CÆSAR IN GAUL
IN 58 B.C., news came to Rome that the
Helvetians—a people living in the country now called Switzerland—were
about to leave their homes in a body, and cross
Gaul to settle near the Atlantic Ocean. As these people
were far from civilized, the Gauls dreaded their
passage,
[28] and therefore implored the Romans to prevent their
leaving home.
In answer to this appeal, Julius Cæsar went northward
with a Roman army. He won a battle and forced the
Helbetians to return to their old homes, to which they
had set fire on leaving. He then asked for an interview
with a German chief, Ariovis'tus, who had invaded Gaul
and had camped with his warriors near the river Saône
(son). The Barbarian haughtily answered: "If I need
Cæsar, I would go to him; if Cæsar needs me, let him
come to me."
This proud answer greatly displeased the messengers,
who informed Ariovistus that he had better take care
lest he rouse their anger; but he fearlessly replied:
"No one has ever attacked me yet without repenting of
it. We will measure our strength whenever Cæsar
pleases, and he will then learn what it is to face
warriors who have not slept under a roof for the past
fourteen years."
This defiant message so frightened the Roman soldiers
that the refused to go a step farther until Cæsar
cried: "If all others forsake me, I will go on alone
with the tenth legion; that one will not desert me!"
Ashamed of their cowardice, the other soldier now
obeyed, but they were so sure they were going to die
that they all made their wills before they went into
battle.
Cæsar pressed on with his army and beat Ariovistus. His
first campaign in Gaul thus made the Romans masters of
all the valley on the Rhone and Saôn rivers.
In his second and third campaigns, Cæsar fought in what
is now Belgium, and the western part of France, and
nearly completed the conquest of Gaul. But the people
were not yet ready to obey Rome tamely, so in later
[29] campaigns Cæsar had to put down several revolts of
different tribes, and was even obliged to cross the
Rhine to awe the Germans, who encouraged the Gauls in
their efforts to drive the hated Romans out of their
country.
Cæsar was not only a brave general but a well-educated
man, and he wrote an account of his Gallic wars, which
is the best history of what he did. In that book, part
of which all the Latin pupils read in school, he
cleverly described the people he met, who were the
ancestors of three of the leading nations in Europe—the
French, the Germans, and the British.
The most serious of all the revolts in Gauls was
planned by the chief of a central tribe, named
Vercinget'orix. He was tall, strong, and very brave,
and had so great an influence over his people that hey
swore never to see their wives and children again until
they had passed twice through the ranks of their
enemies.
But the Gauls were still barbarians, and unfortunately
they did not obey this chief perfectly. When he
commanded those near Cæsar's army to destroy all their
stores, they coolly decided to save their principal
fortified city (now Bourges), where they had large
supplies. Cæsar took this town and thus secured
plentiful supplies for his legions, which might
otherwise have starved there in the winter season.
Cæsar then attacked and defeated several tribes
separately before besieging Alesia, a place where
Vercingetorix and the main part of his warriors had
taken refuge. Alesia was perched on a high hill, and
was well fortified. Not being able to reach it, Cæsar
built earthworks all around it, so that none of the
Gauls could pass
[31] in or out, and mounted guard so vigilantly that he
baffled all the warriors who tried to break through his
blockage to reach their besieged countrymen.
The Gauls held out until no food of any kind was left,
and then the starved garrison, having suffered untold
agonies, had to surrender (52 B.C.). Vercingetorix,
hoping to secure better terms for his people, rode down
alone into Cæsar's camp, in full battle array, galloped
up to the spot where the general was seated, proudly
flung his arms down at his feet, dismounting, sat down
in the dust before him silently holding out his hands
for the chains which he knew were awaiting him.
Vercingetorix was bound and taken to Rome, where a few
years later he appeared a captive in Cæsar's triumph.
When that last humiliation was over, he was taken back
to prison and beheaded by a slave, while his conqueror
was making his thanksgiving offering in the Roman
Capitol.
The attempt of Vercingetorix to free his country from
the yoke of the Romans was so brave and so noble that
he is considered a great hero and the first French
champion of liberty. His statue has therefore been
placed on the very spot where he once made his hopeless
stand against the Roman legions under Cæsar, and his
name is well known and dearly loved by all French
children.
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