Pompey’s execution on Ptolemy XIII’s orders. Caesar reigned in Rome until his assassin-
ation by a senatorial mob in 44.
In Caesar’s two treatises Gallic Wars (on the campaigns during his governorship) and Civil
Wa rs (48– 47 BCE), geography is ancillary but essential to military success. His Gallic Wars
famously opens with a description of the three provinces, their demarcating bodies of water,
and cultural and linguistic distinctions (BG 1.1). As a field general, Caesar emphasizes rivers,
especially as landmarks (BG 1.2, 1.12, 1.38, 2.5), mountain ranges (BG 1.2), ease and length
of marching routes (BG 1.8, 1.10), distances (BG 1.48, 2.6), supply lines, and battlefield
topography (BG 1.26, 2.9, 2.23: especially vivid are his descriptions of the Hecyrnian forest:
BG 6.24–26, Alesia: BG 7.69, and Dyrrhachium: BG 3.44–46). In his excursus on Britain,
informing T’, Caesar notes the Channel’s frequent but small tidal activity necessitat-
ing adaptations in ship design (BG 5.1). He discusses ethnography, natural resources, climate,
the island’s shape, distances, and the surprising behavior of the midwinter sun: regarding
which the locals were unable to provide information, but Caesar’s own exact water meas-
urements ( presumably with a klepsudra) showed that British summertime nights were shorter
than on the continent (BG 5.12–13).
Caesar’s authorship of the accounts of the Alexandrine, African, and Spanish Wars
is currently regarded as dubious. Caesar’s calendar, executed by S (and on
which Caesar published the De Astris: P 18.212; M Sat. 1.16.39), was not
substantially revised until 1582. For the world map commissioned by Caesar, see I
H.
Dilke (1985) 39–41; Rawson (1985) 109–114, 259–263; OCD3 780 – 782, E. Badian; DLB 211 (1999)
109 – 117, C.B. Champion; BNP 2 (2003) 900–912, J. Rüpke.
GLIM
Germanicus Iulius Caesar (10 – 19 CE)
Born on May 24, 15 BCE. He was the son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia, and then
nephew of Tiberius and great-nephew of A. He was nicknamed Germanicus after
his father’s death. But, when he became one of the closest male relatives of Augustus, he was
adopted by Tiberius. He also married Agrippina under the influence of Augustus in 5 CE.
He took part between 11 and 16 in the German campaigns so that he celebrated a triumph
in 17 ( T Ann. 2.41). He then left for the eastern lands where he died at Antioch in
October, 19 CE; his ashes were brought back to Rom (Tac. Ann. 3.1–4). He received a very
good literary, rhetorical and philosophical education (Suet. Calig. 3.1): he was clever, cultured
and excelled in rhetoric (O Pont. 2.5.53; Tac. Ann. 2.83.5). He delivered many defense
speeches before the courts or the emperor. He also wrote several comedies in Greek and
different kinds of poems: only two epigrams survive (AL 708 – 709 Riese).
Finally, he rendered in Latin A’ Phainomena during his stay in Rome in 16– 17 CE.
In all likelihood he already knew Ovid’s Fasti and M’ Astronomica. Germanicus was
not a specialist in astronomy, but he was very fond of it and wanted to popularize the
science. He dedicated his work not to Zeus like Aratos, but to his father (genitor) who may be
Augustus himself. Germanicus’ poem does not correspond entirely to Aratos’, but only to its
astronomical part: so, after the prologue (1–16), we find first one long description, of the
constellations (17–445), and then another shorter one, of the different circles of the heavens
(446–572); thirdly Germanicus explains how to estimate the passage of time according to
the rise of zodiacal constellations (573–725). Besides this poem, we also have six fragments
GERMANICUS IULIUS CAESAR