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altissimas ripas, subire iniquissimum locum: quæ facilia ex difficillimis animi magnitudo redegerat,

XXVIII. Hoc prælio facto, et propè ad internecionem gente ac nomine Nerviorum redacto; majores natu, quos unà cum pueris mulieribusque in æstuaria ac paludes collectos dixeramus, hâc pugnâ nunciatâ, quum victoribus nihil impeditum, victis nihil tutum arbitrarentur; omnium qui supererant consensu, legatos ad Cæsarem miserunt, seque ei dediderunt; et in commemorandâ civitatis calamitate, ex DC, ad III senatores; ex hominum millibus LX, vix ad D qui arma ferre possent, sese redactos esse dixerunt: quos Cæsar, ut in miseros ac supplices usus misericordiâ videretur, diligentissimè conservavit, suisque finibus atque oppidis uti jussit; et finitimis imperavit, ut ab injuriâ et maleficio se suosque prohiberent,

XXIX. Atuatici, de quibus suprà scripsimus, quum omnibus copiis auxilio Nerviis venirent, hâc pugnâ nunciatâ, ex itinere domum reverterunt; cunctis oppidis castellisque desertis, sua omnia in unum oppidum egregiè naturâ munitum contulerunt: quod quum ex omnibus in circuitu partibus altissimas rupes despectusque haberet, unâ ex parte leniter acclivis aditus, in latitudinem non amplius cc pedum, relinquebatur : quem locum duplici altissimo muro munierant: tum magni ponderis saxa, et præacutas trabes in muro collocârant. Ipsi erant ex Cimbris Teutonisque prognati: qui, quum iter in Provinciam nostram atque Italiam facerent, his impedimentis quæ secum agere ac portare non poterant, citra flumen Rhenum depositis, custodiæ ex suis ac præsidio vi millia hominum unà reliquerunt, Hi, post eorum. obitum, multos annos à finitimis exagitati, 2 quum aliàs bellum inferrent, aliàs illatum defenderent, consensu eorum omnium pace factâ, hunc sibi domicilio locum delegerunt.

XXX. Ac primo adventu exercitûs nostri, crebras ex oppido excursiones faciebant, parvulisque præliis cum nostris contendebant. Postea 3 vallo pedum XII, in circuitu xv millium, crebrisque castellis circum

NOTES.

1 Que facilia ex difficillimis animi magnitudo redegerat.] Which from being very difficult their great courage rendered

easy.

2 Quum aliàs bellum inferrent, aliàs illatum defenderent.] While at one time they waged war against them, at another they defended themselves from their attacks.

3 Vallo Pedum XII.] When a place could not be taken by storm, a vallum or line of contravallation composed of a ditch and rampart was drawn round it, to prevent the sallics of the besieged; another vallum or line of circumvallation was also generally drawn beyond the camp, towards the country, for the purpose of preventing an attack from an army or parties march

ing to assist the garrison. These lines were defended by towers and forts erected at proper intervals round them. At the foot of the parapet, on the slope of the rampart, there was sometimes a pallisade made of large stakes cut in form of stags horns, called cervi, to prevent the ascent of the enemy; before this there weré several rows of trunks of trees and large branches sharpened at the ends, called cippi, fixed in trenches about five feet deep; in front of these, pits three feet deep were dug, intersecting one another in form of a quincunx, sharp stakes were closely planted in them and covered over with bushes to deceive the enemy, called lilia, before all these sharp stakes

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muniti, oppido sese continebant. Ubi vineis actis, aggere exstructo, turrim constitui procul viderunt, primùm irridere ex muro, atque increpitare vocibus, quò tanta machinatio ab tanto spatio institueretur? quibusnam manibus, aut quibus viribus, præsertim homines tantulæ staturæ, (nam plerisque hominibus Gallis, præ magnitudine corporum suorum, brevitas nostra contemptui est,) tanti oneris turrim in muros sese collocare confiderent?

