Caesar

Caesar by Colleen McCullough is a historical novel and the fifth book in McCullough's Masters of Rome series, which explores the fall of the Roman Empire. Because the book is based on the accounts of Caesar himself and his comrades, McCullough's story follows closely to the actual narrative of events from 54 BC to 48 BC, when Caesar fought Pompey the Great for control of Rome. McCullough's focus is on the political and military details of this narrative, with some humanizing elements, particularly in terms of Caesar's grief and a fictional romance.

The novel begins in 54 BC, with Caesar's Gallic conquests. When the novel opens, Caesar has just invaded Britannia, and is preparing to take control. The first half of the historical novel details the Gallic conquests, including the notable uprising of the Gauls at the hand of Vercingetorix, the Gallic leader who attempted to unite the Gallic tribes to defeat Caesar. McCullough goes into many of the details here, including the political landscape around Caesar's invasion of Gaul, which caused many more conservative Romans back home to question his motivations. Though Caesar claimed that overthrowing Gaul was a pre-emptive and defensive matter, which would secure the Romans against a comparable military force, many believed that Caesar was attempting to plunder to pay some debts, and that his real motivations were more to make a name for himself politically.

The Gauls were a formidable enemy for Caesar. They had a comparable military power, but unlike Rome their ultimate downfall was the tribal nature of their society, which sometimes caused rifts between various Gallic factions that Caesar was able to take advantage of. The Gallic Wars culminated in the Battle of Alesia, which occurred in 52 BC and which secured the modern day countries of France and Belgium for the Romans, who were happy to have the Rhine as a new natural northern border for their growing empire.



In the second half of the novel, Caesar returns to Rome in the midst of political turmoil. What was then known as the Roman Republic was fragile during this period, and Caesar had a number of supporters who wanted his military leadership to guide the nation toward empire. Caesar's followers were called the Populares, and they were countered by the Boni, or the conservative Roman senate that was backed primarily by Pompey the Great.

The fight between Caesar and Pompey, which caused great division in the Roman Republic, would eventually be known as Caesar's Civil War or the Great Roman Civil War. During this period, Pompey and Caesar led opposing armies in half a dozen countries that were all in the control of the Roman people at the time, and fought brutally for control of Rome. The novel includes a number of important characterizations of significant historical figures, including Mark Antony, Cicero, and Brutus, among others, and includes some humanizing moments in the fight between Pompey and Caesar, including the death of Julia, Caesar's daughter and Pompey's wife.

The men battle extensively. Particular attention is paid to the Battle of Dyrrachium, in which Caesar is defeated by Pompey, and then in the later Battle of Pharsalus, which ultimately signifies the end of the Civil War and the definitive victory of Caesar over Pompey. McCullough notes that Pompey's achievements, though great, are often overshadowed by Caesar, and she portrays him as such. The novel ends when Pompey flees Rome to find a safe space in Ptolemaic Egypt, and then his eventual assassination, which leads to an exodus by the Boni and their followers.



Colleen McCullough was an Australian author from Wellington, New South Wales who worked by day as a neuroscientist and also wrote a series of epic historical novels, including the Masters of Rome series. Her most well-known novels are The Thorn Birds and The Ladies of Missalonghi. McCullough wrote more than a dozen novels before her death in 2015. The Masters of Rome series included The First Man in Rome, The Grass Crown, Fortune's Favorites, Caesar's Women, Caesar, The October Horse, and finally Antony and Cleopatra. McCullough also wrote a series of murder mysteries.