The Civil Wars: Latin and English Parallel Translation (Hopkins Classical Collection)

HOPKINS CLASSICAL COLLECTION Commentaries on the Civil War (Latin: Commentarii de Bello Civili), is an account written by Julius Caesar of his war against Gnaeus Pompeius and the Roman Senate. It consists of three books covering the events of 49-48 BC, from shortly before Caesar’s invasion of Italy to Pompey’s defeat at the Battle of Pharsalus and flight to Egypt. It was preceded by the much longer account of Caesar’s campaigns in Gaul and was followed by similar works covering the ensuing wars against the remnants of Pompey’s armies in Egypt, North Africa, and Spain. Caesar’s authorship of the Commentarii de Bello Civili is not disputed, while the three later works are believed to have been written by contemporaries of Caesar. The Senate, whose authority Caesar had defied in obtaining his post as governor, recognized that Caesar posed a serious political threat and demanded that he disband his army in order to be allowed to stand for the consulship. Caesar agreed provided that Pompey do the same, but this only further enraged the Senate. As his term as governor came to an end, Pompey and the Senate demanded that Caesar disband his army and return to Rome, and they forbade him to run for consul in absentia. Knowing that he would be ruined by his political opponents without either the protection provided by his army or the immunity offered by the consulship, Caesar ignored the demands of the Senate and, by entering into Italy at the head of his army on January 10, 49 BCE, provoked the Senate to declare him an enemy of the Roman people.