Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Julius Caesar was a remarkable Roman Consul who constantly strove to increase the power of his empire. During the Gallic Wars, Caesar fought against several Gallic tribes in attempt to become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Caesar expresses his thoughts on this war in his book De Bello Gallico. In this work, Caesar uses many different writing techniques to convince the audience that the war happened in the way he described and therefore make his view on the war credible. Caesar's techniques of writing in mostly indirect statement as well as using powerful adjectives to describe himself comes off very confusing to the audience. Because Caesar is very confident in his writing, as shown through the excessive amounts of detail he includes,

Caesar tries to convince the audience that he is doing all he can to help the Roman people. In attempt to reassure his soldiers, Caesar writes that ex proximis hibernis et a Caesare conventura subsidia, "relief would come both from the nearest winter-quarters and from Caesar" (5.28.9). Caesar is trying to make himself seem more important by giving himself credit for reinforcing the Roman soldiers. By addressing himself in the third person, Caesar declares that he was present which makes his writing more truthful because it shows that he was actually there and knows what he is talking about. Caesar then points out nihil temere agendum neque ex hibernis iniussu Caesaris discendendum existimabant, "that nothing should be done hastily, and that they should not depart from the camp without Caesar's orders" (5.28.5-6). Claiming that he has great influence over his army and naming himself the head decision-maker, Caesar appears as though he was actually there giving orders to his men. By claiming to be present in the battle, Caesar again supports the idea that his story is believable. A final example of how Caesar had great influence on the battle is when he writes Caesarem arbitrari profectum in Italiam, "that he believed that Caesar had set forth into Italy" (5.29.3). Caesar makes it clear that he knows his men know where he is at the present, which proves that he must have been there fighting in the war. To redress, Caesar again proves that he was present and knows everything happening in the war which therefore deems his story as being