Introduction Reflection

I'm not a fan of introductions. Never have been, never will be, and this one was no different. I have, nevertheless, found some topics that I might be interested in researching. The first is the Roman Army and the justifications of their actions, the second is fact vs. propaganda within Caesar's writing, and the third is major speeches that main characters make, as Caesar was an excellent orator, and it will be interesting to see how he writes these speeches within his own work.
My first topic, I chose because after reading about it on page XX of the introduction, I found the Roman army particularly intriguing. They are described as an organized, ruthless killing machine, and I've always found this idea interesting. I'd be interested to examine how they justify their aggression and how their morals are shaped because of what they do in war. In the process, I would examine the army as a whole, as individuals, and also look at the leadership, so I could get a full understanding of how and why they are the way they are. Furthermore, I would look at their actions and how they feel about what they do, and also why they do it. Lastly, I would figure out in what ways the army reflects and shapes Caesar himself, and vice versa.
My second topic, I found in the section titled Caesar's Writings. Caesar is writing his own success story here, and the idea that some of the information might be made up or exaggerated must be considered. If I chose this topic, I could look at the reasons that Caesar writes in third person instead of first. He was there, so why not narrate yourself? Also, I would find some places where fact and fiction might overlap, or the truth is not totally clear. Then, I could look at how writing in first person, and boasting within the book could effect the reading of the book itself and change the reader's perspective (as opposed to it being written the other way).
My last topic came to me on page XXIV of the introduction where the author mentions that many famous writers in that time would compose dramatic speeches for main characters in important times. This idea caught me because I had known that Caesar was an orator, and it might be interesting to see how the speeches he writes within his book compare to those he wrote for himself. Also, to see what public speaking techniques he commonly uses and to find any flaws or weak moments within these speeches. I could look at their significance to the writing and how they characterize the orator, and also how and if they influence any other characters.
Overall, I think these are a good three topics to work with, where I can find a lot to say and write about all of them. I'm not quite as excited for this project as I was for the Aeneid one, but maybe with time, I'll get there.