Skip to main content

Primary sourceBook

The Spanish War

Julius Caesar

An account of Caesar's military campaign in Spain, attributed to him and possibly finished by another writer.

This account, attributed to Caesar, records his military campaign in Spain during the civil wars.

Ask Julius Caesar about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Full text (Wikisource)

About this source

What it is

This English translation describes a military campaign fought in Spain after Caesar's victories over Pompey's forces elsewhere. It is attributed to Caesar, though scholars think it may have been completed by another writer, possibly Aulus Hirtius or Gaius Oppius.

Why it matters

This account records the final stages of the civil wars, when Pompey's son continued resistance against Caesar in Spain. It shows how Caesar's conflicts extended across the Roman world and how his campaigns were recorded, whether by his own hand or by those close to him.

Look closer

  • What does the text's description of local towns choosing sides tell you about the wider impact of this war on ordinary people?
  • Why might later writers have needed to finish accounts that Caesar started?
  • How does this account differ in tone from a modern history book about the same events?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Julius Caesar on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Julius Caesar sources

Meet the AI Julius Caesar →
Manuscript page of Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, with a red-ink title line, a large illuminated initial C with gold and blue decoration, black Latin text in columns, a floral border with blue and red flourishes, a library stamp, and a coat of arms at lower right.Book

Primary source

Commentarii de Bello Gallico

Julius Caesar · c. 58-50 BCE (this copy 1469)

Engraving of a standing male figure in Roman armor with a draped cloak over one shoulder, a pleated leather-style skirt with decorative lappets, and sandals, resting on a plinth. His right arm is extended outward, left hand holds a small object. The caption below reads Julius Cesar. Monochrome line hatching on a striped background.Painting

Secondary source

Etched Portrait of Julius Caesar

F. Perrier

Engraved print of the murder of Julius Caesar. On the left, a bearded man with a crown and laurel-like headpiece is stabbed by a man lunging with a dagger; another figure raises a weapon behind. A radiant light and smoke rise above. On the right, an ornate colonnaded interior with a niche holding a statue and an arched doorway. Caption below reads 'Iulius Caesar in stellam' and page number 150.Painting

Secondary source

Murder of Julius Caesar in the Senate

Open book showing a title page on the right: 'C. Julii Caesaris Commentarii de Bello Gallico et Civili, Tomus I, Venetiis 1783', framed by ornate borders with a trophy of arms. On the left, an engraved frontispiece shows a seated Roman figure holding a tablet, with a standard and a city in the background.Book

Primary source

Commentarii de Bello Civili

Julius Caesar · 49-48 BCE

Engraving with a Latin caption reading 'Iulius Caesar Veneris beneficio in Cometam mutatur' (plate 150). A man in a laurel wreath, bare-chested and draped, is embraced by a standing figure and a woman with a star-shaped comet. A winged cupid flies at upper right, and a large cloud fills the background.Painting

Secondary source

The Murder of Julius Caesar

1606

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Julius Caesar now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions