Caesar: Overrated?

[Lysimachus]

Since i'm holiday right now I don't really have the time to invest in a long post, but what are you guys opinions on him?

[Arch-hereticK]

Not too overrated and not too underrated.....................he's just right.

Probably due to the anti-caesar propaganda just afer his death and when he turned the senate against himself.

[Ulf]

Gaul was no push over. neither was Pompey.
I'll go with Arch-HereticK on this one. Not over or underrated

[Jom]

I certainly wouldn't say he was/is overrated when you consider what he was actually doing at the time and how his achievements astounded Rome, a city that had grown used to Pompey's continuous streams of victories. His political manoeuvring is also not to be underestimated, especially his stroke of brilliance in securing the post of Pontifex Maximus at just 37, an unheard of feat but one that got his foot firmly in the door.

[Sphere]

I certainly wouldn't say he was/is overrated when you consider what he was actually doing at the time and how his achievements astounded Rome, a city that had grown used to Pompey's continuous streams of victories. His political manoeuvring is also not to be underestimated, especially his stroke of brilliance in securing the post of Pontifex Maximus at just 37, an unheard of feat but one that got his foot firmly in the door.

Yes, it is always important to keep in context Caesar's accomplishments; he was not a supreme ruler with the all the resources of Rome at his fingertips. He was a mid-level aristocrat who got started by nearly bankrupted himself to just to get a political appointment. His conquests and rise to power were mostly a bare bones operation performed with limited resources that required substantial military and political cunning. Even in his final great victory against Pompeii at Pharsalus, Caesars army was outnumbered and starving.

That being said, Caesar was part of a society that was breading such people of ambition at an alarming rate, Ceasar was just the one will enough skill to pull it all together.

[Xellos_Moon]

I cant imagine how ceasar can be overrated. Even if its possible, his accomplishments speaks for itself.

[Orko]

Well, he did have a great legacy. Some might call this overrated but whatever.

[Aaronto0]

julius caesar managed to conquered the entire gaulic tribes (the size of France) within 7 yrs .By making Octavius( as he adopted him as his son) his heir he propell Octavius to sole leader of rome and became Augustus. Caesar's assassination initate the transition bewteen republic to empire

[Steve Holt]

Plus he was the "discoverer" of Britain.

[torongill]

I'd say that given that the German and Slavic word for "emperor" are direct derivatives of the name of Caesar(keiser, csar/tsar), you can't say he was overrated. He was sometimes impetuous and he made mistakes, but so did Hanibal, so did Alexander. In my view "overrated" is quite subjective and depends on the basis that you rate him on.

[Jom]

One mustn't underestimate Caesar's immense luck, too. He was a gambler who would risk everything on one throw of the dice. If he won, then he would come out the other side in an infinitely better position than when he went in. On the day of the election for Pontifex Maximus, for example, he told his mother he would not return if he lost for he would have been completely destroyed both socially and fiscally.

[pannonian]

As a general, I rate Scipio Africanus far higher, in innovation and soundness. Caesar relied a bit too often on the superior quality of his troops for my taste, often being caught out tactically but then bulldozing his way to victory anyway. Scipio's plans are as sensible as they get, making the most of all available resources, both his own and the enemy's. In Sun Zi's terms, Caesar knew himself but not the enemy, but he knew he was good enough not to need knowledge of the enemy. Scipio knew both himself and the enemy.

[Ulf]

As a general, I rate Scipio Africanus far higher, in innovation and soundness. Caesar relied a bit too often on the superior quality of his troops for my taste, often being caught out tactically but then bulldozing his way to victory anyway. Scipio's plans are as sensible as they get, making the most of all available resources, both his own and the enemy's. In Sun Zi's terms, Caesar knew himself but not the enemy, but he knew he was good enough not to need knowledge of the enemy. Scipio knew both himself and the enemy.

I agree with this.

p.s. it's Sun Tzu.

[Carach]

well its easy for people to get carried away with caesar, he was a political beast and understood well the use of propaganda (of which there is a lot during his days in gaul)

Many tend to assume that all he achieved was planned out carefully from day one of his career - i however think he played on certain events exceptionally well, to his advantage - which people would say is luck, (by no means taking away his talent, this is as much part of talent as planning is - as they say good luck is what u make of it). He wasnt entirely consistent with his popularist claims either.

Shrewd i would say is a good word for him He played his way through a turbulent part of roman history exceptionally well (Pompey, in contrast, was a bit of a failure in that regard). It was largely down to Caesar remember that the Triumvirate came into being, and to maintain urself in such powerful company also takes talent.

Plus he was the "discoverer" of Britain.

it was actually a greek from what is now Toulon? (somewhere in southern france i cant remember) that is considered to be the first mediterranean to discover the british isles. (for the life of me i cannot remember where i read that..)

The claim that he discovered Briton is a myth He knew fullwell of them (Posidonius had also made a map of the world in 140BC showing the british isles, and im pretty sure i saw an ancient egyptian map that also had, roughly, the british isles on it when i was in Cairo few years back), his motive for going there in the first place was due to certain factions aligned with the mainland gauls. Was to send a message that they could be reached.

[Steve Holt]

it was actually a greek from what is now Toulon? (somewhere in southern france i cant remember) that is considered to be the first mediterranean to discover the british isles. (for the life of me i cannot remember where i read that..)

The claim that he discovered Briton is a myth He knew fullwell of them (Posidonius had also made a map of the world in 140BC showing the british isles, and im pretty sure i saw an ancient egyptian map that also had, roughly, the british isles on it when i was in Cairo few years back), his motive for going there in the first place was due to certain factions aligned with the mainland gauls. Was to send a message that they could be reached.

Oh well i read that in a book he wasn't exactly the discoverer of Britain he just proved it to be there.

[sabaku_no_gaara]

Oh well i read that in a book he wasn't exactly the discoverer of Britain he just proved it to be there.

He was the first Roman general to set foot on it, in a time when most Romans saw Brittania as a mythical place or non existant


He's not overrated, alltough, i sometimes think that it's a good thing for him that he died at his peak, before bad decisions or a disaster in Parthia could have tarnished him

[Markas]

A great man. Sadly, he was hated by the populace of Rome despite some sound reforms improving the hygiene of the general public. Also it's a little known fact he went conquering to escape a shrewish wife. At least, that's what this docu-drama told me.

[Slaytaninc]

Well, Caesar also destroyed the Republic.

Although arguably, it was doomed before Caesar, but don't let that stop me

[GreyFox]

As with most Asian names, there are many variations on spelling names. Sun Zi is just as correct as Sun Tzu and Sun Wu.

[Ulf]

As with most Asian names, there are many variations on spelling names. Sun Zi is just as correct as Sun Tzu and Sun Wu.

ah, well that's what i get for not knowing any Asian languages and by extension Asian names.