"De Bello Gallico" and Other Commentaries Flashcards
Julius Caesar · Public domain edition · 183 cards · 50 chapters
Julius Caesar’s Commentaries recount his campaigns in Gaul and the civil war, presenting his actions as necessary and justified. This deck covers De Quincey’s analysis of Caesar’s character, his early defiance of Sylla, and key episodes from the Gallic campaigns, including the Helvetii migration and the Aeduan conspiracy.
1 / 183
Chapter 1 · Question
How does De Quincey say Lucan misrepresented Caesar's character?
WakeCards · wakecards.com · Big ideas. Quick review.
Chapter 1 · Answer
The author argues Lucan falsified Caesar by applying the line "Gaudensque viam fecisse ruina" (rejoicing to make a way by ruin), which classes Caesar with destroyers like Attila and Tamerlane. De Quincey insists this errs by the whole genus, since Caesar was a polished statesman, orator, and patron of the arts, not a furious destroyer exulting in desolation.
WakeCards · wakecards.com · Big ideas. Quick review.
Arrow keys move between cards. Space or Enter flips.
All questions and answers
Every card in the deck, in reading order. Click a chapter to expand. The reviewer above uses the same content.
Introduction4 cards
How does De Quincey say Lucan misrepresented Caesar's character?
The author argues Lucan falsified Caesar by applying the line "Gaudensque viam fecisse ruina" (rejoicing to make a way by ruin), which classes Caesar with destroyers like Attila and Tamerlane. De Quincey insists this errs by the whole genus, since Caesar was a polished statesman, orator, and patron of the arts, not a furious destroyer exulting in desolation.
Chapter 1
What does Cato's remark, as quoted by De Quincey, say distinguishes Caesar from other civil disturbers?
Cato said that whereas others attempted to overthrow the state in a paroxysm of fury resembling the lunacy of intoxication, Caesar was the only one who came to the task in a temper of sobriety and moderation ("unum accessisse sobrium ad rempublicam delendam"). De Quincey cites this as a truer estimate of Caesar than Lucan's portrait.
Chapter 1
How did Caesar respond to Sylla's order that he divorce Cornelia, and with what result?
Caesar was required to divorce Cornelia, daughter of a four-time consul, on political grounds. He refused the order and pressed the struggle to a triumphant issue despite his life being at stake, at one time saving himself by shifting his place of concealment every night. Cornelia later became the mother of his only daughter.
Chapter 1
What prophecy did Sylla make about young Caesar, and on what basis?
De Quincey says Sylla formed a right estimate of Caesar's character from his conduct in the divorce affair and drew a famous prophecy, warning his friends to beware of "that slipshod boy, for that in him lay couchant many a Marius." De Quincey calls this a grander testimony to the awe Caesar inspired than can be imagined.
Chapter 1
BOOK I (part 1)4 cards
How does Caesar divide Gaul, and what separates the three parts?
Caesar states that all Gaul is divided into three parts: the Belgae, the Aquitani, and the Celts (called Gauls in Latin). These peoples differ in language, customs, and laws. The Garonne separates the Gauls from the Aquitani; the Marne and Seine separate the Gauls from the Belgae. He adds that the Belgae are the bravest because they are farthest from Roman civilization and nearest the Germans.
Chapter 2
Why did Orgetorix persuade the Helvetii to leave their territory?
Orgetorix, the most distinguished and wealthy Helvetian, was driven by lust for sovereignty. He conspired with nobles and persuaded the people to depart with all their possessions, arguing they excelled all in valour and could easily gain supremacy over all Gaul. The Helvetii were also hemmed in by the Rhine, Mount Jura, Lake Geneva, and the Rhone, so a warlike people with a large population felt their limits were too narrow.
Chapter 2
What did the Helvetii do to prepare for their migration, and why burn their homes?
The Helvetii bought up beasts of burden and wagons, made large sowings for corn on the march, and made peace with neighboring states, fixing departure for the third year. When ready, they set fire to about twelve towns, four hundred villages, and remaining private dwellings, and burned all corn except what they carried, so that destroying hope of return would make them more ready to face dangers. They also persuaded the Rauraci, Tulingi, and Latobrigi to join, and admitted the Boii as confederates.
Chapter 2
How did Caesar respond to the Helvetii's request to cross the Province?
Caesar hurried to Geneva, ordered levies across the Province (only one legion was in Further Gaul), and had the Geneva bridge broken down. The Helvetii sent ambassadors asking to march through the Province harmlessly, since they had no other route. Caesar, remembering that the Helvetii had slain consul Lucius Cassius and routed his army under the yoke, refused, but delayed his answer until April 12 so his troops could assemble. He then built a nineteen-mile wall and trench from Lake Geneva to Mount Jura.
Chapter 2
BOOK I (part 2)4 cards
Why did Caesar reprimand the Aeduan chiefs, including Liscus, in his camp?
Caesar reprimanded them because the Aedui kept deferring the promised corn day after day, saying it was being collected. With the enemy close and corn neither buyable nor takeable from the fields, he complained he was being forsaken, especially since he had undertaken the war largely at their prayers. He had gathered their chiefs, among them Divitiacus and Liscus, the annually elected Vergobretus holding power of life and death.
Chapter 3
What did Liscus secretly reveal to Caesar about why the corn was not being supplied?
Liscus disclosed that certain private men with great popular influence, more powerful than the magistrates, were deterring the populace from contributing corn through seditious language. They argued that if the Aedui could not retain supremacy of Gaul, it was better to submit to Gauls than Romans, and that a Roman victory over the Helvetii would cost the Aedui their freedom. These men also disclosed camp plans to the enemy, and Liscus said he could not restrain them.
Chapter 3
Why did Caesar hesitate to punish Dumnorix, and how did he resolve the matter?
Caesar identified Dumnorix, brother of Divitiacus, as the man indicated. Though facts supported punishment, Caesar feared hurting Divitiacus, whose loyalty and justice he valued. He summoned Divitiacus and, through Caius Valerius Procillus, asked him to judge Dumnorix or let the Aeduan state do so. Divitiacus tearfully pleaded, warning that severity would seem done with his consent and estrange Gaul. Caesar pardoned Dumnorix for his brother's sake but set spies over him.
Chapter 3
How did the battle against the Helvetii unfold after Caesar diverted to Bibracte for corn?
Caesar diverted toward Bibracte for corn; deserters informed the Helvetii, who pursued and harassed the Roman rear. Caesar drew up four veteran legions in triple line on a hill, with two newly levied legions and auxiliaries on the summit. He removed the horses to equalize danger, and javelins from higher ground broke the enemy phalanx. The Boii and Tulingi, about 15,000, attacked the exposed flank, but the Romans faced about in two divisions and fought until late at the baggage.
Chapter 3
BOOK I (part 3)4 cards
Why did the Sequani, though victorious, suffer worse than the defeated Aedui?
Divitiacus explains that Ariovistus, king of the Germans, had settled in Sequani territory and seized a third of their land, the best in Gaul, then ordered them to leave another third for 24,000 Harudes who had recently arrived. The Sequani alone dared not even secretly complain or seek aid, since they had admitted Ariovistus and all their towns were in his power.
