Michael Grant (1914 - 2004) was a prolific freelance historian who wrote many books of "popular history" on the history of the Greeks, Romans and other ancient cultures. Over the course of a long weekend vacation, I read Grant's 1969 short biography of Caesar, which has been republished many times in many different editions.
This short book (187 pages) is more of an overview of the life and career of Caesar than an in-depth study. It is, nevertheless, filled with fascinating facts. If you think that our current politics in the United States are a mess, it hasn't gotten as bad as the late Roman Republic yet. At least bribery and assassination have not become the norm. Grant recounts that during several elections there was so much money being borrowed to finance bribes to fix the election, that the interest rates rose. Also, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I read my wife, who is a bankruptcy attorney, a passage from the book detailing how Caesar as dictator basically introduced a primitive form of bankruptcy protection for debtors. Grant also recounts how, because there was a shortage of gold and silver that many estates were being foreclosed on. Because there was a glut of foreclosed real estate on the market, the property sold for much less than was owed on it. My wife asked, "When was this?" I said, "49 B.C." She said"Sounds like the 2007!"
Grant also gives a good overview of Caesar's military campaigns. Caesar waged what we would consider genocide against a number of Gaulish tribes which gained him money and fame. Caesar's famous Commentaries were written to inflate his reputation at home to help him gain and keep political power.
I just thought this picture of Lictors carrying the Fasces was cool!
Michael Grant (1914 - 2004)
