Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 03.djvu/890

* C^SAR. 784 C^SAR. Bellovaci, Ambiani, and Xervii, who, alarmed at the progress of the Roman arms, had entered into an alliance with eaoh otiier against the in- vaders. When the Senate received Ciesar's offi- cial dispatches, it decreed a tlianksgiving of fifteen days — an honor never previously granted to any other general. During the winter and the spring following, Caesar stayed at Lucca ; and, after spending large sums of money in hospitality and for other less praiseworthy pur- poses, he dejiarted for Oaul, where the flames of war had burst out in the northwest. The Veneti, a maritime people of Brittanj-, who possessed fleets of large vessels, were the chief instigators of the insurrection. Caesar's plans were laid with consummate skill, and were crowned with the most splendid success. The Veneti were totally defeated, and most of the other Gallic tribes were either checked or subdued. Cfesar wintered in the country of the Aulerci and l.e.Kovii (Normandy), having, in the course of three campaigns, conquered Gaul. Ne.xt year (B.cJ 55) C'rassus went to the East (where he was slain by the Parthians in B.C. 53), and Ponipeius to Spain, while Caesar's provincial gov- ernment was prolonged for five years. He now undertook a fourth campaign against two Ger- man tribes who were about to enter Gaul. He was again successful : and, pursuing the fleeing enemy across the Ehine. which he had bridged, spent eighteen days in plundering the district inhabited Ijy the Sigambri. He next invaded Britain, about the autumn ; but after a brief stay in the island returned to Gaul. The Roman Sen- ate, astonished at Jiis hardihood and his successes in regions where no Ronuin army had ever been before, accorded him a public thanksgiving of twenty days. In B.C. 54 Ciesar opened his fiftli <;ampaisn iv a second invasion of Britain. On his return to Gaul, he was compelled — un ac- count of the scarcity of corn, arising from drought — to winter his army in divisions. This naturally aroused the hopes of the Gauls, who thought the time had come for recovering their independence. An insurrection broke out in the northeast of Gaul, which was at first partially successful, but was ultimately crushed. Caesar resolved to winter at Saniarobriva (Amiens), in the vicinity of the malcontents. In B.C. 53 he commenced his sixth campaign. It was chiefly occupied in crushing a second insurrection of the Gauls. Ciesar then returned to northern Italy, that he might be able to comnumieate more easil}- and securely with his friends in Rome. That city was gradually becoming more anarchic, the evils of weak government more apparent; the hour for decisive action seemed to be approaching, and doubtless Caesar's heart beat with expecta- tion of the mighty future reserved for his bound- less ambition, when all at once tlic jirospect was darkened l)y a tremendous rebellion extend- ing over the whole of Gaul, headed by a young warrior named Vercingetorix. It was in the dead of winter when the news came to Ca>sar, who in- stantly saw that, at all hazards, he must preserve liis fame and his army. Leaving, therefore, his rival Pompeius to succeed at Rome, he hurried to meet the insurgent hordes. His great difficulty was to collect his scattered legions. First cross- ing, with some Cisalpine and pruvincial troops, the mountains of Auvergne, lliough they lay six feet deep in snow, he suddenly appeared among the Arverni. who, terrified at his unexpected ap- j)roach, sent for their chief, Vercingetorix, to come to their assistance. This was precisely what Caesar wished. After some wonderful exhibitions of military skill and numerous successes by the Romans, ^'ercingetorix was shiit up in Alesia (Alise in Burgundy), with all his infantry. CTsar besieged him, and though harassed by nearly 300,000 Gauls without, who attempted, iiut in 'ain. to break through the well-defended Roman lines, he forced Vercingetorix to capitu- late, ilany of the tribes now hastened to submit to Caesar, who prudently determined to w-inter among the vanquished. The Sen- ate voted him another public thanksgiving. In the next year (B.C. 51) Ciesar proceeded to quell the tribes who still held out. This he suc- cessfully accomplished, and having, in addition, reduced the whole of Aquitania, passed the win- ter of his eighth campaign at Xenietocenna, in Belgium, where lie spent the time in a manner both politic and magnanimous. The Gallic prin- ces were courteously and generously treated; the common people were spared the imposition of further taxes; and everything was done to ren- der it possible for him to visit Italy with safety in the spring. This he did, and "took up his residence at Ravenna, where he was informed of everything that was going on by the tribune C. Curio. There can be no doubt that at this moment he as the most pojjular man in the State, while his soldiery were devoted to him with a loyalty as enthusiastic as that which Bonaparte inspired when fresh from his Italian victories. Meanwhile, Pompeius, whose vanity could not endure the greatness of Caesar, had been gradu- ally inclining again to the aristocracy, whose ilread of the new conqueror was hourly increas- ing. After much futile diplomatic finesse on all sides, the Senate carried a motion "that Caesar should disband his army by a certain day; and that if he did not do so he should be regarded as an enemy of the State," The trib- unes jSIarcus Antonius and Q. Cassius put their veto on this motion ; but tJiey were violently driven out of the Senate chamber, and, fearing for their lives, they fled to Ctesar's camp. The Senate, in the madness of their terror, now de- clared war, and intrusted the cimduct of it to Pompeius, whose pride in the invincibility of his military prowess liindered him from taking the necessary measures for the defense of the State. He fancied that his name would bring thousands to his standard, and he was even led to believe that Ca?sar's troops were willing to desert their general ; the result of which delusion was that when hostilities formally commenced, he had hardly any soldiers except two legions which h;id recently been in the seiwice of his rival. Ca'sar, on the other hand, perceiving that the time for decisive action had at length come, harangued his victorious troops, who were willing to follow him anywhere; crossed the Rubicon (a small stream which separated his province from Italy proper), and moved swiftly, amid the acclama- tions of the people, toward Rome. Ponipeius fled to Brundisium, pursued by Ciesar, but con- trived to reach Greece in safety, March 17, B,c. ■19. The Italian cities had everywhere gladly ( pened their gates to the conqueror as a deliver- er. Within three months Caesar was master of all Italy.