Over the past two millennia, Caesar has become such an icon, such a symbol of tyranny, or strength, or decadence, or any number of other vices and virtues, says Tatum (classics and ancient history, U. of Sydney) that the man Julius has been obscured nearly to invisibility. He ferrets out the politician, orator, writer, reformer, and husband examining his career through a variety of perspectives in an effort to complicate the simplification time and fame have bestowed on the god. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)