What Can We Learn From Julius Caesar’s Writing?

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I promise not to turn this into a weekly Julius Caesar newsletter - but please permit me one more article about one of Antiquity’s most influential figures.

As we study ancient Rome and Greece - something apparent stands out... The most influential figures had several key personality characteristics

1. Brave - fought in many campaigns and battles

2. Ambitious - created and seized opportunities while pressing their advantages

3. Strategic - knew how to appeal to common folk (plebeians) as well as the aristocratic and political factions of the their time.

4. Excellent communicators - these men were deep thinkers, well versed in other languages, histories, and were able to articulate their thinking into written or spoken word.

Marcus Aurelius, Cicero, Seneca, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato the list goes on and on.

Today I want to focus on Julius Caesar’s writings and what we can learn from them. I will also share some context around them to give you a deeper understanding of how you can have a bigger impact in your life by writing down thoughts you know to be true.

Commentarii de Bello Gallico

Julius Caesar wrote often. He has two “commentaries” that are studied to this day. We are going to focus on his “Commentaries on the Gallic War”. Early I wrote about his start with his triumph over the Helvetti. This battle is covered in his commentary along with much more.

If you are interested in reading Commentarii de Bello Gallico by Julius Caesar here is a free translation you can read.

The commentary of the Gallic War (Gual or modern day France) consists of seven books, with an eighth added by Aulus Hirtius, and it describes Caesar's campaigns in Gaul from 58 BC to 50 BC.

Below are the key points and the larger context surrounding them…

Justification for his campaign

Commentary: Caesar presents his military actions as necessary for the security of Rome, often portraying the Gallic tribes as a threat to Roman interests.

Broader Context: By this time Caesar has established his place in the triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus. He has shown promise as a political ally and enemy. As a way to knock him down a peg - Pompey and Crassus tell him he is out in Rome and must take a governorship somewhere of his choosing. Julius Caesar being the strategist that he is decided to take it in the north province of subalpine Gaul.

The Gaul and Germanic tribes have given the Roman's problems for years and Caesar sees an opportunity to go up there - whip them into shape and come back to Rome with a big military victory under his belt to give him more power and status. More on that later.

The optimates planned to accuse Caesar of abusing his power when he returned and gave up his authority. This could result in him losing his wealth and citizenship and undoing all the laws he made as Consul and pro-consul of Gaul. To protect himself, Caesar knew he needed the support of the common people, especially the Tribunes of the Plebs, who were important in helping him with his plans. The Commentaries were Caesar's way of talking directly to the people, avoiding the Senate. He used them to show his actions as good for Rome and to gain public support. By getting the people's backing, Caesar aimed to secure his position.

Description of the Gallic Tribes

Commentary: The Commentarii provide detailed descriptions of various Gallic tribes, their customs, political structures, and alliances. Caesar often highlights the bravery and skill of the Gauls while also emphasizing their disunity.

Broader context: Many Romans were afraid of the people to the North. These were typically nomadic tribes that lived off the land (especially the Germanic tribes) and didn’t have the ability to trade for goods. They were considered savages and barbarians compared to the high-class society of the Roman people.

They had their own virtue and morals the Romans struggled to understand. Caesar’s commentary gives his readers a sense that he is able to understand his enemy as well as they understand themselves which makes his strategies more effective. It’s a great sign in a leader and something we can learn in our lives. “First understand before being understood.”

Major Battles and Campaigns

Commentary: Caesar recounts several significant battles and military strategies, such as the Battle of Bibracte, the siege of Avaricum, and the decisive victory at the Battle of Alesia, where he defeated the united Gallic forces led by Vercingetorix.

Broader context: Author’s side note: The battle of Alesia and the defeat of Vercingetorix is one of my ALL-TIME favorite military stories. I will devote an entire writing on it soon.

Every major Roman victory was written about. There were two reasons for this. First the historic records were often written by the winner so you wanted your account to be accurate and from your perspective.

However, Caesar is also writing about how he wanted his men to think, act and behave on the battlefield. These are some of his most interesting writings to get inside the mind of a brilliant leader, military strategist and man of Rome. He talks strategy and mindset which is often overlooked today. How many times have you been given a “job” to do but not the thinking behind “how you should think or feel” when doing it.

Caesar's Leadership and Military Strategy:

Commentary: His writing showcases Caesar's tactical genius, logistical planning, and leadership qualities. He emphasizes his ability to adapt to various situations, maintain discipline among his troops, and secure alliances with certain tribes.

I don’t have much context to add here other than - reading his strategy and how much he obsessed about logistics really stood out to me. He knew how long it took each men to dig a trench and could do the math on how long it would take for him to execute an offensive or defense strategy against his opponent.

Caesar's Public Image

Commentary: The Commentarii serve as a form of self-promotion, presenting Caesar as a capable and effective leader. The narrative often downplays his opponents' strengths and exaggerates the challenges he faced to highlight his accomplishments.

Broader context: As with all great leaders - there is some ego involved. Caesar is no different. There is a fine line between confidence and boastfulness. However, it’s important to remember that most of what is known about this time in history is from authors who covered the events and people. So part of me thinks Caesar wanted to play a part in how he was remembered. He knew he was going to go back to Rome and make a bigger play for Consul and take back the power and authority that Pompey and Crassus were trying to steal.

What Can We Learn From All Of This?

1. Write down your thoughts and review your actions. Just like Julius Caesar it is important to play a part in your own history. Spent time journaling, launch a blog, create a newsletter. But do something that forces you to take your thoughts and observations from the World and put them into writing. You never know who will read them and the thoughts that could be shaped from them

2. Write for a purpose. All of Julius Caesar’s writing had a clear purpose. Some of it was to justify his actions, others were to ensure he was given his flowers when he arrived home in Rome. He compared himself to Alexander The Great and felt he needed to push himself in life to accomplish his goals.

3. Study the writings of others. Building on the point above. Caser would have read the historical context of some of Rome and Greece’s greatest military generals and political leaders. You should do the same. Find someone in history you want to model. Read about their lives, read what they wrote, and learn how they thought.

4. Develop a habit of writing. It doesn’t matter if you are 16 or 76, learning how to translate your thinking and believes into writing will benefit you. If you lead a team at your job or have a manager you can’t quite see eye to eye with - consider taking the time to draft something thoughtful and see if you can have a different impact.

Want to learn more?

1. Wikipedia covers the commentaries in a concise way

2. Read the actual commentary