Chapter 4
What reasons did Caesar give for deciding to intervene against Ariovistus?
Caesar judged it disgraceful that the Aedui, called 'brethren' and 'kinsmen' by the senate, were under German dominion with hostages held by Ariovistus and the Sequani. He also feared the Germans would grow accustomed to crossing the Rhine, and once holding all Gaul might march into the province and Italy, as the Cimbri and Teutones had done, with only the Rhone separating the Sequani from the province.
Chapter 4
What demands did Caesar send to Ariovistus through his second embassy?
Caesar demanded that Ariovistus bring no more men across the Rhine into Gaul, restore the hostages he held from the Aedui, and allow the Sequani to restore theirs; he also demanded that Ariovistus neither provoke the Aedui by outrage nor make war on them or their allies. If complied with, Caesar promised perpetual favour and friendship; otherwise he would not overlook the Aedui's wrongs.
Chapter 4
What caused the panic in Caesar's army at Vesontio?
Reports from the Gauls and traders claimed the Germans were of huge stature, incredible valour, and fierce countenance, so men could not bear even their looks. The panic began with the tribunes, prefects, and others who had followed Caesar from Rome with little military experience; some asked to withdraw, others stayed from shame, wills were sealed throughout the camp, and even experienced soldiers and officers were gradually disconcerted.
Chapter 4
BOOK I (part 4)4 cards
What did Caesar do with the Gallic cavalry's horses and why?
Caesar took away all the horses from the Gallic cavalry and mounted the legionary soldiers of the tenth legion on them, since he placed the greatest confidence in that legion. He did this so he might have the most trustworthy body-guard possible should action be needed. A soldier of the tenth joked that Caesar had done more than promised, converting them from his praetorian cohort into horse.
Chapter 5
What demands did Caesar make of Ariovistus at the conference?
Caesar detailed Rome's past favours to Ariovistus, then made the same demands he had sent through ambassadors: that Ariovistus should not make war on the Aedui or their allies, that he should restore the hostages, and that if he could not send any Germans home he should at least allow no more to cross the Rhine.
Chapter 5
How did Ariovistus justify his presence and demands in Gaul?
Ariovistus claimed he crossed the Rhine not of his own accord but invited by the Gauls, that he held settlements granted by them, and that hostages were given willingly. He said he took tribute by right of war, that the Gauls attacked him and were routed in one battle, and that he came before the Romans did. He called Gaul his province as much as theirs.
Chapter 5
Why did Caesar refuse to let his men fight back during the conference?
When Ariovistus's cavalry approached the mound and threw stones and weapons at the Romans, Caesar ended his speech and ordered his men not to return a weapon. Though he saw an engagement would be without danger to his chosen legion, he did not think proper to engage, lest after routing the enemy it be said they had been ensnared by him under the sanction of a conference.
Chapter 5
C.4 cards
Why did Ariovistus seize Caesar's envoys instead of hearing them?
When C. Valerius Procillus and M. Mettius entered Ariovistus's camp, he shouted before his army asking why they had come, whether as spies, stopped them as they tried to speak, and cast them into chains. Caesar had chosen them for their fidelity, Procillus's fluency in Gallic (which Ariovistus also spoke), and the Germans' supposed lack of motive for violence against them.
Chapter 6
What was the German method of fighting alongside cavalry?
The Germans had 6,000 horse and as many picked foot, each horseman choosing one foot soldier for protection. These foot accompanied the horse in engagements, received them when they retired, and rushed forward in emergencies; they stood around any rider who fell badly wounded. By practice they were so swift that, holding the horses' manes, they could keep pace with the cavalry's advance or retreat.
Chapter 6
Why did Ariovistus avoid battle before the new moon?
Caesar learned from prisoners that German matrons pronounced by lots and divination whether battle should be joined, and had said it was not heaven's will for the Germans to conquer if they fought before the new moon. So Ariovistus kept his army in camp while Caesar daily drew up his forces, and only skirmished with cavalry, until Caesar advanced on his camp and forced an engagement.
Chapter 6
How did P. Crassus affect the outcome of the battle?
Caesar began the battle on the right wing, where the enemy was least strong. The enemy's rush left no time to throw javelins, so the Romans fought with swords against the German phalanx. Though the enemy's left was routed, their right pressed hard on the Romans; P. Crassus, commanding the cavalry and less engaged, sent the third line to relieve the distressed troops, renewing the fight until the enemy fled to the Rhine.
Chapter 6
BOOK II3 cards
What did the Remi tell Caesar about the Belgae's numbers and peoples?
The Remi said the Bellovaci were strongest in valour, influence, and men, able to muster 100,000 armed men and promising 60,000 picked men while demanding command of the war. The Suessiones, with twelve towns, promised 50,000; the Nervii, reckoned most warlike, as many; the Atrebates 15,000, Ambiani 10,000, Morini 25,000, Menapii 9,000, Caleti 10,000, Velocasses and Veromandui as many, Aduatuci 19,000, and the Germans 40,000.
Chapter 7
Why did the Belgae decide to disband and return home?
After failing to storm Bibrax and to cross the Aisne, and with provisions failing, the Belgae held a council and resolved that each should return to his country and reassemble to defend whoever the Romans first marched against, so they might fight in their own land and use their own stores. They had also learned Divitiacus and the Aedui were approaching the Bellovaci.
Chapter 7
How did Caesar respond when the Belgae retreated from their camp?
Learning of the departure through scouts, Caesar feared an ambuscade and kept his army and cavalry in camp. At daybreak, once scouts confirmed it, he sent cavalry under Q. Pedius and L. Aurunculeius Cotta to harass the rear, and ordered T. Labienus to follow closely with three legions. The pursuers killed great numbers over many miles until sunset, then returned to camp as commanded.
Chapter 7
BOOK III4 cards
Why did Caesar send Galba with the twelfth legion into the Alps?
Caesar wanted the Alpine pass opened, since merchants had traveled it only with great danger and heavy tolls. He sent Servius Galba with the twelfth legion and part of the cavalry against the Nantuates, Veragri, and Seduni, and permitted Galba to station the legion there for wintering if he judged it necessary.
Chapter 8
Why did the Gauls suddenly decide to renew war against Galba's legion?
The Gauls despised the single understrength legion, since two cohorts were detached and some men were absent foraging. They believed the Romans could not withstand a rush from the mountains into the valley. They were also indignant that their children were taken as hostages, and persuaded the Romans meant to seize the Alpine summits as a permanent possession.
Chapter 8
What did Baculus and Volusenus urge Galba to do, and what was the result?
P. Sextius Baculus, a first-rank centurion, and the tribune C. Volusenus told Galba the only hope was a sally. Galba had the men rest briefly, gather thrown weapons, then sally from all the gates. The enemy was surrounded and more than a third of an army of over 30,000 was killed; the rest fled.
Chapter 8
Why did Galba abandon Octodurus and return to the province after winning?
Galba was unwilling to tempt fortune again, remembered he had come to winter with one design but met a different state of affairs, and was chiefly urged by want of corn and provisions. He burned the village's buildings the next day and marched unopposed back to the Nantuates, then the Allobroges, where he wintered.