XXXI. Ubi verò moveri, et appropinquare mœnibus viderunt, novâ atque inusitatâ specie commoti, legatos ad Cæsarem de pace miserunt; qui ad hunc modum locuti: "Non se existimare Romanos sine ope Deorum bellum gerere, qui tantæ altitudinis machinationes tantâ celeritate promovere, et ex propinquitate pugnare possent: se suaque omnia eorum potestati permittere" dixerunt: "unum petere ac deprecari, si fortè pro suâ clementiâ ac mansuetudine, quam ipsi ab aliis audissent, statuisset, Atuaticos esse conservandos, ne se armis despoliaret: sibi omnes ferè finitimos esse inimicos, ac suæ virtuti invidere, à quibus se defendere, traditis armis, non possent; sibi præstare, si in eum casum deducerentur, quamvis fortunam à populo R. pati, quàm ab his per cruciatum interfici, inter quos dominari consuêssent."

2

XXXII. Ad hæc Cæsar respondit: "Se magis consuetudine suâ quàm merito eorum, civitatem conservaturum, si priùs quàm aries murum attigisset, se dedidissent;. sed deditionis nullam esse conditionem, nisi armis traditis: se id, quod in Nervios fecisset facturum; finitimisque imperaturum, ne quam dedititiis populi R. injuriam inferrent. Re nunciatâ ad suos, illi se, quæ imperarentur, facere dixerunt. Armorum magnâ multitudine, de muro in fossam, quæ erat ante oppidum, jactâ, sic ut propè summam muri aggerisque altitudinem acervi armorum adæquarent: et tamen circiter parte tertiâ (ut postea perspectum est) celatâ, atque in oppido retentâ, portis patefactis, eo die pace sunt usi.

NOTES.

it was by a hundred men, more or less, thrust violently forward, drawn back, and again pushed forward, until by repeated strokes the wall was shaken, and broken down with its iron head. This machine was taken to pieces for the purpose of readily transporting it with the army. Among the Romans it was customary to enter into terms of capitulation with a besieged town if they surrendered before the battering ram began to play, if not they had to abide the consequences of a storm. Cicero in his treatise de officiis says: that those who have laid aside their arms, and have recourse to the mercy and protection of the commander, should be spared and received, although the battering ram should have played on the walls,

XXXIII. Sub vesperum Cæsar portas claudi, militesque ex oppido exire jussit, ne quam noctu oppidani à militibus injuriam acciperent. Illi, antè inito (ut intellectum est) consilio, quòd, deditione factâ nostros præsidia deducturos, aut denique indiligentiùs servaturos crediderant: partim cum his quæ retinuerant et celaverant armis, partim scutis ex cortice factis, aut viminibus intextis, quæ subitò (ut temporis exiguitas postulabat) pellibus induxerant; tertiâ vigiliâ, quà minimè ardius ad nostras munitiones adscensus videbatur, omnibus copiis repentè ex oppido eruptionem fecerunt. Celeriter, ut antè Cæsar imperaverat, ignibus significatione factâ, ex proximis castellis eò concursum est; jugnatumque ab hostibus ita acriter, ut à viris fortibus in extremâ spi salutis, iniquo loco contra eos qui ex vallo turribusque tela jacerent, jugnari debuit, quum unâ in virtute omnis spes salutis consisteret. Ocásis ad hominum millibus IV, reliqui in oppidum rejecti sunt. Postride ejus diei, refractis portis, quum jam defenderet nemo, atque intromissis militibus nostris, 1 sectionem ejus oppidi universam Cæsar vendidit. Ab his, qui emerant, capitum numerus ad eum relatus est millium

LIII.

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XXXIV. Eodem tempore à P. Crasso, quem cum legione una miserat ad 2 Venetos, 3 Unellos, 4 Osismios, 5 Curiosolitas, Sesuvios, Au lercos, Rhedones, quæ sunt maritimæ civitates, Oceanumque attingunt, certior factus est, omnes eas civitates in ditionem potestatemque populi R. esse redactas.

