Book 5 – 54 BC

Book 5 – 54 BC Like Book 4, the AP curriculum has us enter Book 5 in mediās rēs—therefore a brief introduction to the year 54 BC is necessary. Introduction Caesar led his two legions back from Britannia in the early fall of 55 BC. When news of his expedition there reached Rome, the senate declared an unprecedented 20-day public holiday. (The previous record for a public thanksgiving granted to a general was 15 days, which also had been granted to Caesar—after the campaign against the Belgae two years earlier, in 57 BC). Caesar’s first trip to Britannia merely whetted his appetite for a second. No doubt the praise lavished on him back in Rome contributed to his desire to return to the still mostly-unexplored and little-known island. 54 BC, Part 1 – The Second Invasion of Britannia To ensure a less adversity-laden trip the second time around, Caesare showed his usual thoroughness and careful planning. He ordered the legions stationed near the northern coast of Gaul in the winter of 55-54 to construct 600 ships. This would be enough to transport 5 legions—remember that he had only had enough ships to ferry over 2 legions the previous year. Futhermore, the transports were now built according to a new design, one that made them draw less water, so that they could advance much closer to shore. On top of this, Caesar recruited 4,000 cavalry from various friendly—or intimidated—Gallic tribes. Half of the cavalry would travel with him to Britannia, and the other half would remain in Gaul, to provide support for the legions remaining there. The recruitment of the Gallic cavalry served another purpose than just military support—it essentially made the Gallic horsemen hostages (in the ancient sense of the word), and thus more or less guaranteed the good behavior of the tribes while Caesar was taking five of his eight legions to Britannia. One of the Gallic chieftains defied Caesar and refused to Caesar’s Second Invasion of Britannia: serve—or to let his warriors serve—as cavalry in the force The Expeditionary Force, 54 BC going to Britannia. He was hunted down and killed by fellow Gauls, as an example of what would happen to --600 ships. anyone who defied Caesar’s orders. He was Dumnorix, the --5 legions (c. 25,000 men). Aeduan noble who had plotted with Orgetorix prior to the --2,000 Gallic cavalry. Helvetians’ invasion. After (finally) an easy landing in Britannia, the second invasion was not every eventful. The Romans won several small battles, but for the most part the Britons fled rather than commit to battle with so large a force. This resulted in Caesar’s now familiar practice of laying waste to—i.e. wrecking and burning— territory abandoned by an enemy that ran away and refused to fight. He had done the same thing after crossing the Rhine and invading Germania the previous year, in the first part of 55 BC. The Romans actually had a noun for this process (vastatiō, vastationis, usually translated “devastation”), as well as a verb (vasto, vastare, “to devastate” or “to lay waste to”).1 After once again making peace with various British tribes—and taking a great number of hostages, tribute, and some loot—it was time to return to Gaul. This second trip had proven that there was little of note about Britannia other than its exoticness and its remote location. It had next to no important natural resources, little wealth, and its inhabitants were perhaps even more barbaric than the Gauls. Caesar and his men never returned there again, nor did any other Roman commander and his soldiers for a century. It is interesting to note that Caesar had a new legate join his army during this year. (Remember that legates were the highest-ranking officers in the army besides the imperator, and usually commanded a legion). This legate was Quintus Tullius Cicero, brother of the famous orator. Upon returning to Gaul, Caesar received messages from Rome, conveying terrible personal news. His mother, Aurelia, to whom he was extremely devoted (his father had died when Caesar was sixteen), had died of old age. Perhaps even worse, his daughter, Julia, had died in childbirth. For a man like Caesar, who had a great many—bordering on a rock-star following—casual friends and admirers, but very few people to whom he was actually close, this was devastating news. Julia’s aggrieved husband? Pompey, Caesar’s “co-triumvir,” to whom Julia had been given in marriage during Caesar’s consulship (59 BC). Pompey was six years older than Caesar himself, let alone about 30 years older than Julia. But all our ancient sources tell us that this marriage—although politically inspired—was nevertheless a very happy one, and that Pompey, like Caesar, was distraught by Julia’s death. 