Războaiele galice

With these words, Caesar begins the Bellum Gallicum, his own account of the Gallic Wars.

The books of this unique work, which were written at the end of each year, were sent to the Senate in Rome, probably as supplements to an eventual application for a Triumph. The excuse for the war was the supposed crossing of the Helvetii into Roman sphere of influence and the invasion of Gaul by the German tribe of the Suebii. The reality was that Caesar needed to build up an army and a reputation to match Pompeiuss, which would secure him another Consulship upon his return to Rome.

There can be no doubt that Caesar was an extremely competent General, probably one of the best ever. He understood strategy and tactics, and he could handle the brutish and greedy legionaries of his time. He was almost always aware of the movements of his enemies and usually secured both communications and supply lines in a masterly fashion. His natural energy was turned into the feared celeritas of Caesar, a swiftness of action that stunned his contemporaries. Almost paradoxically, he could combine this swiftness with extraordinary patience, and as a result was almost always able to choose the time and place for his battles, or regain the initiative even in the most difficult situations. In 58 BC, he moved across the borders into Gaul, defeating the westward migration of the Helvetii and then crushing the Sueban mercenaries under Ariovistus. With his victory against the Germans, Caesar firmly cemented his position as Marius heir. In the following year he subdued the Belgic tribes in the north, while his lieutenant Publius Licinius Crassus pacified present day Normandy and Brittany. Meanwhile, the relations between the triumvirs had become strained. Pompeius was becoming increasingly jealous of Caesars successes while Crassus returned to his former enmity against Pompeius. During Caesars tenure as Consul, Cicero had been sacrificed to his enemy Publius Clodius (of the Clodius scandal) and forced to go into exile. A year later, however, Pompeius secured Ciceros return, a decision that antagonized Clodius. Cicero first initiative was to procure the cura annonae (grain distribution rights) for Pompeius for a period of five years, an important concession which is unlikely to have pleased Caesar. The situation grew more tense when the Optimates, supported first by Clodius and later by Cicero, attacked the lex Julia Agraria (land bills) of 59. To bring the matters to a head, one of the potential consuls for 55 threatened to take away Caesars command. In May 56, Caesar invited Pompeius and Crassus to a meeting at Lucca just inside the borders of Cisalpine Gaul, where he succeeded in patching up the alliance. Almost 200 senators participated in this meeting, including governors from Sardinia and Spain - one would be forgiven for thinking the Senate had moved to the provinces. It was arranged that Pompeius and Crassus be Consuls for 55, and Caesars command in ...