Chapter 8
M. Trebius Gallus amongst the Curiosolitae; Q. Velanius…4 cards
Why did the Veneti detain Silius and Velanius, and what did they demand?
The Veneti detained Silius and Velanius believing they could recover by their means the hostages they had given to Crassus. Neighbouring peoples, led by their influence, detained Trebius and Terrasidius for the same motive. The states then sent a common embassy to P. Crassus demanding that if he wished his officers returned, he should send back their hostages.
Chapter 9
What advantages did the Veneti's situation give them against Roman assault?
Their towns sat on promontories where the tide, rushing in twice in twelve hours, cut off land approach, and on ebbing left ships exposed to shoals, making storming difficult by either circumstance. If overwhelmed by Roman works, the Veneti evacuated by ship to nearby towns and defended themselves by the same advantages of situation.
Chapter 9
How were the Veneti's ships built differently from Roman ships?
Their keels were flatter to meet shallows and ebbing tides; prows and sterns were raised high against waves and storms. Hulls were wholly of oak, benches fastened with iron spikes, anchors secured by iron chains rather than cables, and sails made of skins and thin leather—likely because they doubted canvas could withstand ocean storms.
Chapter 9
What tactic did the Romans use to defeat the Veneti fleet?
Since Roman beaks could not damage the strong hulls and weapons could not reach the high stems, the Romans used sharp hooks on poles to catch and pull the ropes fastening sail-yards to masts; rowing hard severed them, so the yards fell. With sails and rigging gone, the Gallic ships lost all management, and the contest fell to courage, which the Romans won.
Chapter 9
BOOK IV (part 1)4 cards
Why did the Usipetes and Tenchtheri cross the Rhine?
They crossed because the Suevi had harassed them for several years in constant war, which hindered their pursuit of agriculture. Driven from their possessions, they wandered through many parts of Germany and came to the Rhine, to districts inhabited by the Menapii, where they seized ships and crossed, maintaining themselves on the Menapii's provisions during the rest of the winter.
Chapter 10
How did the Germans deceive the Menapii and cross the Rhine?
Unable to force a passage for lack of ships or cross by stealth because of the guards, the Germans pretended to return to their own settlements. After three days' march they returned, and their cavalry covered the whole journey in one night, cutting off the Menapii who had returned to their villages beyond the Rhine. Having slain them and seized their ships, the Germans crossed before the rest were apprised.
Chapter 10
What was Caesar's stated reason for refusing alliance with the Germans?
Caesar replied that he could make no alliance with them if they continued in Gaul. He argued it was not probable that those unable to defend their own territories should seize others', and that no waste lands in Gaul could be given away, especially to so great a number, without wronging others. He suggested they settle in the territories of the Ubii instead.
Chapter 10
Why did Caesar consider the German embassy's request for a three-day truce a stratagem?
Caesar believed the request tended to the same point as their earlier proposal: that a delay of three days would allow their cavalry, which had gone over the Meuse to the Ambivariti for plunder and forage, to return. After the skirmish in which 74 of his horse were slain, he decided not to receive ambassadors or accept conditions from those who had sued for peace by treachery.
Chapter 10
BOOK IV (part 2)4 cards
How did Caesar's bridge design resist the force of the river?
Caesar describes timber braces fastened on opposite sides in different directions, so that the greater the water's force against the bridge, the more tightly its parts held together. Beams were bound with timber laid lengthwise, covered with laths and hurdles, and supported by piles driven obliquely below as buttresses, with further piles above to deflect trees or vessels floated down by the barbarians.
Chapter 11
Why did Caesar decide to invade Britain, and what did he hope to learn?
Caesar resolved to cross because he discovered that in almost all the Gallic wars succour had been furnished to the enemy from Britain. Even if the season were too short for a full war, he thought merely entering the island would be of great service: seeing the character of the people and learning their localities, harbours, and landing-places, which were mostly unknown to the Gauls, since only merchants went there.
Chapter 11
What difficulties hindered the Romans' landing against the Britons?
The Britons sent cavalry and charioteers to prevent the landing. Caesar says the greatest difficulty was that Roman ships, being large, could only stand in deep water; soldiers, in unknown places, weighed down by heavy armour, had to leap from the ships, stand in the waves, and fight, while the enemy on dry ground or shallow water, limbs free and ground known, could throw weapons and spur on horses trained to this service.
Chapter 11
How did the eagle-bearer of the tenth legion turn the hesitation at the shore?
While the men hesitated, chiefly because of the depth of the sea, the eagle-bearer of the tenth legion prayed to the gods, then shouted that they should leap unless they wished to betray their eagle to the enemy, declaring he would do his duty to the commonwealth and his general. He leaped from the ship and carried the eagle toward the enemy; the men, urging one another not to incur such disgrace, all leaped after him.
Chapter 11
BOOK IV (part 3)3 cards
How did the 300 soldiers from the two lost ships survive the Morini attack?
About 300 soldiers from the two ships that missed the port were marching to camp when the Morini, whom Caesar had left at peace, attacked hoping for spoil. The Romans formed a circle and defended themselves; a shout brought about 6000 enemy together. Caesar sent all his cavalry, and after the Romans had fought valiantly more than four hours, the enemy fled and many were killed.
Chapter 12
Why did the Morini fall into Labienus's power the day after the landing?
The day after landing, Caesar sent Labienus with the legions brought back from Britain against the Morini, who had revolted. The Morini had no place to retreat because their marshes, which they had used as a refuge the previous year, had dried up. As a result, almost all of them fell into Labienus's power.
Chapter 12
What did the senate decree for Caesar's successes, and which British states sent hostages?
For these successes the senate decreed a thanksgiving of twenty days upon receiving Caesar's letter. Caesar fixed the winter quarters of all the legions among the Belgae. Only two British states sent hostages there; the rest omitted to do so. Meanwhile lieutenants Q. Titurius and L. Cotta ravaged the Menapii's lands, cut their corn, and burned their houses, since the Menapii hid in their thickest woods.
Chapter 12
BOOK V4 cards
Why did Caesar build ships lower and broader than Mediterranean vessels for the British crossing?
Caesar ordered the ships built lower than those used in the Mediterranean because frequent tide changes meant smaller swells, and low build aided lightness and speed for beaching and lading. He made them somewhat broader to carry many horses, though few at a time. He ordered equipment brought from Spain and had about six hundred transports and twenty-eight warships assembled at Port Itius.
Chapter 13
Why did Caesar decide to take Dumnorix and other Gallic chiefs to Britain as hostages?
Caesar planned to leave in Gaul only a few chiefs whose loyalty he had clearly discerned, taking the rest as hostages because he feared a commotion in Gaul during his absence. Dumnorix in particular he resolved to bring, having found him fond of change and power, of great resolution, and influential among the Gauls. Dumnorix resisted, claiming fear of the sea and divine admonitions.
Chapter 13
What happened to Dumnorix when he tried to leave the camp with the Aeduan cavalry?
While all were occupied with embarkation, Dumnorix began departing homewards with the Aeduan cavalry without Caesar's knowledge. Caesar, on being informed, deferred the expedition, sent a large part of the cavalry in pursuit, and ordered that he be brought back, or slain if he resisted. Dumnorix resisted and was killed; the Aeduan horsemen all returned to Caesar.
