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The Year of Julius and Caesar

59 BC and the Transformation of the Roman Republic

Stefan G. Chrissanthos

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How Caesar's attack on Bibulus marked the beginning of the end of the Roman free state and the descent of the Republic into violence and civil war.

The year 59 BC—when Gaius Julius Caesar and Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus served as joint consuls—marked a major turning point in the history of the Roman Republic. It was a dramatic and momentous time of political intrigue, bloodshed, and murder, one that boasted some of the most famous personalities ever to grace the Roman historical stage. Arguing that this pivotal year demands extended study, Stefan G. Chrissanthos's The Year of Julius and Caesar is...

How Caesar's attack on Bibulus marked the beginning of the end of the Roman free state and the descent of the Republic into violence and civil war.

The year 59 BC—when Gaius Julius Caesar and Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus served as joint consuls—marked a major turning point in the history of the Roman Republic. It was a dramatic and momentous time of political intrigue, bloodshed, and murder, one that boasted some of the most famous personalities ever to grace the Roman historical stage. Arguing that this pivotal year demands extended study, Stefan G. Chrissanthos's The Year of Julius and Caesar is the first focused investigation of the period.

Chrissanthos uses a single event as his centerpiece: the violent attack orchestrated by Caesar and the "First Triumvirate" on Bibulus and his followers in the Forum on April 4. Before that day, he reveals, 59 had been a typical year, one that provides valuable insight into Roman government and political gamesmanship. But the assault on Bibulus changed everything: the consul retired to his house for the rest of the year, allowing Caesar and his allies to pass legislation that eventually enabled Caesar to take complete control of the Roman state.

This detailed reconstruction draws on archeological and literary evidence to describe a watershed year in the history of the late Roman Republic, establish an accurate chronology, and answer many of the important historical questions surrounding the year 59. Written in an engaging and accessible style, The Year of Julius and Caesar will appeal to undergraduates and scholars alike and to anyone interested in contemporary politics, owing to the parallels between the Roman and American Republics.

Reviews

Reviews

A clear and lively narrative. Chrissanthos equips nonexpert readers with all of the necessary context to explore the violent events of Caesar's first consulship in depth. This is a good introduction to the politics of the Roman Republic and its ultimate fate.

The 'Year of Julius and Caesar' may not have been the end of the Roman Republic, but the bitter struggles of this year were surely the beginning of the end. In this widely accessible account, Stefan Chrissanthos reveals the dangers of a polarized political climate, at once a story of how a new imperial age came to be, and a cautionary tale for any society.

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Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
200
ISBN
9781421429700
Illustration Description
7 b&w illus.
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Maps
Prologue. Caesar and Bibulus: April 4, 59 BC/695 AUC
I Caesar and Cato: 60 BC/694 AUC
II Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus: 59 BC/695 AUC
III Clodius: 58 BC/696 AUC 00
Epilogue

Acknowledgments
Maps
Prologue. Caesar and Bibulus: April 4, 59 BC/695 AUC
I Caesar and Cato: 60 BC/694 AUC
II Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus: 59 BC/695 AUC
III Clodius: 58 BC/696 AUC 00
Epilogue. Transformation: 57-31 BC/697-723 AUC
Appendixes
A. The Roman Republican Government
B. Cast of Characters
C. Chronology
D. The Ancient Evidence
E. Dating of Events of the Year 59
Glossary
Notes
Selected Further Reading
Index

Author Bio
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Stefan G. Chrissanthos

Stefan G. Chrissanthos teaches Greek and Roman political and military history at the University of California at Riverside. He is the author of Warfare in the Ancient World: From the Bronze Age to the Fall of Rome.