[Loyola University Chicago]

LATN 388/431: Julius Caesar

Fall Semester 2001



Wednesday, 2:30-5:00 PM
Crown Center 572
Dr. Jacqueline Long


Provisional Order of Proceeding

After the first few weeks introducing major questions and scholarship, we will assess where the seminar members' interests are crystalizing, and start to fine-tune the remainder of the semester's program.

Nota bene! 388 students and 431 students have different reading assignments in the Latin text.
388 students please read in English the balance of the 431 students' Latin assignments, beyond your particular Latin assignments, so that the whole seminar will be able to partake in and appreciate discussion.


Primary Text

C. Iulius Caesar, Commentarii, ed. Renatus du Pontet, 2 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon 1900 and rpt.)

W 8/29 Introduction: Caesar and his text
W 9/5 All Gaul is Divided into Three Parts...
  • Latin reading:
    431: BG 1.1-29 388: BG 1.1-14
  • Article reports:
    • Catherine Torrigian, "The Logos of Caesar's Bellum Gallicum, especially as revealed in its first five chapters," in Kathryn Welch and Anton Powell, eds., Julius Caesar as Artful Reporter: the War Commentaries as Political Instruments, 45-60 (London: Duckworth and The Classical Press of Wales 1998).
    • Ake Fridh, "Some Topographical Remarks on Caesar's Bellum Gallicum," Eranos 94 (1996) 12-20.
    • James E. Dunlap, "The Place of the Final Defeat of the Helvetians," CPh 26 (1931) 121-34.
W 9/12 The Trouble with Ariovistus
  • Latin reading:
    431: BG 1.30-54 388: BG 1.40-50
  • Article reports:
    • Jonathan Barlow, "Noble Gauls and their Other in Caesar's Propaganda," in Welch and Powell, eds. (1998) 139-70.
    • H. C. Gotoff, "Towards a Practical Criticism of Caesar's Prose Style," ICS 9 (1984) 1-18.
    • C. Pelling, "Caesar's Battle-Descriptions and the Defeat of Ariovistus," Latomus 40 (1981) 741-66.
W 9/19 Revolting Gauls
  • Latin reading:
    431: BG 2 388: BG 2.1-17
  • Article reports:
    • Louis Rawlings, "Caesar's Portrayal of Gauls as Warriors," in Welch and Powell, eds. (1998) 171-92.
    • Amiram Ezov, "The 'Missing Dimension' of C. Julius Caesar," Historia 45 (1996) 64-94.
    • Brenda M. Bell, "The Contribution of Julius Caesar to the Vocabulary of Ethnography," Latomus 54 (1995) 753-67.
W 9/26 Over the Line
  • Latin reading:
    431: BC 1.1-26 388: BC 1.1-13
  • Article reports:
    • John Henderson, "XPDNC / Writing Caesar (Bellum Civile)," Cl.Ant. 15 (1996) 261-88.
    • William W. Batstone, "A Narrative Gestalt and the Force of Caesar's Style," Mnemosyne 44 (1991) 126-36.
    • Lily Ross Taylor, "Catonism and Caesarism," ch. VIII of Party Politics in the Age of Caesar (UCPress 1949 and rpt.).
  • Literary Translation I due today.
W 10/3 Mastery and Subordination
  • Latin reading:
    431: BC 1.27-59 388: BC 1.32-45
  • Article reports:
    • Fergus Millar, "Popular Politics in Decline, 55-50," ch. VII of The Crowd in Rome in the Late Republic (UMich Press 1998 and rpt.).
    • Jamie Masters, "Massilian Compilation," ch. 2 of Poetry and Civil War in Lucan's Bellum Civile (Cambridge UP 1992).
    • Myles McDonnell, "Borrowing to Bribe Soldiers: Caesar's De Bello Civili 1.39," Hermes 118 (1991) 55-66.
  • Preliminary Statements of ideas about your Researched Project due today.
W 10/10 Motivation and Discipline
  • Latin reading:
    431: BC 1.60-87 388: BC 1.73-86
  • Article reports:
    • Pierre F. Cagniart, "Strategy and Politics in Caesar's Spanish Campaign, 49 B.C.: Variation on a Theme by Clausewitz," AncW 26 (1995) 29-44.
    • Philip A. Stadter, Caesarian Tactics and Caesarian Style: Bell. Civ. 1.66-70," CJ 88 (1993) 217-21.
    • Galen O. Rowe, "Dramatic Structures in Caesar's Bellum Civile," TAPA 98 (1967) 399-414.
W 10/17 Vercingetorix Rising
  • Latin reading:
    431: BG 7.1-31 388: BG 7.17-31
  • Article reports:
    • Anton Powell, "Julius Caesar and the Presentation of Massacre," in Welch and Powell, eds. (1998) 111-37.
    • Adrian Goldsworthy, "'Instinctive Genius': the Depiction of Caesar the General," in Welch and Powell, eds. (1998) 193-219.
W 10/24 Notable Subordinates
  • Latin reading:
    431: BG 7.32-62 388: BG 7.47-62
  • Kathryn Welch, "Caesar and his Officers in the Gallic War Commentaries," in Welch and Powell, eds. (1998) 85-110.
  • Report on research in progress: Alex
W 10/31 Fighting through to Alesia
  • Latin reading:
    431: BG 7.63-90 388: BG 7.77-90
  • Lindsay G. M. Hall, "Ratio and Romanitas in the Bellum Gallicum," in Welch and Powell, eds. (1998) 11-43.
  • Reports on research in progress: Maria, Tricia
W 11/7 Roman Civil War Moves to Greece
  • Latin reading:
    431: BC 3.1-26 388: BC 3.15-26
  • Cynthia Damon, "Caesar's Practical Prose," CJ 89 (1994) 183-95.
  • Reports on research in progress: Colin, Kirk
W 11/14 Balancing Powers
  • Latin reading:
    431: BC 3.27-56 388: BC 3.39-51
  • Ramsay MacMullen, "The Legion as a Society," Historia 1984, rpt. as Ch. 22 of MacMullen, Changes in the Roman Empire: Essays in the Ordinary (Princeton: Univ. Press 1990).
  • Report on research in progress: Eric
W 11/21 Overcoming Dyrrachium
  • Latin reading:
    431: BC 3.57-83 388: BC 3.59-72
  • Philip Sabin, "The Face of Roman Battle," JRS 90 (2000) 1-17.
  • Report on research in progress: Scott
  • Literary Translation II due today.
W 11/28 Pharsalus and the Ends of (some) Lines
  • Latin reading:
    431: BC 3.84-112 388: BC 3.90-104
  • Robert D. Brown, "Two Caesarian Battle-Descriptions: a Study in Contrast," CJ 94 (1999) 329-57.
  • Reports on research in progress: Stefan, Kim
W 12/5, Th 12/6 Study days.
F 12/7
Written report of researched project due.
Th 12/13
12:40 AM - 2:40 PM
Final examination.
See Loyola's Final Exam Schedule, p. 13 of the on-line Schedule of Classes.

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Revised 16 October 2001 by jlong1@orion.it.luc.edu
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