Chapter 13
What happened to Caesar's ships at Britain during the storm, and how did he respond?
A very great storm arose the night after the landing, dashing almost all the ships against the shore because neither anchors and cables nor sailors and pilots could resist it. About forty ships were lost; the remainder seemed repairable only with much labour. Caesar recalled the legions and cavalry, selected workmen from the legions, sent for others from the continent, and wrote to Labienus to build as many ships as he could.
Chapter 13
L. (part 1)4 cards
Why did Caesar send Plancus with a legion to the Carnutes?
After Tasgetius, a high-born Carnute whose ancestral sovereignty Caesar had restored for his services, was killed in the third year of his reign by personal enemies with many of his own state openly involved, Caesar feared the state might revolt. He ordered Lucius Plancus to march quickly from Belgium with a legion, winter among the Carnutes, and arrest and send to him those by whose instrumentality he discovered Tasgetius was slain.
Chapter 14
What did Ambiorix tell Sabinus and Cotta at the conference?
Ambiorix claimed he acted against the camp not by his own judgment but by compulsion of his state, which had as much authority over him as he over it. He said all Gaul had resolved to storm every winter-quarter that day, that hired Germans had crossed the Rhine and would arrive in two days, and he advised the Romans to leave for Cicero or Labienus, swearing safe passage through his territories.
Chapter 14
What did Cotta and the senior officers argue at the council?
L. Aurunculeius Cotta, several tribunes, and the centurions of the first rank held that nothing should be done hastily and the camp should not be left without Caesar's orders. They argued fortified winter-quarters could withstand any German force, that they had already repulsed the first assault, that corn was not lacking, and that relief would come from the nearest quarters and from Caesar.
Chapter 14
How did Ambiorix's men defeat the Romans on the march?
The enemy learned of the departure by the night noise, placed an ambuscade in two divisions in concealed woods two miles from camp, and attacked when most of the line had descended into a valley. Ambiorix then ordered his men to throw weapons from a distance, give way when Romans charged, and pursue them returning to their standards, so charging cohorts were left exposed on the flank.
Chapter 14
L. (part 2)4 cards
How did the Nervii build a ten-mile fortification so quickly without iron tools?
The Nervii surrounded Cicero's winter quarters with a rampart eleven feet high and a ditch thirteen feet deep. Lacking iron tools, they cut turf with their swords and emptied earth with their hands and cloaks. Because so many men worked at once, they completed a fortification of ten miles in circumference in less than three hours. Prisoners taken from the Roman army had taught them these techniques.
Chapter 15
How did Caesar get a letter through to Cicero's besieged camp?
Caesar wrote a letter in Greek characters so that, if intercepted, the enemy would not learn his plans. He bribed a Gallic horseman with great rewards to deliver it, instructing him to throw a spear with the letter fastened to the thong inside the fortifications if he could not enter. The spear stuck in a tower and went unnoticed for two days until a soldier found it and carried it to Cicero.
Chapter 15
What happened to the rivalry between centurions Pulfio and Varenus?
T. Pulfio and L. Varenus, centurions in the same legion, continually competed for promotion. During the fiercest fighting, Pulfio rushed beyond the fortifications and was surrounded, his shield pierced and his sword arm obstructed. Varenus followed and rescued him; then Varenus fell into a hollow while surrounded, and Pulfio rescued him in turn. Both survived, and it could not be determined which deserved preference.
Chapter 15
How did Caesar lure the Gauls into fighting at a disadvantage?
Caesar pretended fear: he ordered his cavalry to retreat deliberately to camp, had a higher rampart built, the gates barricaded, and as much confusion shown as possible. The Gauls, contemptuous, drew up in a disadvantageous position and attacked. Caesar then sallied from all the gates with his cavalry, routed them, and stripped their arms. He then reached Cicero the same day.
Chapter 15
L. (part 3)2 cards
How did Labienus keep his plan secret from the Treviri?
Labienus admitted all the cavalry of the neighbouring states into camp in a single night, then confined his own men within the fortifications under such strict guard that the fact could not be reported or carried to the Treviri. He also encouraged the enemy's belief that he was afraid, letting Indutiomarus approach the camp daily without reply.
Chapter 16
What orders did Labienus give his cavalry before sending them out?
Labienus sent all the cavalry out by two gates and ordered that once the enemy was terrified and put to flight, every man should make for Indutiomarus and wound no one before seeing him slain. He feared Indutiomarus would escape while the rest were pursued, so he offered great rewards to whoever killed him and sent cohorts to support the horse.
Chapter 16
BOOK VI (part 1)3 cards
Why did Caesar want Pompey's levies to join him in Gaul?
Caesar thought it important that the Gauls should see Italy's resources as so great that any loss in war could be quickly repaired and even replaced by larger forces. Pompey, remaining near the city with military command, granted this for the commonwealth and friendship; Caesar's lieutenants then completed the levy, forming three legions before winter ended.
Chapter 17
Why did Caesar cross the Rhine against the Germans?
Caesar resolved to cross for two reasons: the Germans had sent aid to the Treviri against him, and he wanted to deny Ambiorix a refuge among them. He built a bridge a little above his earlier crossing point, left a guard on the Treviri side, and led the rest over. The Ubii sent envoys to clear themselves, and Caesar found the Suevi had sent the auxiliaries.
Chapter 17
What did Caesar hope to achieve by ravaging the Menapii's lands?
Caesar wanted to detach the Menapii from Ambiorix before provoking war, lest Ambiorix hide among them or join the Germans across the Rhine. He sent baggage to Labienus and advanced with five light legions; the Menapii retreated into woods and marshes. Caesar divided his forces, burned houses and villages, took cattle and men, and the Menapii sued for peace and gave hostages.
Chapter 17
BOOK VI (part 2)3 cards
How do the Gauls reckon time, and why, according to Caesar?
All the Gauls assert they are descended from the god Dis, a tradition they say the Druids handed down. For that reason they compute the divisions of every season by nights rather than days, and keep birthdays and the beginnings of months and years so that the day follows the night.
Chapter 18
How do German customs differ from Gallic ones regarding religion and warfare?
The Germans have neither Druids to preside over sacred offices nor much regard for sacrifices. They count as gods only what they behold and are obviously benefited by: the sun, fire, and the moon, having not heard of other deities even by report. Their whole life is spent in hunting and military pursuits, and from childhood they devote themselves to fatigue and hardships.
Chapter 18
Why do German magistrates reapportion land each year?
The author states that no one has a fixed quantity of land or individual limits; magistrates and leading men each year apportion land to tribes and families as they think proper, and the next year compel them to move. Reasons given include preventing long custom from replacing zeal for war with agriculture, preventing the powerful from driving out the weaker, and keeping the common people contented by equality of means.
Chapter 18
BOOK VI (part 3)4 cards
Why did Caesar invite neighboring Gauls to plunder the Eburones?
Caesar sent messengers to neighboring states, inviting them by hope of booty to plunder the Eburones, so that the lives of Gauls rather than legionary soldiers would be risked in the woods. He also wanted a large force drawn around the Eburones so that the race and name of that state might be annihilated for their crime.
