Caesar and the Bellum Alexandrinum : An Analysis of Style, Narrative Technique, and the Reception of Greek Historiography / Jan Felix Gaertner, Bianca C. Hausburg

• VerfasserIn: Gaertner, Jan Felix Prof. Dr.; Hausburg, Bianca C. Dr.
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Hypomnemata ; Band 192.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (374 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

Das Bellum Alexandrinum beschreibt die Ereignisse des römischen Bürgerkriegs zwischen 49 und 47 v.Chr. und berichtet von Caesars Aufenthalt im ägyptischen Alexandria und seiner Auseinandersetzung mit Ptolemaios XIII. Die beiden Autoren widmen sich in diesem Buch vor allem den bisher weitgehend unerforschten Aspekten der literarischen Technik sowie den Bezügen des Bellum Alexandrinum zur griechischen und frühen römischen Historiografie. Zugleich bietet das Buch aber auch eine detaillierte Untersuchung der Sprache und rekonstruiert die Umstände der Entstehung. Es zeigt, dass der Bericht aus mehreren Einzelberichten zusammengefügt wurde, die sich sprachlich, inhaltlich und erzähltechnisch deutlich voneinander unterscheiden.

Table of Contents

Cover ; Title Page; Copyright; Preface; Table of Contents; Body; Abbreviations and other conventions; 1. Introduction; 2. The Bellum Alexandrinum and the Corpus Caesarianum; 2.1. The composition and publication of the Bellum Gallicum and Bellum Civile; 2.2. The evidence of Suetonius' Vita Divi Iulii and the Epistula ad Balbum; (a) Suetonius' Vita Divi Iulii; (b) The Epistula ad Balbum; 3. Language and style of the Bellum Alexandrinum ; 3.1. The Bellum Alexandrinum and the language and style of Hirt. Gal. 8; 3.2. The hypothesis of the anonymous dilettante

3.3. The analytical approach of Landgraf, Zingerle, Dahms, and Pötter3.4. Objections to the analytical approach; (a) Un-Caesarian or Hirtian usages; (b) Linguistic features attested in B.Alex. 1-21 and B.Alex. 22-78; (c) An alternative explanation of the Caesarian iuncturae in B.Alex. 1-21; (d) Objections concerning the contents of the Bellum Alexandrinum; 3.5. New evidence for the heterogeneous character of the Bellum Alexandrinum; (a) Usages which are absent from B.Alex. 1-21, but frequent in B.Alex. 22-78; (b) Usages which are common in B.Alex. 1-21, but absent from B.Alex. 22-78

(c) Relative clauses and connective relatives(d) Sentence-initial ablatives absolute; (e) Sentence-initial verbs; (f) Connective adverbs and particles; (g) Adversative and disjunctive conjunctions; (h) Copulative conjunctions; (i) Subordinating conjunctions; 3.6. Conclusion; 4. Literary technique and historiographical method ; 4.1. The density and quality of the historical information; (a) The events in Lower Egypt (B.Alex. 1-33); (b) The events in Asia Minor, Illyricum, and Spain (B.Alex. 34-78); 4.2. The presentation and evaluation of the historical events

(a) Political and ethical vocabulary(b) The representation of Caesar and the Caesarians; (c) The representation of Caesar's enemies; (d) The representation of Caesar's generals and allies; 4.3. Concepts of historical change: human and divine agency; 4.4. The temporal perspective; 4.5. The Bellum Alexandrinum and earlier historiography; (a) Caesarian diction and Thucydidean motifs in B.Alex. 13-16; (b) Further Thucydidean elements in B.Alex. 1-21 and 22-78; (c) The Bellum Alexandrinum and the 'Thucydidean fashion' of the 50s and 40s B. C.; (d) The account of Euphranor's death (B.Alex. 25)

(e) The influence of Hellenistic historiography(f) The influence of earlier Roman historiography; (g) Consequences for the composition, aims, and target audience of B.Alex. 22-78; 5. The publication of the Bellum Alexandrinum and its historical context; 5.1. The book division after Civ. 3.112 and its political significance ; 5.2. The Bellum Alexandrinum and three pieces of biographical information; 5.3. The political context and function of the Corpus Caesarianum ; 6. Conclusion; Appendices ; Appendix A: The authorship and authenticity of the Epistula ad Balbum and Gal. 8

Appendix B: hostis, inimicus and the date of composition of the Bellum Civile