Julius Caesar - The Gallic Wars (Book I) read in the original Latin. Great for those studying the work or just those who want to hear the memoirs as they would have sounded (more or less) when recited back in ancient times. Commentarii de Bello Gallico (English: Commentaries on the Gallic War) is Julius Caesar's firsthand account of the Gallic Wars, written as a third-person narrative. In it Caesar describes the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine years he spent fighting local armies in Gaul that opposed Roman domination. The "Gaul" that Caesar refers to is sometimes all of Gaul except for the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis (modern-day Provence), encompassing the rest of modern France, Belgium and some of Switzerland. On other occasions, he refers only to that territory inhabited by the Celtic peoples known to the Romans as Gauls, from the English Channel to Lugdunum (Lyon). The work has been a mainstay in Latin instruction because of its simple, direct prose. It begins with the frequently quoted phrase "Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres", meaning "All of Gaul is divided into three parts". In book I, Caesar describes a conflict with the Gallic tribe known as the Helvetii. The wealthiest man of the Helvetii, Orgetorix, convinced his countrymen that they should leave their homeland (modern-day Switzerland) because they are too constricted by the surrounding rivers and mountains (the Jura Mountains, the Rhône and Lake Geneva, and the Rhine) . They concoct a plan to burn their homes and then make an exodus out of their homeland. When Caesar learns of their plan to cross over a Roman province, a conflict arises, pitting the Romans against the Helvetii. The Helvetii are defeated by the Romans, and return to Helvetia, their numbers greatly reduced. Later, more problems arise surrounding a tribal conflict in Gaul. The Aedui (allies of Rome) are engaged in a power struggle with two other tribes called the Arverni and the Sequani. The Arverni and Sequani decide to get help in their struggle from Germanic mercenaries from across the Rhine, led by a king named Ariovistus. At first the plan works because the Germanic mercenaries help the Arverni and Sequani to oppress their enemy, the Aedui. But, the plan backfires as Ariovistus begins a violent takeover of the territory of the Arverni and Sequani, exercising a cruel tyranny over them. Caesar then takes military action against Ariovistus, both because the Aedui are allies of Rome, and because he wants to stop the flow of Germanics from across the Rhine into Gaul, which neighbors upon Rome. Caesar moves his troops to Vesontio (modern Besançon), the capital city of the Sequani. Ariovistus and Caesar conduct many negotiations, including an unusual face-to-face conference. Two days later, when Ariovistus requests to speak with Caesar again, Caesar instead sends C. Valerius Procillus who is ambushed and taken captive by Ariovistus. When battle between the Germanics and the Romans finally commences, there is fierce hand-to-hand combat. The Romans defeat Ariovistus, and Caesar is overjoyed to find and rescue C. Valerius Procillus, the envoy who had earlier been captured by Ariovistus.

• published: 08 Jan 2015
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