Author(s): Bijan Omrani

Ancient History

Julius Caesar's conquests in Gaul in the 50s BC were bloody, but the cultural revolution they brought in their wake transformed forever the ancient Celtic culture of that country. After Caesar, the Gauls exchanged their tribal quarrels for togas and acquired the paraphernalia of civilized urban life. The Romans also left behind a legacy of language, literature, law, government, religion, architecture and industry. Each chapter of Caesar's Footprints is dedicated to a specific journey of exploration through Roman Gaul. From the amphitheatres of Arles and Nimes to the battlefield of Chalons, where Flavius Aetius defeated Attila the Hun, Bijan Omrani - an exciting new voice in Roman history - explores archaeological sites, artefacts and landscapes to reveal how the imprint of Rome shaped France - and thereby helped to create modern Europe.