Chapter 19
What led Cicero to send five cohorts foraging on the seventh day?
Cicero had kept his soldiers strictly in camp per Caesar's orders, but on the seventh day he distrusted that Caesar would return within the promised number of days, heard no report of his return, and was urged by complaints that his restraint was almost a siege. So he sent five cohorts to forage in nearby cornlands, with only one hill between them and camp.
Chapter 19
How did Sextius Baculus respond to the German attack on the camp?
Baculus, who had led a principal century under Caesar and had been left an invalid, had gone five days without food. Distrusting his own safety and everyone's, he left his tent unarmed, saw the enemy close and the danger extreme, seized arms from those nearest, and stationed himself at the gate. Centurions of the guard cohort followed him; after many wounds he fainted and was with difficulty saved.
Chapter 19
What was Caesar's only complaint after the attack on Aduatuca?
Caesar, aware of war's casualties, complained of one thing only: that the cohorts had been sent away from outpost and garrison duty, and that no room should have been left for even the most trivial casualty. He noted fortune's great influence in the enemy's sudden arrival, and greater still in turning the barbarians away from the very rampart and gates.
Chapter 19
BOOK VII (part 1)4 cards
Why did the Gauls believe Caesar could be cut off from his army?
The Gauls reasoned that Caesar was detained in Italy by civil commotions and could not reach his army without a guard, while the legions, lacking their general, would not dare leave their winter quarters. They therefore urged that Caesar be cut off from his army before their secret plans were revealed.
Chapter 20
How did news of the Genabum massacre spread so fast through Gaul?
The Gauls transmitted intelligence by shouting across their lands and districts, each taking it up in succession and passing it to neighbors. Thus events at Genabum at sunrise were heard in Arvernian territory before the end of the first watch, a distance of more than 160 miles.
Chapter 20
How did Vercingetorix enforce obedience over the Gauls?
Vercingetorix combined vigilance with the utmost rigor of authority, using severity of punishment to bring over the wavering. For greater crimes he put perpetrators to death by fire and every sort of torture; for slighter causes he sent offenders home with ears cut off or an eye put out, as an example to frighten others.
Chapter 20
How did Caesar cross the Cevennes to reach the Arverni?
Though Mount Cevennes was blocked by very deep snow in the severest season, Caesar cleared the snow to a depth of six feet and opened the roads, reaching Arvernian territory with infinite labor to his soldiers. The Arverni were surprised, having considered themselves defended by the Cevennes as by a wall.
Chapter 20
BOOK VII (part 2)4 cards
Why did Caesar's legions refuse his offer to raise the siege of Avaricum?
When Caesar offered to raise the siege if the soldiers felt the scarcity too severely, the legions unanimously begged him not to. They said they had served for years under him without submitting to insult or abandoning an enterprise unaccomplished, and would consider it a disgrace to abandon the siege. They preferred hardship to failing to avenge the Roman citizens killed at Genabum by Gallic treachery.
Chapter 21
How did Vercingetorix answer the charge of treason brought by his men?
Vercingetorix was accused of treason for moving camp nearer the Romans, leaving with all the cavalry, and leaving so large a force without a commander. He replied that lack of forage caused the move, the ground's natural strength justified approaching, and cavalry was useless in marsh. He intentionally gave no one supreme command lest the eager multitude hazard an engagement. He produced tortured Roman captives who claimed the army was starving.
Chapter 21
What was the structure of a typical Gallic wall according to Caesar?
Straight beams were laid lengthwise on the ground, two feet apart at equal intervals, mortised inside and covered with earth. Large stones closed the front intervals. Another row was added above, keeping the same spacing so beams never touched, each row held by a row of stones. This alternation of beams and stones continued to full height, protecting the stone from fire and the wood from the battering ram.
Chapter 21
What happened when the Gauls tried to flee Avaricum by night?
By Vercingetorix's advice the Gauls planned to flee the town at night, hoping the marsh would slow Roman pursuit. As they prepared, the matrons ran into the streets weeping, begging their husbands not to abandon them and their children to the enemy, since their weakness prevented flight. When the men persisted, the women shouted aloud and alerted the Romans, so the Gauls desisted for fear the cavalry would seize the passes.
Chapter 21
BOOK VII (part 3)4 cards
How did Caesar resolve the Aeduan magistracy dispute at Decetia?
Caesar summoned the Aeduan senate and rivals to Decetia. Finding one brother had been irregularly declared magistrate by the other, he compelled Cotus to resign, and ordered Convictolitanis, elected by the priests according to state custom, to hold supreme authority. He then urged the Aedui to forget their disputes and devote themselves to the war.
Chapter 22
How did Caesar cross the Allier despite Vercingetorix's destroyed bridges?
Caesar camped in a wood opposite a broken bridge, then left two legions hidden while sending the rest ahead with baggage so the column looked complete. Once they had marched off, he rebuilt the bridge on the intact piles, led his legions across, and recalled the troops. Vercingetorix, learning of it, marched ahead by forced marches.
Chapter 22
How did Litavicus deceive the Aeduan troops sent to Caesar?
About thirty miles from Gergovia, Litavicus tearfully told his soldiers that all Aeduan knights and nobles, including Eporedorix and Viridomarus, had been slain by the Romans. Instructed men confirmed the false story. The Aedui cried out for safety, and Litavicus urged them to join the Arverni at Gergovia, then seized Roman citizens and provisions and tortured and killed them.
Chapter 22
How did Caesar stop the Aeduan army's defection near Gergovia?
Caesar took four light-armed legions and all cavalry, leaving Fabius with two legions, and after a twenty-five-mile march came in sight of the Aedui. He ordered his men to kill no one and sent Eporedorix and Viridomarus, thought dead, to address their friends. Recognized, the Aedui learned of Litavicus's treachery, laid down arms, and begged for mercy; Litavicus fled to Gergovia.
Chapter 22
BOOK VII (part 4)4 cards
Why did Caesar's men at Gergovia scale the wall despite his orders?
After the plunder of Avaricum, the soldiers were so eager for glory and loot that they would not let anyone mount the wall before them; one man, raised up by three comrades, scaled the wall and then drew them up after him. Caesar later censured this rashness and avarice, saying they judged for themselves how far to proceed and could not be held back by tribunes or lieutenants.
Chapter 23
How did the Aedui appearing on the flank terrify the Romans?
Caesar had sent the Aedui by another ascent on the right to create a diversion, but their arms resembled the enemy's, so the Romans were greatly terrified. Though the Aedui had their right shoulders bare, the usual sign of those reduced to peace, the soldiers suspected this was enemy deception. Meanwhile the centurion Fabius and those who had scaled the wall were surrounded and slain.
Chapter 23
What did the centurion Petreius do when surrounded at the gate?
Having received many wounds and despairing of safety, Petreius told his men he could not save them and himself, but would provide for their safety since he had led them into danger out of love of glory. He rushed into the enemy, slew two, and drove the rest back from the gate. Refusing aid, he told his men to retreat to the legion, and fell fighting shortly after, saving them by his death.
Chapter 23
Why did Labienus abandon his plan to take Lutetia by force?
