Prev | Current Page 388 | Next

Froude, James Anthony, 1818-1894

"Caesar: a Sketch"

Caesar had entered Cicero's camp at three o'clock
in the afternoon. The news reached Induciomarus before midnight, and he
had disappeared by the morning. Caesar returned to Amiens, but the whole
country was now in a state of excitement. He had intended to go to Italy,
but he abandoned all thoughts of departure. Rumors came of messengers
hurrying to and fro, of meetings at night in lonely places, of
confederacies among the patriots. Even Brittany was growing uneasy; a
force had been collected to attack Roscius, though it had dispersed after
the relief of Cicero. Caesar again summoned the chiefs to come to him, and
between threats and encouragements succeeded in preventing a general
rising. But the tribes on the upper Seine broke into disturbance. The
Aedui and the Remi alone remained really loyal; and it was evident that
only a leader was wanted to raise the whole of Gaul. Caesar himself
admitted that nothing could be more natural. The more high-spirited of the
Gauls were miserable to see that their countrymen had so lost conceit of
themselves as to submit willingly to the Roman rule.
Induciomarus was busy all the winter soliciting help from the Germans, and
promising money and lands. The Germans had had enough of fighting the
Romans, and, as long as their own independence was not threatened, were
disinclined to move; but Induciomarus, nothing daunted, gathered
volunteers on all sides.


Pages:
376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400