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[1] When Caesar was in Hither Gaul in winter quarters,
as we have shown above, frequent reports kept coming to him, and he was
likewise informed by despatches from Labienus, that all the Belgae, who we said
before constituted a third part of Gaul, were conspiring against the Roman
people and were giving hostages to one another; that these were the reasons for
their conspiring: firstly because they were afraid that, with all Gaul subdued,
our army would be led against them; secondly because they were being incited by
several Gauls, some of whom, just as they had been unwilling that the Germans
should continue longer in Gaul, so were indignant that an army of the Roman
people should pass the winter and settle in Gaul; others of whom from their
instability and fickleness of temperament were anxious for a revolution; and
(they were being incited) by some, too, because in Gaul royal power was
generally usurped by the more powerful and by those who had the means for
hiring men; and these men could less easily effect this usurpation under our
rule.
[1] In the consulship of L. Domitius and A.
Claudius, when Caesar was leaving his winter quarters for Italy, as he was
accustomed to do every year, he ordered the generals whom he had put in command
of the legions to have as many ships as possible built during the winter, and
to have the old ones repaired. For speed in loading and for beaching the ships,
he made them a little lower than those which we generally use in the
Mediterranean, and that the more so because he had learned that owing to the
frequent turning of the tides the waves there were not as big; and for
transporting cargo and a large number of pack-animals, he made them a little
wider than the ships we use in the other seas. He gave instructions that all
these were to be made capable of both oar and sail, for which purpose their low
build was of much assistance. The materials which are useful for equipping
ships he ordered to be fetched from Spain. After finishing the assizes in
Cisalpine Gaul, Caesar set out for Illyricum, because he heard that the
frontiers of that province were being laid waste by raids of the Pirustae. On
his arrival there he requisitioned troops from the tribes of Illyricum and gave
instructions for them to assemble in a fixed place. When this news was reported
the Pirustae sent representatives to Caesar to inform him that none of these
actions had been performed by public design; and they pointed out that they
were ready to make reparation for the damage by every means.
[2] After this business had been disposed of and
the assizes had been concluded, Caesar returned to Hither Gaul and thence
proceeded to rejoin the army. On his arrival there he went round to all the
winter camps and found that, by the remarkable zeal of the soldiers in spite of
the utmost scarcity of everything, about 600 ships (of that kind which we have
described above) and 28 warships had been built, nor was there much lacking but
that they could be launched in a few days. After congratulating the soldiers
and those who had superintended the work, he showed them what he wanted to be
done and ordered all the ships to be assembled at Port Itius, from which port
he had learned that the crossing to Britain was the easiest, a passage of about
30 miles from the continent: for this task he left as many soldiers as seemed
to be sufficient. He himself proceeded, with four legions in light marching
order and 800 cavalry, into the territory of the Treveri, because they would
neither attend his meetings nor submit to his authority, and they were alleged
to be making overtures to the Germans across the Rhine.
[1] Caesar, expecting for many reasons a more
important uprising in Gaul, determined to enrol troops by means of the
commanders M. Silanus, C. Antistius Reginus and T. Sextius. At the same time he
requested of Cn. Pompey the proconsul that, since he was remaining in the
neighborhood of Rome with his commission in the interests of the Republic, he
should instruct those men - whom he [Pompey] had enlisted in Cisalpine Gaul by
the oath of allegiance to a consul - to join the colours and to proceed to him;
thinking that it was of great importance with regard to Gallic opinion also for
the future, that the resources of Italy should be seen to be such that, if any
loss should be sustained in war, not only might it be quickly repaired, but
also be more than compensated by additional forces. When Pompey had conceded
this to the [interests of the] Republic and to [the claims of] friendship,
Caesar quickly completed the levy by means of his own officers, establishing
and transporting three legions before the close of winter, and doubling the
number of those cohorts which he had lost under Q. Titurius: thus he showed, by
his dispatch and by his forces, what the discipline and the resources of the
Roman people were able to accomplish.
[78] After these
opinions were expressed, they determined that those who, owing to infirmity or
age, were useless for war, should depart from the town, and that they
themselves should first try every expedient before having recourse to the
advice of Critognatus; however, that they would rather adopt that plan, if
circumstances should compel them and the auxiliaries should delay, rather than
submit to any terms of a surrender or peace. The Mandubii, who had admitted
them into the town, were compelled to leave with their wives and children. When
these came up to the Roman fortifications, weeping and with every entreaty they
begged them [the soldiers] to take them into servitude and relieve them with
food. But Caesar, posting guards on the ramparts, forbade them to be admitted.
[59] There were with Caesar in the number of his
cavalry two Allobrogian brothers, Roucillus and Egus, the sons of Abducillus, a
man who for several years had possessed the
chief power in his state; men of singular valour, whose services Caesar
had employed to the best advantage in all his Gallic wars. To them, for these
reasons, he had entrusted the local offices of greatest honour, and had taken
care to have them enrolled in their senate without deferment to the ordinary
requirements, and had bestowed on them lands in Gaul taken from the enemy, and
large rewards of money, and from being needy had made them affluent. By reason
of their valour these men were not only esteemed by Caesar, but were also held
dear by the whole army; but presuming on Caesar's friendship, and elated with a
foolish and barbarous arrogance, they took to looking down on their own
countrymen, cheating the cavalry of their pay, and diverting all the plunder to
their own use. Thoroughly outraged at this state of affairs, their men went in
a body to Caesar and openly complained of the brothers' ill conduct; and in
addition to their other grievances added, that false statements of the number
of the cavalry were being submitted, so that the brothers could appropriate
their pay.