A Companion to Julius Caesar - (Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World) by Miriam Griffin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A Companion to Julius Caesar comprises 30 essays from leading scholars examining the life and after life of this great polarizing figure.

• Explores Caesar from a variety of perspectives: military genius, ruthless tyrant, brilliant politician, first class orator, sophisticated man of letters, and more
  
• Utilizes Caesar's own extant writings
  
• Examines the viewpoints of Caesar's contemporaries and explores Caesar's portrayals by artists and writers through the ages

From the Back Cover

In both the ancient and modern world, few historical figures are more recognizable - or more controversial - than Julius Caesar. After ancient Rome was plunged into civil war, Caesar emerged to become the undisputed master of the Roman world. Indeed, his subsequent assassination in 44 BC marked one of the great turning points in world history as Rome made its epochal transition from republic to empire.

A Companion to Julius Caesar examines the great man - and great polarizing figure - from a variety of illuminating perspectives: military genius, ruthless tyrant, brilliant politician, first class orator, sophisticated man of letters, and more. Essays by leading scholars in classics, ancient history and art, modern history, and European literature approach Caesar from many viewpoints, including that of his contemporaries, and explore how Caesar has been portrayed by artists, writers, and poets from antiquity to the present day. Lively, engaging, and comprehensive in scope, this Companion is one of the richest and most vivid portraits of Julius Caesar available today - a triumphant addition to classical scholarship.

Review Quotes

"Those seeking answers to [Caesar's] place in the world as hero or villain will not find the answer in these pages. Instead, they will find this book adds illumination toward that decision, which must be made by the reader, not the writers. It is precisely this rational impartiality that makes A Companion to Julius Caesar an aid to study, and a good one at that ... Enlightening." UNRV History (1 September 2015)

About the Author

Miriam Griffin is Emeritus Fellow of Classics at Oxford University. She is the author of numerous books and articles on Roman history and philosophy, including Nero (1987), Seneca: A Philosopher in Politics (1992), and Philosophia togata I & II (with Jonathan Barnes, 1991 & 1997). She was until recently editor of the Classical Quarterly.