I appreciate the authors' desire to investigate Caesar's health, and I think they did an excellent job of proposing and supporting an alternative theory (and theory it must be since we will never know the facts of Caesar's health). However, their knowledge of the historical Caesar often fell short. I was skeptical about how accurate the book would be when on the first page of the Preface, the authors stated "After five years of campaigns in Gaul, Britain, and Germany...", when in fact Caesar spent almost ten years there. (For those who wonder, my credentials are: I have a Master's Degree in history, and have studied ancient Rome (including primary sources) and Caesar, for years.)
A list of a few issues I have with the book:
- The authors too readily take what Suetonius, Appian, Do Cassius, and Plutarch report as factual, even though they lived well after Caesar and after Octavian had purged or altered much of the evidence from that period. True, Cicero was a contemporary, but his actions and writings indicate a man desperate to be accepted by the ruling oligarchy; therefore, his writings must be judged with this in mind and in the social and political context of the time.
- The authors analysis of Caesar's personality and goals is simplistic and superficial. They consistently state that Caesar had an unquenchable thirst for glory and power, but fail to mention that this was absolutely normal in his era. The ruling men of the late Republic were fiercely competitive and constantly maneuvered to best each other and gain glory and power.
- They also ignore Caesar's determined efforts to reform the Roman system to make it more equitable for the masses. These efforts, and not simply "bread and circuses" as the authors state, endeared Caesar to the populace.
- The authors also state that Caesar's ultimate goal was to make Rome a monarchy with him as its leader. This does not match his actions, at least not until maybe (and that's a big maybe) the last year of his life.
- They frequently veer into romanticism, and refer to Shakespeare's and Napoleon III's works throughout the book.
I could go on and on, but I will end by saying that the book is valuable for bringing to light a plausible explanation for Caesar's decline in his last year. However, those who read the book should not lend much weight to the authors' historical statements and judgements. For a truly thoughtful and substantiated examination of Caesar the man, general, and politician, I highly recommend Adrian Goldsworthy's "Caesar: The Life of a Colossus."
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fabrizor
This book by the very talented Galassi and his coauthor is a wonderful mixture of medicine
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2017
fabrizor
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2017
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