54 BC, Part Two – Return to Gaul: Early-Mid Fall Upon returning from Britannia, Caesar made arrangements to disperse his legions to various regions of Gaul, where they would remain for the winter. This by now was his established custom. But trouble was brewing. The legions had to be even more dispersed than usual, because a large drought had made it impossible to put the garrisons too close together. There just wasn’t enough food in any one place to feed large amounts of troops for the several long winter months that lay ahead. Also, although it was unknown at the time: having licked their wounds for nearly three years, the Belgae were agitating for another revolt. 1 This explains why your Latin 2 book, in the Hercules stories, often had various figures (the Erymanthian boar and the Cretan bull, for example) running around “devastating” things—the book was trying to familiarize you with vocabulary and concepts that you would eventually encounter when reading Caesar. Brief Summary of the Above – 54 BC Winter of 55-54 Caesar is voted an unprecedented 20-day thanksgiving by the senate. The Romans construct another, much larger Death Star fleet with which to invade Britannia a second time. Late Spring – Early Fall, 54 Caesar raises Gallic cavalry to join the legions; the Aeduan Dumnorix defies Caesar and is killed. The second excursion to Britannia. At some point, back in Rome, both Aurelia and Julia die. Early Fall, 54 BC Caesar returns from Britannia to Gaul. He makes arrangements for the legions to be dispersed throughout Gaul—even more dispersed than usual, because of a large drought. Advantages of the legions’ wide dispersal: -- they can be more easily provisioned with food. -- they can “cover” (i.e. garrison) more territory, thus hopefully discouraging revolts—no tribe in Gaul will be very far from a Roman garrison (if the cat’s not away, the mice won’t play). Disadvantage of the legions’ wide dispersal: -- if any revolt does occur, it will be much harder for legions not under attack to march to the rescue of any that are under attack… 5. 24 Note: the first 23 chapters of Book 5 deal with the second invasion of Britain. 5.24 picks up with the return of the fleet and a meeting (called by Caesar) of many Gallic chieftains near a Gallic town called Samarobriva. Caesar calls this meeting both to announce his plans to the Gauls, as well as to hear any grievances that the Gallic chieftains have—grievances either against the Romans, or, just as likely, against their fellow Gallic tribes (remember that the Gallic tribes were not united, and many of them hated each other far more than they hated they Romans). The gist: Caesar is essentially now acting as—and is recognized by many of the inhabitants as— the patron of all Gaul. Subductīs nāvibus conciliōque Gallōrum Samarobrīvae perāctō, quod eō annō frūmentum in Galliā propter siccitātēs angustius prōvēnerat, Coāctus est aliter ac superiōribus annīs exercitum in hībernīs collocāre legiōnēsque in plūrēs civitātēs distribuere; ex quibus ūnam in Morinōs ducendam Gaiō Fabiō lēgātō dedit, alteram in Nerviōs Quintō Cicerōnī,2 tertiam in Esubiōs Lucio Rōsciō; quartam in Rēmīs cum Titō Labiēnō in confīniō Trēverōrum hiemāre iussit. Trēs in Belgīs collocāvit: eīs Marcum Crassum quaestorem et Lucium Munātium Plancum et Gaium Trebōnium lēgātōs praefēcit. Ūnam legiōnem, quam proximē trāns Padum cōnscrīpserat, et cohortēs V in Eburōnēs,3 2 The Nervii were one of the tribes of the Belgae. 3 The Eburones were another Belgic tribe. The fifteen cohorts (one and a half legions) garrisoned among the Eburones were the furthest-flung of all the garrisons—that is, they were stationed the furthest to the north-east. quōrum pars maxima est inter Mosam ac Rhēnum, quī sub imperiō Ambiorīgis et Catuvolcī erant, mīsit.4 Eīs mīlitibus Quintum Titūrium Sabīnum et Lucium Aurunculēium Cottam lēgātōs praeesse iussit.5 Ad hunc modum distribūtīs legiōnibus, facillimē inopiae frūmentāriae sēsē medērī posse exīstimāvit. Atque hārum tamen omnium legiōnum hīberna praeter eam, quam Luciō Rōsciō in pācātissimam 4 Ambiorix and Catuvolcus were prominent nobles of the Eburones. 5 Quintus TIturius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculeius Cotta were the two legates commanding the fifteen cohorts stationed amongst the Eburones. et quiētissimam partem dūcendam dederat, mīlibus passuum centum continēbantur. Ipse intereā, quoad legiōnēs collocātās mūnītaque hīberna cōgnōvisset, in Galliā morārī cōnstituit. Notes on 5.24 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes 5. 25 Erat in Carnūtibus summō locō nātus Tasgetius, cuius māiōrēs in suā civitāte regnum obtinuerant. Huic Caesar prō eius virtūte atque in sē benevolentiā, quod in omnibus bellīs singulārī eius operā fuerat ūsus, maiōrum locum restituerat. Tertium iam hunc annum regnantem inimicī, multīs palam ex civitāte eius auctōribus, eum interfēcērunt.

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