World History
I have just finished reading Chronicle of the Roman Republic by Philip Matyszak. This tome looks like a coffee table book. I am sure many treat it this way. However, I went beyond the pictures and enjoyed it. Matyszak uses biography to inform the reader about the history of the Roman Republic in an entertaining and informative style.
Matyszak is not a fan of Julius Caesar. He actually accuses him of war crimes due to his actions in the Gallic War. Commenting on Caesar's The Gallic War, Matyszak wrote that "it is a work of propaganda. It masks the war's horrendous cost in human life and suffering (one historian describes it as the greatest human and social disaster until the settlement of the Americas.) It also hides the fact that the war was fought for Caesar's enrichment and glory. Contemporary Romans were well aware of this, and there was a movement in Rome to hand Caesar to the Gauls as a war criminal." (P. 206.)
I have several problems with this interpretation. For one, the Romans were gaining an ever increasing empire. The conquest of Gaul was probably inevitable. If Caesar had not done it, someone else would have. The bothersome Gallic tribes stood between Rome and the Spanish provinces and they had an annoying tendency to raid Roman soil. Right or wrong, their conquest was almost certain.
Second, Caesar did not do well politically in Rome. There was a reason he marched his legions on Rome. Despite his military accomplishments and his skill in making alliances with great men such as Pompey and Crassus, Caesar's enemies were ready and had the means to politically destroy him, financially ruin him, and expel him from Rome. The "war crimes" charge was just another argument on a long list of complaints that many had of Caesar and I doubt many took it that seriously.
The reason I think few took it as a serious reason is my final argument why viewing Caesar as a war criminal is inappropriate. War was different in the ancient world. There was no Geneva Convention back then. There were no rules for war other than those decide on by the combatants and which they then had the power to enforce. The Roman Republic itself had practiced brutal war repeatedly before Caesar and had even practiced genocide on the Carthaginian culture after the Third Punic War. As there was no UN or other international governing body then, there can technically be no war crimes charge.
Matyszak wrote, "History has been kinder to Caesar than he deserves. Caesar replaced an elected constitutional government - however imperfect - with military dictatorship. Over a million Gauls died to further his ambitions, and another million were enslaved." (p. 208.)
Any attempt to judge Caesar by modern standards is flawed. The rules were different then. Caesar did what many respected Romans did in his era. Caesar (and other Romans) were actually more merciful and trustworthy than some of the opponents they fought. Any attempt to judge Caesar as a war criminal based on 20th or 21st century law is ex post de facto and clearly an inappropriate application of international law.
It is also hard to mourn the passing of the Roman Republic. It represented only the interests of the aristocracy of Rome. If you were a slave, a woman, or a plebe (the majority of the people in the Roman Republic), did it make any difference if you lived in a Republic or an Empire? It can be argued that Caesar saved the Roman Empire by destroying the Republic. Could have a corrupt and bickering Roman Senate have successfully governed what became the Roman Empire? Probably not. And I think the world benefited from the civilization that Rome gave to the world.
Maybe I am just a modern day Caesar apologist. However, I see no benefit or justice in sticking Julius Caesar with a war crimes charge. He was a great man and I think he did more good than harm. However, I will not judge Matyszak too harshly either. This is a great book and I am glad I read it.
- Missing Hbo Rome?
Missing HBO Rome? So am I. I can not wait until the next season comes out. I also hope the first season is released on DVD soon. Want to read about Roman history while we wait? Here are some suggestions: Roman History - This is a category at the Open...
- Julius Caesar - The Assassination
Julius Caesar - The Assassination. Wow! HBO Rome ended last night. As expected, Caesar meet his end at the hands of assassins. I did not figure that the writers would change history and let Caesar live but strange things happen on TV sometimes. As Brutus...
- Hbo: Rome
HBO: Rome. I watched the first episode of this show on HBO tonight. As a whole, I liked it and I do look forward to seeing more episodes. Here are a few thoughts: This series is beginning with the start of the great Roman civil war between Julius Caesar...
- Bible History Online: Augustus
Bible History Online: Augustus - General overview of the life and history of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. Provides biographical timeline, maps and images, text of dictionary and encyclopedia entries, and selected translations from the Res Gestae and...
- The Cosby Show: Friends, Romans And Countrymen
If you're studying the end of the Roman Republic and rise of Julius Caesar, your kids might like this rap of Shakespeare's speech about Caesar. I'll post the more serious Marlon Brando version next....
