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Julius Caesar the Anthropologist 凱薩大帝：名副其實的人類學家 撰文及考題設計 British Council 英協教育中心 Brian Welter 中譯 陳怡君 （中央社編譯） 圖 Wikimedia Commons
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Anthropologists are social scientists who, when
in what was called a Triumvirate. He had many administrative successes and was well-regarded.
they began their discipline over a hundred years ago,
就某種程度而言，人類對於其他人群與社會的
tended to be interested in far-away cultures that no
好奇心是出自於天性，意味著人類學家始終存在。
American or European had ever before encountered.
而歷史上最有名與最有趣的歷史人物之一凱薩大
Some even ventured to Pacific Islands and wrote
帝（100-44 BC），也是早期的人類學家嗎？出身貴
famous accounts of these peoples.
族世家的凱薩先是成為士兵的統帥，之後成
人類學家在100多年前即開展了他們的研
為將領並與包含龐貝在內的兩位領袖共同
究：他們對在美國或歐洲文化尚未滲入的遠古
統御帝國，當時稱作「三人執政團」。他擁
文化有極大興趣，有些更冒險進入太平
有許多政績而備受推崇。
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洋島嶼，寫出對這些島民的記述。
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I n a w a y, h u m a n s ’ n a t u r a l c u r io sit y a b o u t o t h e r hu m a n s and societies means there have
Ju s t a s nowa d ay s , a n c ie nt Rom a n military leaders, in this case Caesar and Pompey, competed for power and glory. Since his rival took troops east to
always been anthropologists.
gain more lands via conquest,
Wa s Ju l iu s C a e s a r (10 0 - 4 4
Caesar went northwest, to
BC), one of the most famous
Gaul, or modern-day France.
and interesting historical figures,
Gaul was divided among different
an early anthropologist? Born into
wa r r ior t r ibes. T hei r societ y
an aristocratic family, Caesar was
was made up of three classes, the
above all a leader of soldiers. He
religious leaders, called Druids, the
created a general and shared political
knights, and the commoners. The last
leadership of the entire empire with two others, including Pompey,
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凱薩大帝雕像。
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group were treated basically like slaves by the
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warriors. The Druids never fought, and spent many
We learn, for instance, that it was the Druids
years in study. They even went to Britain to learn
who dealt with lawbreakers in Gaul. One common
from the Druids there.
punishment, according to Caesar, was social
就像現今一般，古羅馬的軍事領袖如凱薩與龐
isolation. No one would talk with or even greet the
貝，彼此競爭權力與榮耀。既然他的對手往東出征
convicted criminal, fearing that they too would
以獲取更多土地，凱薩決定往西北的高盧，也就是
become isolated if they did. How long would such
現今的法國。高盧被劃分為不同的戰士部落，他們
people be punished? And for what crimes? Caesar
的社會由三個階級組成：宗教領袖（或被稱作德魯
never tells us. He only notes that the Druids mostly
伊）、騎士，以及庶民。庶民基本上是被戰士當作
memorised their laws and rituals, only writing a few
奴隸對待。德魯伊從未參與戰鬥，他們花大部分
things down in a Greek-looking script. Literacy was
的時間在研究。他們更前往英國向當地的德魯伊
not prized among these peoples.
學習。
舉例來說，我們得知在高盧，是由德魯伊負責
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處置犯法者。根據凱薩的記載，其中一個常見的刑
How do we know all of that? Because of Caesar’s
罰是社交孤立，沒有人能夠和罪犯交談甚至招呼，
writing, The Gallic War. This work contains
因為怕連帶被孤立。這些人會被處罰多久？犯了什
invaluable information on the peoples of Gaul and
麼罪？凱薩從未告訴我們。他只記載德魯伊大多
Germania, as the Romans then called Germany.
背誦法條與儀式，只用希臘文字記載少數事件，讀
The Gallic War offers glimpses of many different
寫能力在這些人中並不受到重視。
opponents of Rome from Caesar ’s viewpoint.
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Since we have little else aside from a few scattered
The Germans, whom Caesar encountered on
archaeological remains of these peoples, we have to
his military expeditions, differed from the Gauls
take the author’s word for it. Much of the writings
in important ways, chiefly in religion. They had
make him sound like an anthropologist studying
no Druid class, and, aside from worshiping a few
a previously undiscovered culture. This is not
traditional gods, didn’t really focus on belief or
surprising, since for the Romans, these were almost
ritual. Caesar characterises the Germans as practical
totally unknown societies.
and close to the earth. Yet, he notes, they were not
我們如何一窺全貌？因為凱薩的著作《高盧戰
farmers. They would move yearly, and tended not to
記》。這部作品包含高盧和日耳曼地區人們的珍貴
establish permanent settlements or build farms. Not
資訊，而當時羅馬人稱當地為日耳曼。由於我們只
surprisingly, their diet featured milk, cheese, and
能從其他零星的建築遺跡拼湊，所以我們必須相
meat instead of bread.
