Bellum Gallicum; Bellum Civile; Bellum Alexandrinum; Bellum Africanum; Bellum Hispaniense

Francesco di Antonio del Chierico; Gaius Julius Caesar

about 1460–1470

Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold paint, and ink, Tempera Colors, Ink

J. Paul Getty Museum

A decorative illuminated manuscript page features a central circular motif with text and heraldry, surrounded by cherubs and floral elements. The Corpus Caesarianum is a collection of texts about the exploits and deeds of the Roman statesman Gaius Julius Caesar. Compiled following his assassination in 44 BCE, it includes two histories and commentaries believed to have actually been penned by Caesar himself—that of the Gallic War (58 and 52 BCE) and Civil War (49–48 BCE)—as well as works written by his followers. These additions cover the Alexandrian War (48–47 BCE), African War (47–46 BCE), and Spanish War (46–45 BCE). Histories like this were of especial value to fifteenth-century Italian humanists, intellectuals who had revived interest in Antiquity and sought to explor