XXXV. His rebus gestis, omni Galliâ pacatâ, tanta hujus belli ad Barbaros opinio perlata est, ut ab nationibus, quæ trans Rhenum incolerent, mitterentur legati ad Cæsarem, quæ se obsides daturas, imperata facturas, pollicerentur: as legationes Cæsar, quòd in Italiam Illyricumque properabat, initâ proximâ æstate ad se reverti jussit. Ipse in 10 Carnutes, 11 Andes, 12 Turones, quæ civitates propinquæ his locis e

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NOTES.

1 Sectionem ejus oppidi universam Cæsar vendidit.] By the word sectio is here meant the spoils taken in the city and which were sold sub hastâ, the purchasers were termed Sectores.

2 Venetos.] The Veneti dwelt near Vannes a seaport in the department of Morbihan.

3 Unellos.] The district inhabited by these people is not known with certainty. 4 Osismios.] The Osismii are supposed to have dwelt near the town of Landerneau. 5 Curiosolitas.] The Curiosolite dwelt near Cornouailles in the late province of Bretagne.

6 Sestrvios.] These people are entirely unknown.

7 Aulercos.] The Aulerci dwelt in the late province of Perche, now department of Orne.

8 Rhedones.] These people are suppos ed to have dwelt near the town of Rennes in the late province of Bretagne.

9 Illyricumque.] Cæsar's authority extended over Illyricum, which had been given him with the province of Gaul.

10 Carnutes,] The Carnutes dwelt in the district of Chartrain.

11 Andes.] These people inhabited the late province of Anjou.

12 Turones.] The Turones dwelt in the late province of Touraine.

rant ubi bellum gesserat, legionibus in hiberna deductis, in Italiam profectus est. Ob eas res, ex litteris Cæsaris, 1 dies xv supplicatio decre

ta est: quod ante id tempus acciderat nulli.

1

NOTES.

1 Dies XV supplicatio decreta est.] This was a solemn thanksgiving, for a signal victory obtained by a general, decreed by the senate to be made in all the temples: on this occasion all the senators and people clothed in white, and crowned with garlands attended the sacrifices. The Lectisternium also took place, that is,

couches were spread for the gods as if about to feast, their images were taken down from their pedestals and placed upon these couches round the altars loaded with the richest dishes. Before this no general was ever honoured with a thanksgiving of more than ten days.

DE BELLO GALLICO.

LIBER III.

ARGUMENT.

Galba conquers several countries situated between the Rhone and Alps, among these the Veragri and Seduni. The maritime districts of Gaul revolt, and after much difficulty some of them are overcome by Cæsar, but the reduction of others he is obliged, on account of the season, to defer.

QUUM in Italiam proficisceretur Cæsar, Ser. Galbam cum legione duodecimâ et parte equitatûs in Nantuates, 2 Veragros, 3 Sedunosque misit; qui à finibus Allobrogum et lacu Lemano et flumine Rhodano, ad summas Alpes pertinent. Caussa mittendi fuit, quòd iter per Alpes, quo magno cum periculo magnisque portoriis mercatores ire consueverant, patefieri volebat. Huic permisit, si opus esse arbitraretur, utì in iis locis legionem, hiemandi caussâ, collocaret. Galba, secundis aliquot præliis factis, castellisque compluribus eorum expugnatis, missis ad eum undique legatis, obsidibusque datis, et pace factâ, constituit cohortes duas in Nantuatibus collocare; ipse, cum reliquis ejus legionis cohortibus, in vico Veragrorum, qui appellatur Octodurus, hiemare: qui vicus positus in valle, non magnâ adjectâ planitie, altissimis montibus undique continetur. Quum hic in duas partes flumine divideretur, alteram partem ejus vici Gallis concessit, alteram vacuam ab illis relictam cohortibus ad hiemandum attribuit: eum locum vallo fossâque munivit.

NOTES.

1 Nantuates.] These people are not known with certainty, but are supposed to have dwelt in the late province of Chablais of Savoy.

2 Veragros.] The Veragri dwelt near the town of St. Maurice, in Switzerland.

3 Sedunosque.] These people in all probablity inhabited the upper Vallais of Switzerland.

4 Octodurus.] This place is called by the French Martiny, by the Germans Martenach.