Extract
[...] There is therefore a trivialization of death as well as of soldiers, who become objects in the eyes of statesmen. Next, war disrupts the relationship with reality and tends to dehumanize the belligerents. Indeed, many characters undergo reification, as if they were the subject of belonging to their leaders. For example, regarding the men of Vercingetorix's army, it is mentioned that they are 'theirs', a possessive pronoun that usually designates an object. The same procedure returns with Caesar, who mentions 'ours' under two occurrences. [...]
[...] There is a quasi-superhuman dimension that can leave the reader perplexed. Moreover, temporally speaking, the adverbial phrase 'many times' which evokes the justification for the defeat of Vercingetorix's soldiers who 'intervened many times in reinforcement' mark an iterative dimension, like an infinite loop that repeats eternally, and which therefore plunged them into a deep exhaustion, letting the enemy camp win. Finally, war can be observed as a necessity that holds very precise rules. Indeed, after the panoptic power, we can relate a deontic modality. [...]
[...] In fact, war is anchored in an exceptional dimension, through the prism of vocabulary. We have the obsessive motif of greatness that returns six times. Moreover, under the military prism, 'danger' and 'carnage' are great. Therefore, this reinforces the courage of the fighters but also the consequences of war that become almost infernal. In addition, even the loot claimed by Julius Caesar is great, as he 'demands a large number of hostages' during his victory, as a reward. This supports his ambition to grow in society and establish his authority over many territories in the future. [...]
[...] Indeed, this motif has a great place in this text. For example, Vercassivellaunos 'hides behind the mountain'. The motif of the mountain returns often, a place both hostile and useful for hiding. Camouflage is important within wars in order to be able to benefit from rest without being spotted by the enemy, as well as to secretly surprise them. The secret is thus very important under the aegis of war since Secret means what is set apart, what is located apart, in depth. [...]
[...] To conclude, although war is the context of a political rivalry that plunges soldiers into a suffocating domination to acquire victory, leaders make it a praise that participates in the growth of their power. It allows, in fact, the extension of new territories that they grant themselves. Indeed, Caesar desires to expand the Roman Republic. But despite this praiseworthy dimension, the phenomenon of war is unjustified and unjustifiable, thus trivializing the lives lost and concealing the warriors, figuratively, as if they were nothing, for the sake of the will at all costs of a victory only. Hence, the Battle of Alesia will become a pretext for Caesar to increase his prestige. [...]