Labienus first tried to fill the marsh with hurdles and clay, but found it too difficult. Learning of the Aedui revolt and the Bellovaci assembling, he thought he must adopt a very different system: not making new acquisitions or provoking battle, but bringing his army safely back to Agendicum, since the Bellovaci pressed on one side, Camulogenus on the other, and a great river cut him off from his garrison and baggage.
Chapter 23
BOOK VII (part 5)4 cards
How did Caesar obtain cavalry after his own was cut off from the province?
Perceiving the enemy superior in cavalry and unable to get aid from the province or Italy, Caesar sent across the Rhine to the German states he had subdued in earlier campaigns, summoning cavalry and light-armed infantry. When they arrived on unserviceable horses, he took horses from the military tribunes, the rest, and even Roman knights and veterans, and distributed them among the Germans.
Chapter 24
What oath did Vercingetorix's cavalry swear before attacking the Romans on the march?
The cavalry unanimously proposed binding themselves by a most sacred oath: that he should not be received under a roof, nor have access to his children, parents, or wife, who had not twice ridden through the enemy's army. The proposal received general approbation, and all were forced to take the oath. The next day the cavalry was divided into three parts to obstruct the Roman march.
Chapter 24
Describe the fortifications Caesar built around Alesia to withstand sallies and outside relief.
Caesar dug a perpendicular trench twenty feet deep, then placed other works four hundred feet back to prevent sudden sallies or missile attacks. He added two trenches fifteen feet broad, the innermost filled with river water, then a rampart and wall twelve feet high with parapet, battlements, stag-horn stakes, and turrets eighty feet apart. He later added cippi, the concealed 'lily' pits, and spurs, and enclosed fourteen miles with matching outer works.
Chapter 24
What did Vercingetorix do to hold out at Alesia while awaiting relief?
Vercingetorix sent away all his cavalry by night before the Roman works were complete, ordering each to go to his state and press for war all old enough to bear arms. He ordered all corn brought to himself, decreed capital punishment for disobedience, distributed cattle from the Mandubii, and measured out corn sparingly. He calculated he had barely thirty days' corn but could hold out longer by economy, and received the forces posted before the town.
Chapter 24
BOOK VII (part 6)4 cards
How did Caesar's men finally defeat the relieving Gauls at Alesia?
After fighting from noon to sunset with no advantage, the Germans in compact body charged and drove the enemy back; the archers were surrounded and cut to pieces. Roman troops pursued the retreating enemy to their camp, giving them no chance to rally. Those who had come from Alesia returned to the town dejected and nearly despairing of success.
Chapter 25
What plan did the Gauls devise after two failed assaults?
Using local guides, they learned the position of the upper camp on a hill the Romans could not include in their works due to the circuit's extent. They selected sixty thousand men from the bravest states, appointed Vergasillaunus the Arvernian to command, and decided to attack at noon, with cavalry and other forces demonstrating in the plain simultaneously.
Chapter 25
What did Vercingetorix declare to the council after the defeat?
He convened a council and declared that he had undertaken the war not for his own needs but for the general freedom; since he must yield to fortune, he offered himself for either purpose — whether they wished to atone to the Romans by his death or surrender him alive. Ambassadors were then sent to Caesar, who ordered arms surrendered and chieftains delivered up.
Chapter 25
How did Caesar distribute the captives after the surrender?
Reserving the Aedui and Arverni in hopes of gaining over their states through their influence, Caesar distributed one of the remaining captives to each soldier throughout the entire army as plunder. He then marched into Aedui territory, recovered that state, demanded hostages from the Arverni, and restored about twenty thousand captives to the Aedui and Arverni.
Chapter 25
BOOK VIII (part 1)3 cards
How did Caesar prevent the Bituriges from being warned and forage from being destroyed?
Caesar forbade the usual sign of invasion, the burning of towns, so that if he advanced far, forage and corn would not become scarce, and the enemy would not be warned by fires to escape. Many thousands were taken; those who fled to neighboring states were anticipated by Caesar's hasty marches, and the Bituriges then sought peace.
Chapter 26
What rewards did Caesar promise his soldiers after winter hardships, and why?
Caesar promised each soldier two hundred sestertii and each centurion two thousand, given instead of plunder, as a reward for their labor and patience in cheerfully submitting to the severity of winter, difficult roads, and intolerable cold. He then sent the legions back to quarters and returned to Bibracte on the fortieth day.
Chapter 26
How did Caesar arrange his legions to entice the enemy into battle?
Caesar had three veteran legions, the seventh, eighth, and ninth, and the less-reputed eleventh. He placed the three veteran legions ahead of all the baggage, with the eleventh bringing up the rear, so the enemy would see no more troops than they were willing to face. This formed the army almost into a square.
Chapter 26
BOOK VIII (part 2)4 cards
Why did Caesar's cavalry fail to pursue the retreating enemy through the smoke and flames?
The horse were afraid to venture into the smoke and dense line of flame, and those bold enough to try could scarcely see their horses' heads. Fearing an ambuscade, they let the enemy retreat freely. Thus the enemy escaped by a flight the author describes as full at once of cowardice and address, advancing about ten miles without loss and encamping in a strong position.
Chapter 27
How did Caesar learn of Correus's plan to ambush Roman foragers?
After the enemy had laid repeated ambuscades and done considerable damage to foragers, Caesar discovered the plan from a certain prisoner: Correus, general of the Bellovaci, had chosen six thousand of his bravest foot and a thousand horse to lie in ambush where the Romans would forage, because of the abundance of corn and grass. Caesar then drew out more legions than usual and sent forward cavalry with light infantry intermixed.
Chapter 27
What happened to Correus at the end of the battle?
After the ambush failed and the enemy were routed, Correus, unconquered by calamity, would not quit the field, take refuge in the woods, or accept offers of quarter. Fighting courageously and wounding several, he provoked the victorious Romans to discharge their weapons against him, and he was slain. The Bellovaci later told Caesar they gained one advantage from the loss: Correus, author of the rebellion, was dead.
Chapter 27
Why did Comius refuse to entrust his safety to any Roman after the ambush?
The year before, Labienus learned Comius was tampering with the states and raising a conspiracy against Caesar. Judging Comius would not come to camp, Labienus sent Volusenus Quadratus with chosen centurions to kill him under pretence of a conference. Comius was wounded severely in the head; swords were drawn, and it was said Comius resolved never to come within sight of any Roman.
Chapter 27
BOOK VIII (part 3)4 cards
How did Caesar cut off Uxellodunum's water supply after the spring was found?
Caesar first posted archers, slingers, and engines to stop the townsmen reaching the river, then advanced vineae and built a sixty-foot mound with a ten-story turret to command the spring. Finally, Roman mines cut the veins of the spring and diverted its course, drying it up suddenly and forcing the besieged to submit.
Chapter 28
What exemplary punishment did Caesar inflict on the defenders of Uxellodunum and why?
Caesar cut off the hands of those who had borne arms against him but spared their lives, so the punishment would be more conspicuous. The author explains Caesar did this to deter other states from rebelling, believing his lenity was well known and that he would not be thought cruel by nature.
Chapter 28
How did Guturvatus, the Carnute leader, meet his end?
