The
Belgians, hoping for their help against the Romans, had invited these
tribes over the Rhine; and, untaught by the fate of Ariovistus, they were
crossing over and collecting in enormous numbers above the junction of the
Rhine and the Meuse. Into a half-peopled country, large portions of which
are lying waste, it might be barbarous to forbid an immigration of
harmless and persecuted strangers; but if these Germans were persecuted,
they were certainly not harmless; they had come at the instance of the
party in Gaul which was determined to resist the Roman conquest, and
unless the conquest was to be abandoned, necessity required that the
immigration must be prohibited. When the advance of spring allowed the
troops to move, Caesar called a council of Gallic chiefs. He said nothing
of the information which had reached him respecting their correspondence
with these new invaders, but with his usual swiftness of decision he made
up his mind to act without waiting for disaffection to show itself. He
advanced at once to the Ardennes, where he was met by envoys from the
German camp. They said that they had been expelled from their country, and
had come to Gaul in search of a home; they did not wish to quarrel with
the Romans; if Caesar would protect them and give them lands, they
promised to be useful to him; if he refused their alliance, they declared
that they would defend themselves.
Pages:
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367