Unit 2 Overview: Caesar, Gallic War, Books 1 and 6

3 min read•june 18, 2024

hunter_borg

AP Latin 🏛

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Unit 2 Overview

Salvete! Welcome to Unit 2 of AP Latin! This unit covers Book 1 (chapters 1 through 7) and Book 6 (chapters 13 through 20) of Julius Caesar's Comentarii de Bello Gallico.

Students will read the entirety of books 1 and 6, with students reading the text in Latin in the aforementioned chapters. Reading over the Unit 2 checklist is important in making sure you understand the correct skill categories each unit tackles.

Unit 2 Guide: At a Glance

In AP Latin and other languages, there are no key concepts like there are in other AP subjects. Instead, we will practice skill categories in the form of different style questions to help you prepare for the exam. Then, we will break down the lines within that particular section of the book.

In Unit 2, there are 3 different main themes focused on within this unit.

Themes of Unit 2

Roman Values (RMV)	1) What values and ideals are portrayed as characteristically Roman? 2) How do these values and ideals differ based on gender, ethnicity, or other criteria? 3) What strengths and weaknesses of character are exemplified by individuals in the works? 4) How do the texts confirm characteristic Roman values? 5) What questions do the texts raise about Roman values?
Views of Non-Romans (VNR)	1) In what ways do the authors portray the various non-Roman peoples that appear in the works? 2) What criteria do they use to evaluate these groups? 3) To what extent do the authors reinforce or challenge stereotypes of these groups? 4) How do the authors use these portrayals in their works?
Leadership (LDR)	1) What different types of leaders (both male and female) and leadership styles do we see in these works? 2) How do leaders deal with setbacks and failures? 3) How does a leader inspire others to follow?

Contextualization for the Comentarii de Bello Gallico

Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, or Commentaries on the Gallic War, is a set of seven books written by Julius Caesar, detailing his military campaigns in Gaul (modern-day France) between 58 and 52 BC. The work covers Caesar's conquest of Gaul, which was a series of military campaigns waged by the Roman Republic against several Gallic tribes. The wars were fought primarily in what is now France and Belgium, but also in other parts of Gaul, such as modern-day Switzerland, and parts of Germany. The Commentaries provides a first-hand account of Caesar's military strategies, battles, and interactions with the Gauls, as well as the political and social context of the time.

The works are written in Latin prose, which is essentially for Julius Caesar just his normal writing. Some of the more important tribes Julius Caesar fought against were the Helvetii, the Aquitani, the Nervii, and the Veneti. You will learn more about them within the texts.