PREFACE. THE present edition of Cæsar is on the san.e pian with the Sallust and Cicero, and, it is hoped, will prove equally acceptable. As Cæsar's Commentaries are generally placed in the hands of students at an early period of their career, the explanatory notes have been specially prepared for the use of beginners, and nothing has been in fact omitted, that may tend to facilitate the perusal of the work. The Greek paraphrase is but little known in this country, and the first book, therefore, has been given partly as a literary novelty, and partly as an easy introduction to Greek studies. Considerable use has been made of it, as will be seen by the notes appended to this volume, in elucidating passages of the Latin work that are in any respect obscure, or the meaning of which has been disputed among previous commentators. It has also been found of importance on several occasions in settling the text. From whose pen the paraphrase proceeds is a matter of great uncertainty: it has been assigned by some to Maximus Planudes, by others to Theodore Gaza, while by a third class the author has been regarded as altogether unknown. Planudes, it is conceived, will be found, on a careful investigation of the matter, to have the best claim. The style of the paraphrase deviates, it is true, in more than one instance, from classical usage, yet still the discrepance is not so marked as to occasion any difficulty to the learner, and may very easily be rectified by any competent instructer. The wood-cuts, giving plans of battles, sieges, &c., cannot but prove useful. They are executed with great ability by that talented artist, Mr. A. J. Mason Columbia College, Jan. 18, 1838 C. A. |