Pharsalia; Dramatic Episodes of the Civil Wars


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Lucan's only surviving work, De Bello Civili, more generally known as the Pharsalia, is an epic poem about the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. The title given by posterity to the poem refers to the Battle of Pharsalus, which took place in 48 BC near the city of Pharsalus, in Thessaly. The work is important as an example of Roman Historic Epic, since divine intervention plays little part in the narrative and very few supernatural occurrences happen in the story. Lucan's Civil War is considered a major expression of literature from the Neronian times, and has attracted renewed scholarly attention in the past decades. The work remains unfinished, due to the untimely death of its author. - Summary by Leni

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Book I - The Crossing of the Rubicon, part 1 20:06 Read by Dave Gillespie
Book I - The Crossing of the Rubicon, part 2 35:21 Read by Dave Gillespie
Book II - The Flight of Pompeius, part 1 30:37 Read by Dave Gillespie
Book II - The Flight of Pompeius, part 2 25:52 Read by Dave Gillespie
Book III - Massilia, part 1 18:34 Read by Josh Kibbey
Book III - Massilia, part 2 25:06 Read by Craig Campbell
Book IV - Caesar in Spain. War in the Adriatic Sea. Death of Curio, part 1 26:42 Read by Rita Boutros
Book IV - Caesar in Spain. War in the Adriatic Sea. Death of Curio, part 2 28:17 Read by Rita Boutros
Book V - The Oracle. The Mutiny. The Storm, part 1 29:19 Read by Rita Boutros
Book V - The Oracle. The Mutiny. The Storm, part 2 25:34 Read by Rita Boutros
Book VI - The Fight Near Dyrrhachium. Scaeva's Exploits. The Witch of Thessalia, part 1 29:51 Read by Rita Boutros
Book VI - The Fight Near Dyrrhachium. Scaeva's Exploits. The Witch of Thessalia, part 2 28:50 Read by Rita Boutros
Book VII - The Battle, part 1 29:37 Read by Lucretia B.
Book VII - The Battle, part 2 47:44 Read by Lucretia B.
Book VIII - Death of Pompeius, part 1 29:48 Read by KevinS
Book VIII - Death of Pompeius, part 2 31:13 Read by Rita Boutros
Book IX - Cato, part 1 34:07 Read by Elsie Selwyn
Book IX - Cato, part 2 29:57 Read by Elsie Selwyn
Book X - Caesar in Egypt, part 1 21:44 Read by Phil Schempf
Book X - Caesar in Egypt, part 2 15:04 Read by Phil Schempf