HELVE`TII, a Celtic people inhabiting, according to Caesar, the region between the mountains of Jura on the w., the Rhone on the s., and the Rhine on the e. and n., the region corresponding pretty closely with modern Switzerland. They had 12 towns and 400 villages. The great and fatal event in their history is their attempted irruption into and conquest of southern Gaul, in which they were repulsed by Caesar with frightful slaughter. The story of this expedition is circumstantially narrated by the Roman commander. They collected three months' provisions, burned their 12 cities, 400 vil lages, and all isolated dwellings, and made a general rendezvous by lake Leman in the spring of 58 B. C. Caesar hastened to Geneva, destroyed the bridge, raised two legions in Cisalpiue Gaul, and when the Helvetians sent delegates to demand a passage, delayed them until he had built a wall along the Rhone, 16 ft. high and about 19 Roman in. in
length. flanked with redoubts. Having vainly attempted to pass this barrier, the Hel vetii took another route, but were followed and defeated with a terrible slaughter at Bibracte (modern Autun, in Burgundy), and the remnant obliged to return to their own country, where they became subject to the Romans. Of 368,000 who left their homes, including 92,000 fighting-men, only 110,000 returned. In the emanations which fol lowed the death of Nero, the Helvetians met with another terrible catastrophe. Remain ing faithful to Galba, they were fallen upon by Cacina, a general of Vitellius, who gave them to the rapacity of his legions. They were massacred by thousands, multitudes were sold to slavery, and their towns pillaged and burned, their capital destroyed, and their governor executed. From this time they scarcely appear as a distinct people.