Caesar demanded that the Carnutes surrender Guturvatus, described as the promoter of the treason and instigator of the rebellion. Though he dared not trust his own countrymen, a diligent search found him and he was brought to camp. Caesar was forced to punish him by the clamours of the soldiers, contrary to his natural humanity; he was whipped to death and beheaded.
Chapter 28
How was Comius's cavalry clash with Volusenus resolved?
Volusenus, eager to intercept Comius, pursued with a small party and was drawn far from his troops. Comius wheeled about, called on his men to avenge his wound, and pierced Volusenus in the thigh. The Romans then rallied and beat back the enemy, wounding and capturing several. Comius escaped by the speed of his horse and later sent hostages to Antonius, asking not to appear before any Roman.
Chapter 28
BOOK VIII (part 4)3 cards
Where did Caesar place Trebonius and Fabius with their legions for winter quarters?
Caesar placed Caius Trebonius with four legions among the Belgae, and detached Caius Fabius with four more to the Aedui. He believed Gaul would be most secure if the Belgae, described as a people of the greatest valour, and the Aedui, who possessed the most powerful influence, were kept in awe by his armies.
Chapter 29
What did Caesar learn on arriving in Italy about the two legions sent home?
He was informed that the two legions sent home by him, which by the senate's decree should have been sent to the Parthian war, had instead been delivered over to Pompey by Caius Marcellus the consul and were retained in Italy. Caesar saw this as evidence that war was designed against him.
Chapter 29
How did Caesar respond to the evidence that war was being prepared against him?
Although the transaction made it evident to every one that war was designed against Caesar, he resolved to submit to anything as long as there were hopes of deciding the dispute in an equitable manner, rather than have recourse to arms. The chapter then transitions to the Civil War.
Chapter 29
BOOK I (part 1)4 cards
What did the senate decree against Caesar after the tribunes interposed?
The senate adopted Scipio's opinion that Caesar should disband his army by a certain day or be considered to be acting against the state. When the tribunes Marcus Antonius and Quintus Cassius interposed, the question was immediately put on their interposition, and violent opinions were expressed against them.
Chapter 30
What extreme decree did the senate pass, and on what date?
The senate resorted to its extreme and final decree, never used except when the city was in danger of being set on fire or public safety was despaired of: that the consuls, praetors, tribunes, and proconsuls in the city should take care that the state received no injury. It was dated the eighth day before the ides of January.
Chapter 30
What reasons does Caesar give for Pompey's alienation from him?
Caesar says Pompey was incited by Caesar's enemies because he was unwilling that anyone should bear equal dignity, and had wholly alienated himself from Caesar's friendship, reconciling with their common enemies. Caesar also says Pompey was chagrined at the disgrace of converting the two legions from their Asian and Syrian expedition to his own power, and was anxious to bring matters to war.
Chapter 30
What terms did Caesar propose to Pompey through Roscius and Lucius Caesar?
Caesar proposed that Pompey go to his own province and both disband their armies; that all persons in Italy lay down arms; that fears be removed from the city; and that free elections and the whole republic be left to the senate and Roman people. To secure these conditions by oath, either Pompey should come to Caesar or Caesar be allowed to go to him.
Chapter 30
BOOK I (part 2)4 cards
How did Caesar treat the senators and knights captured at Corfinium?
Caesar brought the senators, their children, military tribunes, and Roman knights before him, protected them from the insults of his soldiers, and dismissed them all in safety. He also returned to Domitius the sixty sestertia that had been lodged in the town's public treasury, though he knew it was public money given by Pompey to pay his army.
Chapter 31
Why did Caesar order his men to guard Corfinium so carefully the night it surrendered?
Caesar feared the town would be plundered by soldiers entering at night, and also feared the cohorts might be swayed by bribes or false messages. He sent the deputies back, secured the gates and walls, and posted one continuous ring of sentinels with tribunes riding round, so no one could slip out privately.
Chapter 31
How did Domitius respond to Pompey's letter, and what did the soldiers do?
Domitius concealed the truth and told his council Pompey would soon come to their aid. But Pompey had written that he would not risk everything and that Domitius had retreated to Corfinium without his advice or consent. Domitius's changed manner betrayed him; the soldiers mutinied, seized him, and sent deputies to Caesar offering to surrender the town and hand him over alive.
Chapter 31
What was Caesar's purpose in building the mole and floats at Brundusium harbor?
Caesar could not determine whether Pompey stayed to hold Brundusium for command of the Adriatic and the Greek coast, or for lack of ships. To deprive Pompey of the harbor's means of communication, Caesar built earth moles where the mouth was narrowest, then joined anchored floats covered with earth, protected by wicker parapets and turrets every fourth float.
Chapter 31
BOOK I (part 3)4 cards
Why did the Massilians refuse to admit Caesar or aid either faction?
The Massilian deputies answered that the Roman people was divided into two factions, and they had neither judgment nor ability to decide which cause was juster. Since Pompey and Caesar were the two patrons of the state and had granted them equal favours—Pompey the lands of the Volcae Arecomici and Helvii, Caesar part of his Gallic conquests and increased revenue—they ought to show equal affection to both, assist neither, and admit neither into their city or harbours.
Chapter 32
How did Caesar conceal the fortification of his camp near Ilerda?
Caesar ordered his soldiers not to build a high wall, which would be visible at a distance, but to dig a trench fifteen feet broad on the front facing the enemy. The first and second lines stood under arms as appointed, while the third line carried on the work behind them unseen, so the whole was completed before Afranius discovered the camp was being fortified.
Chapter 32
What happened when the bridge over the Segre collapsed?
The bridge fell under the weight of the cattle and mass of water, cutting off all the horse from the main army. Afranius learned of it from timber carried downstream and crossed with four legions and all his cavalry against Fabius's two legions. Plancus took rising ground and drew up with two fronts; the battle ended when two legions sent by Fabius round the further bridge appeared.
Chapter 32
How did Caesar secure his soldiers' loyalty before the Spanish campaign?
Caesar borrowed money from the tribunes and centurions and distributed it among his soldiers. By this proceeding he gained two points: he secured the interest of the centurions by this pledge in his hands, and by his liberality he purchased the affections of his army. He had also been informed that Pompey was marching through Mauritania with his legions to Spain and would shortly arrive.
Chapter 32
BOOK I (part 4)4 cards
How did Caesar get his troops across the river despite Afranius holding the bridges?
Caesar ordered his soldiers to build light ships using a technique he had learned in Britain: keels and ribs of light timber, the hull woven with wicker-work and covered with hides. They hauled these boats twenty-two miles by wagon in one night, ferried soldiers across, seized and fortified a hill, then built a bridge from both sides and finished it in two days.
Chapter 33
What caused the food shortage in Caesar's camp at Ilerda?
Afranius controlled the passes and bridges, blocking Caesar's convoys and forage. The price of grain rose to fifty denarii per bushel, and hunger weakened the soldiers. Caesar responded by demanding cattle from allied states, sending camp followers to distant states, and using every resource to relieve the scarcity.
Chapter 33
How did Caesar's fleet under Brutus defeat the more skilled Massilian ships?
The Massilians relied on fast ships and skilled pilots to evade and surround, but Caesar's men, though hastily drawn from merchant ships and unfamiliar with the rigging, used iron hooks and grappling irons to lock ships together and fight hand-to-hand. They sank some, captured others, and drove the rest into harbor, taking nine ships that day.
