The Gallic War (Oxford World's Classics) |
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The Gallic War (Oxford World's Classics)
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by Julius Caesar, Aulus Hirtius, and Carolyn Hammond
Sales Rank: 209401
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List Price: $9.95
$9.95
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on 4-14-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 260 pages
Published by: Oxford University Press, USA March 18, 1999
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0192835823
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0192835826
Book Dimensions:
7.7 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
Weighs: 7.2 ounces
Book Description
The Gallic War, published on the eve of the civil war which led to the end of the Roman Republic, is an autobiographical account written by one of the most famous figures of European history. On one level a straightforward narrative of the campaigns Caesar fought against the Gauls, Germans and Britons, it also serves a deeper political purpose, revealing him as a commander of breathtaking flair, courage and persistence - a man of the people, a man without rival. This new translation reflects the purity of Caesar's Latin while preserving the pace and flow of his momentous narrative of the conquest of Gaul and the first Roman invasions of Britain and Germany. The introduction includes a survey of Caesar's role and reputation in later thought, while detailed notes, maps, a table of dates, and glossary make this the most useful edition available.
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reader Reviews
This is an unexpectedly poor translation of Caesar's great work, especially for an Oxford Classics edition. I found several obvious mistranslations, including at least one major error. The English is often awkward and unnatural, and fails to convey the lucid elegance of Caesar's Latin. Strangely enough, the book doesn't have a map of the whole of Gaul. There are a few larger scale maps, but it's not particularly clear how they fit together or even which parts of Gaul are being shown. The notes are at the back of the book, rather than in footnotes, so that the reader has to constantly flip back and forth to read them. The worst error I came across was in the translation of the well-known incident in 2.25 where Caesar grabs a shield and personally runs forward into the front line of battle, saving a critical situation. Hammond's translation has the chief centurion Baculus doing this, rather than Caesar. Since Baculus is described only two lines earlier as being so seriously wounded that he is unable to stand, this reading defies not only Latin grammar, but also common sense. No justification is offered for this weird interpretation. Throughout the book there is a certain lack of insight in translating military words. For example, in 4.25 Hammond twice translates 'tormenta' as 'missiles', although in fact it means 'catapults' (that is, bolt-firing machines like large crossbows). In the next paragraph 'speculatoria navigia' is translated as 'spy vessels', when 'scout ships' would be both more accurate and more natural English. These examples are just the very tip of the iceberg. In general this translation is feeble and riddled with inaccuracies. Most of it is is very stilted English. The publisher's blurb about how it reflects the purity of Caesar's Latin is completely untrue.
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The Gallic War (Oxford World's Classics)
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Price: $9.95
Updated on 4-14-2008.
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