Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/565

Rh CAESAR, quarters among the Belgians, repaired, as usual, to tlie north of Italy. Caesar had not gained any victories in this campaign equal to those of the three fonner years ; but his victories over the Ger- mans and far-distant Britons were probably re- garded by the Romans with greater admiration than his conquests of the Gauls. The senate ac- cordingly voted him a public thanksgiving of twenty days, notwithstanding the opposition of Cato, who declared, that Caesar ought to be delivered up to the Usipetes and Tenchtheri, to prevent the gods from visiting upon Rome his viobtion of the law of na- tions in seizing the sacred persons of ambassadors. The greater part of Caesar's fifth campaign, b. c. 54, was occupied with his second invasion of Bri- tain. After making an expedition into lUyricum, and afterwards into the country of the Treviri, who had shewn a disposition to revolt, he set sail from the port Itius with an army of five legions, and Landed without opposition at the same place as in the former year. The British states had entrusted the supreme command to Cassivellaunus, a chief whose territories were divided from the m.iritime states by the river Tamesis (Thames). The Britons bravely opposed the progress of the invaders, but were defeated in a series of engage- ments. Caesar crossed the Thames at the only pkce where it was fordable, took the town of Cas- sivellaunus, and conquered great part of the coun- ties of Essex and Middlesex. In consequence of these disasters, Cassivellaunus sued for peace ; and, after demanding hostages, and settling the tribute which Britain should pay yearly to the Roman people, Caesar returned to Gaul towards the latter part of the summer. Caesar gained no more by his second invasion of Britain than by his first. He had penetrated, it is true, further into the country, but he had left no garrisons or military establish- ments behind him; and the people obeyed the Romans just as little afterwards as they had done before. In consequence of the great scarcity of com in Gaul, arising from a drought this year, Caesar was obliged, contrary to his practice in former years, to divide his forces, and station his legions for the winter in different parts of Gaul. This seemed to the Gauls a favourable opportunity for recovering their lost independence, and destroying their conquerors. The Eburones, a Gallic people between the Meuse and the Rhine, near the mo- dem Tongres, led on by their chiefs, Ambiorix and Cativolcus, were the first to begin the revolt, and attacked the camp of the legion and five cohorts under the command of T. Titurius Sabinus and L. Aurunculeius Cotta, only fifteen days after they had been stationed in their country. Alarmed at the vast hosts which surrounded them, and fearing that they should soon be attacked by the Germans also, the Romans quitted their camp, with the in- tention of marching to the winter-quarters of the legions nearest them under promise of a safe-conduct froni Ambiorix. This step was taken by Sabinus against the wish of Cotta, who mistmsted the good faith of Ambiorix. The result verified his fears : the Romans were attacked on their march by Ambiorix, and were destroyed almost to a man. This was the tirst serious disaster that Caesar had experienced in Gaul. Flushed with victory, Ambiorix and the Eburones now proceeded to attack the camp of Q. Cicero, the brother of the orator, who was sta- tioned with one legion among the Nervii. The CAESAR. 547 latter people and the Aduatici readily joined the Eburones, and Cicero's camp was soon surrounded by an overwhelming host. Seconded by the bra- very of his soldiers, Cicero, though in a weak state of health, repulsed the enemy in all their attempts to storm the camp, till he was at length relieved by Caesar in person, who came to his assistance with two legions, as soon as he heard of the dangerous position of his legate. The forces of the enemy, which amounted to 0,000, were defeated by Caesar, who then joined Cicero, and praised him and his men for the bravery they had shewn. In conse- quence of the unsettled state of Gaul, Caesar re- solved to remain with his army all the winter, and accordingly took up his quarters at Samarobriva (Amiens). About the same time, Indutiomams, a chief of the Treviri, attempted to form a confe- deracy against the Romans, but was attacked and killed by Labienus, who was stationed in the country of the Treviri. In September of this year, b. c. 54, Julia, Cae- sar's daughter and Pompey's wife, died in child- birth ; but her death did not at the time affect the relations between Caesar and Porapey. In order, however, to keep up a femily connexion between them, Caesar proposed that his niece Octavia, the wife of C. Marcellus and the sister of the future emperor Augustus, should marry Pompey, and that he himself should marry Pompey's daughter, who was now the wife of Faustus Sulla. This proposal, however, was declined, but for what rea- son we are not told. In the next year, b. c. 53, which was Caesar's sixth campaign in Gaul, the Gauls again took up arms, and entered into a most formidable conspi- racy to recover their independence. The destruc- tion of the Roman troops under Sabinus and Cotta, and the unsettled state of Gaul during the winter, had led Caesar to apprehend a general rising of the natives ; and he had accordingly levied two new legions in Cisalpine Gaul, and obtained one from Pompey, who was remaining in the neighbourhood of Rome as proconsul with the imperium. Being thus at the head of a powerful army, he was able to subdue the nations that revolted, and soon compelled the Nervii, Senones, Camutes, Menapii, and Tre- viri to return to obedience. But as the Treviri had been supported by the Germans, he crossed the Rhine again a little above the spot where he had passed over two years before, and having re- ceived the submission of the Ubii, proceeded to march into the country of the Suevi. The latter people, however, retired to their woods and fast- nesses as he advanced ; and, finding it impossible to come up with the enemy, he again recrossed the Rhine, having effected as little as in h'is previous invasion of the country. On his return, he made a vigorous effort to put down AnAiorix, who still continued in arms. The country of the Eburones was laid waste with fire and sword ; the troops of Ambiorix were again and again defeated, but he himself always escaped falling into the hands of the Romans. In the midst of this war, when the enemy were almost subdued, Cicero's ciimp was surprised by a body of the Sigambri, who had crossed the Rhine, and was almost taken. At the conclusion of the campaign, CaesAr prosecuted a strict inquiry into the revolt of the Senones and Camutes, and caused Acco, who had been the chief ringleader in the conspiracy, to be put to death. He then stationed his troops for the winter among 2 N 2