy army sizes he reports.

Look closer

• Why might a general write about his own wars instead of letting someone else tell the story?
• What parts of the story might Caesar have left out or exaggerated?
• Why was this text later used to teach students Latin?