Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 2.djvu/218

 GALLIA TBAN& done him so much miachief, Caesar entered the ooantry of the Eborones. He left his heavy ma- terial with Q. Ciceru at Adoatoca, the winter quarters of the troops that had been destroyed the year before. {B, G. vL 38.) Adoatnca seems to be the site of Tonffem^ and, as Oaesar says that it wa9 aboat the middle of the tenitory of the Ebarones, it fixes their position. [Aduatuca ; Eduronrs.] While Caesar was wasting the lands of this unfor- tunate people, some Germans, Sigambri, crossed the RhinOiand fell on the camp of Q. Cicero. (B. G, vi. 35.) Caesar retamed to the. camp, but the Sigam- bri had time to get safe off with their booty. (A G. ▼i. 41.) Again he set out to vex the Eburones, as he expresses it; and we have his own word for what he did : he burnt every building tlmt he could see, drove off the cattle, and the com that his men and beasts did not consume was laid by the rains. He left the country with the belief that, if any of the Kbumnes had escaped him, they would die of hunger. (B. G. vi. 43.) After this merciless devastation Caesar summoned the states of Gallia to Durocortorum (iZAetffw), where he made inquiry* into the conspiracy of the Senones and Camutes. Acoo, who had been the cause of the ri^ng, was flogged to death ; and his accomplices ran away. (£. G, vi. 44.) Caestar put his troops in quarters among the Treviri, the Lin- gones, a people who had always been quiet, and at Agendicum (JSenM% the chief town of the Senones. He went into Italy to hold the oonventus. The Gain, hearing of disturbances at Rome this winter, thought that Caesar would be detained in Italy (£. G. vii. I), and this would be a good op- portunity for getting rid of the Romans. The Car- notes began, and the Arvemi next rose under a brave and skilful commander Vercingetorix, who stirred up the Galli north and west of the Arvemi as far as the ocean. This brought Caesar into the Provincia in the depth of winter. {B» G. i. 62.) He cut his way through the snows on the Ceveimes, six feet deep, and came down on the Arvemi, who did not expect him by that way. (Z?. G. vii. 8.) But Caesar was in the neighbourhood of Vercingetorix, who, at the request of the Arvemi, advanced to their ai^l from the country of the Bituriges, whom he had brought over to his side. Unless Caesar coald collect his scattered forces, he could not make head against Vercingetorix. He resolved to do this himself, without the knowledge of his men, whom he left under the care of Brutus; he went across the CivtMMM again in the depth of winter to Vienna ( KsefMe) on the Rhone, where he found some newly raised troops of horse, who had been ordered to assemble there. From Vienna he travelled day and night to the country of the Lingones, where he had two legions. Having reached these troops, he sum- moned the rest of his forces from the country of the Senones and the Treviri, and got them all together before the Arvemi could hear of his approach. He left two legions and all his heavy material at Sau^ and set out towards the country of his allies, the Boii, between the AlHer and the Loire, whom Ver- cingetorix was tlireatening. His march was rapid and terrible. In two days he took Vellaunodnnum, a town of the Senones, and then came right upon Genabnm (^OrUaiu) on the Zoire, where the Car- notes, at the beginning of the outbreak, had mur- dered the Roman ^ negotiatores ** who were living there. [Gbsiabum.] He broke into the town, which his men sacked; he left it in flameS| and GALLU TRANS. 9fi9 crossed the Loirt. {B, G, vii. 1 1.) He was now in the country of the Bituriges {Bern). The fint town that he took was Noviodnnon. He then came on the capital Avaricom {Bomyet), which was defended by a strong wall, made with great skill. The Galli had a way of building their town walls, which Caesar describes very briefly and very well {B. G. vii. 23) ; tuis people had made some |irogrcss in the art of defending pbces. The siege was a work of great difficulty, and the sufferings of the Roman soldiera were extreme; for it was winter, and they had to work in the mud, the cold, and in continual rain. The Roman commander tells the end of the affair in a few words (^. G. vii. 28); ^' The soldiers, whose passions were roused by the massacre at Genabum and their own sufferings, spared neither the helpless through age, nor the women, nor the children ; out of the whole number, who were about 40,000, only 800, who had hurried out of the pkce on hearing the shouts of the invading enemy, escaped safe to Vercingetorix." Caesar found stores in Avaricum, and, the winter being over, he was ready for a regular campaign. But he had fint to settle a domestic dispute among tlic Aedni. {B. G. viL 32.) Two men had been elected to the chief magistracy, an annual ofiice, and the constitution allowed only one. The whole state was in arms, one party against the other. Caesar summoned the Aedui to Deoetia (IMcise), an island on the Loiref and settled the dispute in favour of one of the men. He exhorted the Aedui to give him their assistance in the war, with fair promises of what he would do for them after Gallia was completely subdued. The position of the Aedui, between the Upper Loire and the Snone, made their alliance most important for the Romans. It was the easiest line of communication between the north part of the Provincia and the basin of the Seine, Cae- sar was still afraid of the Senones and the Parisii, and he sent Labienus with four legions into that country. [Pauisii.] He marched south with six lef^ions, with the intention of taking the hill town of Ger- govia, in the country of the Arvemi, in the upper part of the basin of the AUier, This, his most tdgnal failure in Gallia, is fold in another place. [Gkroovia.] After his defeat before Gergoria Caesar was in great straits. He moved northwards to join l4ibienus ; but his treacherous friends, the Aedui, seised Noviodunum (afterwards Kevirnum, Nevera) on the Lokre, where Caesar had great stores, and the booty that he had got in the Gallic War. (^. G* vii. 55.) His military chest also was there. HiH enemies lined the banks of the Zotre with troops, and the river being swollen by the melted snows was difficult to pass. He could not think of re- treating. It would be a confession that he was beaten. Nor could he attempt to cross the Cf rennet, where the roads were almost impassable; besides, Labienus was on the 5etne. and he was afiiaid that he would be cot off. Nothing remained but to cross the river, which he accomplished. He found com and cattle on the east side, and was joined by Labienus, who was as lucky as himself in escaping from a very dangerous position (J?. G» vii. 57 — 62), and getting safe to Sene, All Central and Westem Gallia was now in arms, and Vercingetorix was chosen onn- mander-in-chief. The Remi and Lingones still stuck to the Roman alliance ; and the Treviri, who were kept busy by their German neighboors, sent aid to neither side. Vercngetorix bestirred himself to rouse all the oountiy against the Roman proconsuL