World History
Julius Caesar, War Criminal?
I have just finished reading Chronicle of the Roman Republic by Philip Matyszak. This tome looks like a coffee table book. I am sure many treat it this way. However, I went beyond the pictures and enjoyed it. Matyszak uses biography to inform the reader about the history of the Roman Republic in an entertaining and informative style.
Matyszak is not a fan of Julius Caesar. He actually accuses him of war crimes due to his actions in the Gallic War. Commenting on Caesar's The Gallic War, Matyszak wrote that "it is a work of propaganda. It masks the war's horrendous cost in human life and suffering (one historian describes it as the greatest human and social disaster until the settlement of the Americas.) It also hides the fact that the war was fought for Caesar's enrichment and glory. Contemporary Romans were well aware of this, and there was a movement in Rome to hand Caesar to the Gauls as a war criminal." (P. 206.)
I have several problems with this interpretation. For one, the Romans were gaining an ever increasing empire. The conquest of Gaul was probably inevitable. If Caesar had not done it, someone else would have. The bothersome Gallic tribes stood between Rome and the Spanish provinces and they had an annoying tendency to raid Roman soil. Right or wrong, their conquest was almost certain.
Second, Caesar did not do well politically in Rome. There was a reason he marched his legions on Rome. Despite his military accomplishments and his skill in making alliances with great men such as Pompey and Crassus, Caesar's enemies were ready and had the means to politically destroy him, financially ruin him, and expel him from Rome. The "war crimes" charge was just another argument on a long list of complaints that many had of Caesar and I doubt many took it that seriously.
The reason I think few took it as a serious reason is my final argument why viewing Caesar as a war criminal is inappropriate. War was different in the ancient world. There was no Geneva Convention back then. There were no rules for war other than those decide on by the combatants and which they then had the power to enforce. The Roman Republic itself had practiced brutal war repeatedly before Caesar and had even practiced genocide on the Carthaginian culture after the Third Punic War. As there was no UN or other international governing body then, there can technically be no war crimes charge.
Matyszak wrote, "History has been kinder to Caesar than he deserves. Caesar replaced an elected constitutional government - however imperfect - with military dictatorship. Over a million Gauls died to further his ambitions, and another million were enslaved." (p. 208.)
Any attempt to judge Caesar by modern standards is flawed. The rules were different then. Caesar did what many respected Romans did in his era. Caesar (and other Romans) were actually more merciful and trustworthy than some of the opponents they fought. Any attempt to judge Caesar as a war criminal based on 20th or 21st century law is ex post de facto and clearly an inappropriate application of international law.
It is also hard to mourn the passing of the Roman Republic. It represented only the interests of the aristocracy of Rome. If you were a slave, a woman, or a plebe (the majority of the people in the Roman Republic), did it make any difference if you lived in a Republic or an Empire? It can be argued that Caesar saved the Roman Empire by destroying the Republic. Could have a corrupt and bickering Roman Senate have successfully governed what became the Roman Empire? Probably not. And I think the world benefited from the civilization that Rome gave to the world.
Maybe I am just a modern day Caesar apologist. However, I see no benefit or justice in sticking Julius Caesar with a war crimes charge. He was a great man and I think he did more good than harm. However, I will not judge Matyszak too harshly either. This is a great book and I am glad I read it.
- Missing Hbo Rome?
Missing HBO Rome? So am I. I can not wait until the next season comes out. I also hope the first season is released on DVD soon. Want to read about Roman history while we wait? Here are some suggestions: Roman History - This is a category at the Open...
- Julius Caesar - The Assassination
Julius Caesar - The Assassination. Wow! HBO Rome ended last night. As expected, Caesar meet his end at the hands of assassins. I did not figure that the writers would change history and let Caesar live but strange things happen on TV sometimes. As Brutus...
- Hbo: Rome
HBO: Rome. I watched the first episode of this show on HBO tonight. As a whole, I liked it and I do look forward to seeing more episodes. Here are a few thoughts: This series is beginning with the start of the great Roman civil war between Julius Caesar...
- Bible History Online: Augustus
Bible History Online: Augustus - General overview of the life and history of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. Provides biographical timeline, maps and images, text of dictionary and encyclopedia entries, and selected translations from the Res Gestae and...
- The Cosby Show: Friends, Romans And Countrymen
If you're studying the end of the Roman Republic and rise of Julius Caesar, your kids might like this rap of Shakespeare's speech about Caesar. I'll post the more serious Marlon Brando version next....