The Gallic War

The Document Analysis Assignment is to read Julius Caesar’s The Gallic War and write an essay on it (please note that book titles are italicised). There will be a late penalty of 5%. This essay is worth 10% of your overall grade. You must use the Oxford University Press translation by Carolyn Hammond. Do not attempt to examine all aspects of the book but concentrate on two or three aspects or chapters that you find of interest. Some topic are a tribe, the invasion of Britain, a particular battle, the crossing of the Rhine, the depiction of women, Roman military tactics, Roman logistics, the Gallic character, German behaviour, Roman behaviour, Caesar’s character, the character of the common Roman soldier, etc.

The Gallic War Paper Write-up

The assignment is to be 1000 – 1500 words long (3-4 pages). It will be marked on style, presentation, and use of information. It is to be a Microsoft Word document. Footnote the first quotation in full Chicago style (see pages 14, 15, and 16 of the Chicago Style Guide 2018 on the Moodle site), but after that just put Caesar and the page number will do for the rest of your footnotes. Put your footnote numbers after the periods. Have at least two quotes from Caesar’s The Gallic War.

Please do not footnote from any other source because it is your thoughts on Caesar’s book that are wanted, not someone else’s. Do not hunt the internet for someone else’s essay and present it or any part of it as your own. This is academic dishonesty and will have consequences. Do not use a computer writing program to “enhance” your writing. This will lower your mark. The bibliography should only have one book in it, the one Julius Caesar wrote. Remember the translator, Carolyn Hammond, is a British scholar so a word like corn will mean types of grain such as wheat, oats, and barley but NOT corn on the cob.

Maize or Indian corn was unknown to the Ancient Romans as were tobacco, potatoes, coffee, chocolate and sugar. Also, please note that Julius Caesar on The Gallic War, the Roman politician and general, and not the translator, wrote this book. Caesar refers to himself in the third person and does not use the pronoun “I” and neither should you. Caesar’s book is NOT A NOVEL! A novel is a work of fiction. This book is an account, a history, a journal, a report, but not a novel. It is also not a “read”.

Each chapter or book covers one year of eight years of campaigning from 58- 51 BC and is dated from the founding of Rome (AUC) (Anno Urbis Conditae) (Year of the City’s Founding) with the names of the two consuls elected in Rome for that year. Two spelling tips: a soldier fights in an army, solider is firmer ground; cavalry are soldiers on horseback, Calvary is where the Romans crucified Jesus. The spell check on your computer cannot think for you. You are welcome to find someone to edit your writing.