Cesar’s
commentaries of the
Gallic War are an account written for Roman senators, not a Latin
primer. They have been often misused as drill grounds for elementary
grammar, chopped into tiny pieces of the text.
Only by an intensive reading of entire books of Cesar’s Gallic
War one can feel the stylistic brilliance, the thrilling speed of
actions and the suggestive suspense of the most famous classical work
of Latin literature, written by one of the greatest geniuses of
mankind.
The
two audiobooks „Caesaris Bellum Gallicum“ contain the whole
text of the first book (Wars against the Helvetians and the Germans
under Ariovistus), read with classical pronunciation by Nikolaus
Groß.
2nd CD: CAES.Gall.I,30-54 –
The war against Ariovistus
After an urgent request of the Gauls
threatened by the Germans and the harsh
refusal of Cesar’s attempts to negotiate with the German’s
leader Ariovistus by envoys, Cesar leads his army to the city of
Vesontio (Besançon)
threatened by the Germans. Many
Roman soldiers fear the Germans, their huge stature, incredible valor
and practice in arms reported by the Gauls and traders who on
encountering them, could not bear their countenance, and the fierceness
of their eyes. So great a panic on a sudden seized the whole army, desertion and mutiny must be exspected.
In this extremely critical situation Cesar is delivering a speech to
his soldiers. Will he succeed to take the fear from them and to lead
them to victory over the battle-tested wild German hordes?...
|