GALLIC WAR, Caesar's Commentaries on the. Caesar had filled the consulship in the year 59 B.c. Shortly after the end of his year of office, he had set out (early in 58 Lc.) for the province of trans-Alpine Gaul, to which he had been appointed for a period of five years. The situation in this province was most serious. Various wild tribes were becoming restless and were threatening the fringe of Roman cities scattered along the Mediterranean in southern Gaul. Appreciating the menace to Roman in terests and Roman prestige, Cmsar gathered troops to meet the immediate crisis. The Gal lic tribes, suspicious of Caesar's first success, soon began organized resistance to his evident purposes of ambition, and in the attempt to maintain their freedom and realize their na tional aspirations waged campaign after cam paign against the Romans. Despite their gal lant efforts they were finally crushed in the year 52 a.c., when with the surrender of Ver cingetorix and the fall of Alesia, the last at tempts at Gallic independence were proved futile.
Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War give an account of the events of his contest with the Gallic tribes. This account is con tained in seven books, each book being devoted to the campaigns of a year. The struggle lasted from 58 to 52 B.C. The work seems to have been published in the winter of 52 to 51 B.C. Book I deals with the unsuccessful attempt of the Helvetians to invade southern Gaul ; also with the defeat of the Germans under Ariovis tus, who had established a tyranny over the Sequani and Haedui in eastern Gaul and was now threatening Roman influence in this region. Book II is devoted to an account of the over throw of the Belgian league. To forestall the establishment of Roman ascendancy in northern Gaul, the Belgian tribes had organized a strong confederacy. One of these tribes, the powerful and warlike Nervii, almost succeeded in inflict ing a crushing defeat on Caesar's troops in a fierce engagement on the Sambre. Book III embraces a description of the successful mari time war against the Veneti and their allies on the northwestern coast of Gaul, along with the account of scattered operations by Caesar's lieu tenants in other quarters. Book IV deals first with the campaign against the Germans. This was waged partly to the west, partly to the east, of the Rhine. To cross the river, Caesar (in 10
days) constructed his famous bridge. He then penetrated'far into the interior of the country. The remainder of Book IV describes Caesar's first invasion of Britain in the autumn of 55 Book V begins with the events connected with the second invasion of Britain and gives an in teresting description (chapters 12-14) of the island and its inhabitants. The concluding por tion of the book is devoted to an account of the overthrow of the new league of Gallic states against the Romans. Book VI describes a sec ond expedition into Germany. In this connec tion a somewhat -lengthy account of German institutions and customs is given and a contrast drawn between • the Germans and the Gauls (chapters 11-28). The year 52 B.C. was signal ized by a general revolt of all the Gallic tribes against the Roman rule. The leader in this movement was the able, courageous and pat riotic king of the Arverni, Vercingetorix. The struggle was futile. Alesia, Vercingetorix's stronghold, was captured, his forces crushed, and he himself taken as a prisoner to Rome. These operations are described in Book VII. An eighth book, detailing the Gallic operations of 51 nc., has come down to us. It was written by Hirtius, one of Caesar's lieutenants.
The importance of the Commentaries lies partly in the subject matter, partly in the au thorship. They are the composition of a great personality, dealing not merely with great events, but events of world-historic import of which he himself was the directing genius. Caesar's account in the main is authentic and trustworthy. By always speaking of himself in the third person, he aims to produce the impression of detachment and im partiality. Yet at times he suppresses the truth, and at times colors his narrative in his own favor. Specific literary charm, as ordinarily understood, is totally lack ing. Czsar's simplicity and directness have always appealed to his readers, but the com position of the work was evidently hasty. Much of it may have even been the unrevised draft of notes made at the time of the events described.
Translation: T. Rice Holmes (London 1905). A scholarly discussion of the contents of the work may be found in the same writer's (Cm saes Conquest of Gaul) (Oxford 1911).