In my humble opinion, Caesar is the greatest general of antiquity and perhaps of all time.
Caesar’s career was extremely impressive by any standards
He defeated the Spanish Hill Tribes (was awarded a Triumph)
He defeated over 50 Gallic Tribes in his Gallic Conquest
He defeated multiple invading German armies
He invaded Germania (first Roman to do so)
He defeated a Celtic army when he invaded Britannia the first time (first Roman to do so)
He defeated multiple Celtic Armies on his second invasion of Britannia
He defeated Roman Armies equal to or larger than his own in the following instances (6 major engagements- all victories)
Italy
Southern Gaul
Spain
Greece (outnumbered 2 to 1)
North Africa
Spain (enemy commanded by best General in Rome)
He defeated the Egyptians in 2 engagements
He defeated a Pontic invasion
Caesar fought wars against multiple Gallic tribes, multiple Celtic tribes, multiple Spanish Tribes, the Romans, the Egyptians, Pontus, and German tribes and he won every single time.
As stated, it’s impressive.
So what made him so excellent?
You may think that it’s because the Roman legions were superior but Caesar defeated other Romans. Also, no other Roman General was nearly as successful as he was minus Scipio.
Really there is not 1 factor, it’s multiple
1: The Troops loved him
The Legions that fought for Caesar FOUGHT FOR CAESAR. They loved the man and they fought well beyond their terms of service out of loyalty to their general.
When Caesar was returning from Brittania a few hundred soldiers of his got blown off course and landed in hostile Gallic territory. They were immediately surrounded by thousands of Gauls and yet, they formed ranks and waited instead of surrendering. Why? Because they knew Caesar would come. As soon as Caesar heard about this he rounded up the cavalry and raced off to save his men personally. These sorts of actions inspired a lot of love.
2: The Legions became hardened Veterans
By the time Caesar was fighting his civil war, his Legions had been fighting for a decade against terrifying Gallic Armies and they had been turned into killing machines with unreal discipline and ability.
When Caesar’s legions charged Pompey’s legions at Pharsalus Pompey’s legions held their ground. Usually, they’d counter charge but this time they held- meaning they were planning to stand firm and widdle down Caesar’s legions. Caesar’s legions were so well trained they were able to realize this, stop all 20,000 men mid-charge, form ranks, and advance carefully. This sort of discipline is extremely hard to come by.
3: Caesar found great sub-commanders
Caesar always had an eye for talent and when men distinguished themselves, he would grant them power. This is where he found men like Antony and Labienus.
Caesar’s cohorts and legions were capable of brilliant independent action and exploiting changing circumstances to snatch victories.
4: Caesar was a gifted tactician
Caesar was patient, careful, and intelligent. He never engaged when he was at a disadvantage and he always sought to maximize his enemy's weaknesses and minimize his own. He was a skilled logistical thinker, a capable battlefield command, and had the foresight to make consistently brilliant battlefield decisions..
Writer: Alex Mann