信作者的描述。《高盧戰記》的諸多敘述，讓凱薩
凱撒軍事征途中遭遇的日耳曼人，和高盧人有
大帝搖身一變為人類學家，研究一個從未被研究
許多重要的不同，尤其在宗教方面。他們並沒有
過的文化。想當然爾，這些群體對當時的羅馬人而
德魯伊的階級概念，縱使在信仰傳統諸神以外，
言，幾乎是全然未知的。
並不特別鑽研信仰或儀式。凱薩將日耳曼人的特
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徵描述為務實、親近土地。然而他記 載著，他們並非務農維生。他們逐年遷 徙，並不會建立永久固定的駐紮地或 建立農場。理所當然地，他們的飲食以 牛奶、乳酪與肉食而非麵包為主。
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Caesar admired the Germanic warrior spirit. They ruled over a large area, and would attack any other peoples, such as the Gauls, who established settlements near their vast forests. It was these forests, which Caesar described as great in size, that defined the Germans. The boys, Caesar notes, were taught from a young age to enjoy adventure and
《高盧戰記》記載了高盧和日耳曼地區人們的珍貴資訊。圖為一本18世紀版的《高 盧戰記》。
fighting. Not surprisingly, the Germans were keen hunters.
也許因為他們凶猛的戰士精神，日耳曼人崇尚 平等主義。他們並不像高盧人，允許上層階級凌駕
凱薩崇尚日耳曼人的戰士精神。他們統治大片
庶民、待之如奴隸。凱薩記載著，當凶猛的日耳曼
土地，並攻擊任何嘗試在他們廣袤森林附近建立
人成為羅馬人強勁的對手時，相形之下高盧人較
領地的族群，例如高盧人。正是這片被凱薩描述極
無戰鬥意志，因為他們的經濟發展讓他們有能力
為廣大的森林，定義了日耳曼人。凱薩記載著，年
享受一定的豪奢生活，讓他們倚賴和羅馬人的交
輕人從小即被教導去享受冒險與戰鬥，日耳曼人
易。他更沾沾自喜地記載著高盧人似已習慣被羅
也因此為敏銳的獵人。
馬人擊敗。他更記載著在過去的年代，高盧人曾經
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和日耳曼人一樣剽悍。
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Perhaps due to their ferocious warrior spirit, the Germans were egalitarian: There was no over-class
Caesar ’s keen observation of his opponents
treating commoners like slaves, as was the case
demonstrates his political sense. He was more
with the Gauls. Caesar noted that whereas the
than a soldier. When defeating a part of Gaul, for
Germans were fierce opponents of the Romans, the
instance, he would incorporate the leaders into the
Gauls were less so, as their economic development
local Roman administration. The Roman empire
afforded them certain luxuries and made them
counted on offering good government to conquered
dependent on trade with the Romans. He also notes
peoples as a way to keep the pax romana, the
rather smugly that they were used to being defeated
Roman peace.
by the Romans. He does note that in the past the Gauls had been as fierce as the Germans.
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凱薩對於對手的敏銳觀察展現了他的政治手 腕。他並不僅止於一位軍人。舉例來說，當他擊敗
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了部分高盧，他會把將領收編為當地羅馬的政務
have immeasurably enriched our understanding of
官。羅馬帝國靠善待被征服人民的政府制度，用以
the Gauls and Germans, two mysterious ancient
維持所謂的「羅馬治世」。
European peoples.
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我們永遠無法證實凱薩的人類學研究是否精
We’ll never know for certain how accurate Caesar was as an anthropologist. However, The Gallic Wars
雅思考試粉絲團： www.facebook.com/ielts.testcentre
確。然而，《高盧戰記》無疑豐富了我們對於這群 神祕的古歐民族─高盧人與日耳曼人的理解。
雅思考試模擬試題 IELTS questions
Multiple Choice: Choose the best answer: 1. The Triumvirate was comprised of … a) two men, Pompey and Caesar b) aristocrats and soldiers c) three individuals including Caesar. 2. The Druids, unlike the knights, ... a) could read religious texts from Britain b) never fought in war c) spoke Greek in their rituals 3. The people inhabiting ancient Germania ... a) engaged chiefly in agriculture b) depended on animal products for an important part of the diet c) traded with the Gauls 4. According to The Gallic Wars, German society ... a) was hierarchical, with hunters at the top b) worshiped sacred trees and forests c) was much more equal than the society in Gaul
5. As a government leader, Caesar ... a) enforced the pax romana chiefly through making locals fear him b) provided opportunities for locals in Gaul c) offered military positions to the men of Gaul 6. The Gallic Wars ... a) have not been verified by other ancient writings b) saw little significant differences between the Gauls and and Romans c) were written after Caesar retired 7-9. Choose three true statements about the Gauls or the Germans according to The Gallic Wars: a) Germania was split into various groupings that fought each other. b) The Germans and Gauls didn’t intermix. c) The Gauls traded with the Germans. d) Modern researchers have plenty of information on these two peoples aside from Julius Caesar’s writings. e) Getting and eating wild game occupied an important place in German society. f) Life centered on the forest for both the Gauls and the Germans. g) There was a democratic spirit among the Germans but not among the Gauls.
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Answers: 1. c 2. b 3. b 4. c 5. b 6. a 7-9. b, e, g