Chapter 33
Why did Afranius and Petreius decide to move the war to Celtiberia?
They feared Caesar's cavalry would cut them off from corn and forage, especially once he began draining the Segre to create a ford. They also counted on support from the party that had backed Sertorius and still feared Pompey's name, hoping to prolong the war into winter in friendly country.
Chapter 33
BOOK I (part 5)4 cards
Why did Caesar decline battle when his officers urged him to attack Afranius's shaken army?
Caesar hoped to end the campaign without a battle because he had cut off the enemy's supplies. He reasoned that a general should conquer by tactics as well as by the sword, and he was unwilling to risk wounded soldiers who had served him well or to tempt fortune. He also felt compassion for those citizens he foresaw must fall, preferring to gain his object without loss to them.
Chapter 34
How did Petreius break up the fraternization between the two armies?
Petreius armed his household servants, the praetorian cohort of Spaniards, and a few foreign horse, then rushed to the rampart, interrupted the soldiers' conferences, drove Caesar's men from the camp, and killed as many as he caught. He then made the soldiers swear an oath not to desert or betray the army or its generals, and had any of Caesar's soldiers found among them executed publicly.
Chapter 34
What did Caesar do with the enemy soldiers and officers who came into his camp to parley?
Caesar ordered the enemy soldiers who had come to hold a conference to be searched for with the strictest diligence and sent back. However, several tribunes and centurions voluntarily remained with him, and he afterwards treated them with great respect: he promoted centurions to higher ranks and conferred on Roman knights the honour of tribunes.
Chapter 34
Why did Afranius's forces decide to return to Ilerda rather than march to Tarraco?
Afranius's men were distressed in foraging and procured water with difficulty; the Spanish and auxiliary forces had no corn and many deserted to Caesar daily. Of the two schemes proposed, returning to Ilerda seemed most expedient because they had left some corn there and hoped to decide on a future plan. Tarraco lay at a greater distance, and over such a space affairs might admit of many changes.
Chapter 34
BOOK II (part 1)4 cards
How did Trebonius approach the siege of Massilia?
Trebonius raised a mound, vineae, and turrets against the town on two sides: one facing the harbour and docks, the other where land access runs from Gaul and Spain. He requisitioned carriages and men from the whole Province and ordered hurdles and materials, then raised a mound eighty feet high.
Chapter 36
How did the Massilians counter Roman siege works?
The town had large stores and engines; iron-pointed poles twelve feet long shot from great engines pierced four rows of hurdles. The Romans responded by covering vineae arches with foot-thick beams and advancing a sixty-foot testudo. The Albici made frequent sallies and threw fire on the mound and turrets, but were repulsed.
Chapter 36
How did the naval battle between Brutus and the Massilians end?
Brutus had an augmented fleet including six refitted Massilian ships. The Massilians fought fiercely, but Nasidius's ships soon left the fight, unwilling to risk their lives. Of the Massilian fleet five were sunk, four taken, and one escaped with Nasidius; the survivors fled to Hither Spain.
Chapter 36
How did the Romans build the brick turret despite enemy attack?
They built a brick turret, thirty feet square with five-foot walls, raising it six stories. Joists were covered by the outer wall face so nothing could catch fire; three rope mats four feet broad hung on the enemy-facing sides, and the roof was raised gradually by screws as walls were built, leaving loop-holes for engines.
Chapter 36
BOOK II (part 2)4 cards
Why did Varro initially speak favorably of Caesar in Further Spain?
Varro was bound to Pompey as lieutenant but claimed an intimate tie to Caesar and was uncertain of Pompey's success. He expressed these sentiments in ordinary conversation without attaching himself to either party, until news of Caesar's difficulties at Massilia and Ilerda led him to regulate his movements by fortune.
Chapter 37
What measures did Varro take in Further Spain to prepare for war?
Varro levied two legions plus about thirty auxiliary cohorts, collected corn for the Massilians and for Afranius and Petreius, ordered ten warships built at Gades and others in Spain, moved the temple of Hercules's money and ornaments to Gades under six cohorts, stored arms in Gallonius's house, and forced the province to swear allegiance to him and Pompey.
Chapter 37
How did Gades and Corduba turn against Varro before Caesar arrived?
At Corduba the senate shut the gates against Varro and detained two cohorts for defense; Carmona drove out its cohorts. At Gades, the nobility and the garrison tribune conspired to expel Gallonius and secure the island for Caesar, prompting one of Varro's legions, the Vernacula, to carry off its colors and retire to Hispalis.
Chapter 37
How did Caesar treat Massilia after its surrender, and why?
The Massilians, worn out by defeats at sea, sallies, famine, and pestilence, surrendered without dissimulation, delivering arms, engines, ships, and treasury money. Caesar spared the town more out of regard for its renown and antiquity than any claim to his favor, left two legions in garrison, sent the rest to Italy, and set out for Rome.
Chapter 37
BOOK II (part 3)3 cards
How did the skirmish in the valley begin and end for Varus's cavalry?
Varus's entire cavalry, with light-armed infantry intermixed, was seen descending into the valley on the left wing. Curio sent his cavalry and two cohorts of the Marrucini against them; the enemy horse could not withstand the first charge and fled back to their friends. The deserted light-infantry were surrounded and cut to pieces by Curio's men, and Varus's whole army saw their men flee and cut down.
Chapter 38
What did Fabius the Pelignian attempt during the flight, and what happened to him?
Fabius, a Pelignian common soldier in Curio's army, pursued the enemy's rear and shouted Varus's name repeatedly, as if he were one of Varus's own soldiers wishing to speak with him. When Varus stopped and asked who he was, Fabius struck at his naked shoulder with his sword, nearly killing him, but Varus warded off the blow with his shield. Fabius was surrounded by nearby soldiers and cut to pieces.
Chapter 38
Why did Curio abandon his siege works and retire to the Cornelian camp?
Curio had resolved to besiege Utica, but couriers reported that King Juba was marching with considerable forces. Though Curio at first disbelieved it, he learned from undoubted authority that Juba's forces were less than twenty miles from Utica. He abandoned his works and retired to the Cornelian camp, where he laid in corn and wood, fortified, and sent orders to Sicily for two legions and the remaining cavalry, deciding with general consent to protract the war.
Chapter 38
BOOK III (part 1)3 cards
What prevented Caesar from ending the war quickly at Brundisium?
A scarcity of shipping. Caesar had ordered twelve legions and all his cavalry to meet him, but found scarcely enough ships to transport fifteen thousand legionary soldiers and five hundred horse. Even these embarked short of their number, because many had fallen in the Gallic wars, the long march from Spain had reduced them, and a severe autumn in Apulia and around Brundisium had impaired the army's health.
Chapter 39
How did the townspeople of Salona defeat Octavius's siege?
Short of men and weakened by wounds, they freed all slaves old enough to bear arms and cut the women's hair to make ropes for their engines. When Octavius's troops grew remiss after a long siege, they placed wives and children on the walls to keep up appearances, then attacked with the freed slaves—forcing one camp after another and driving Octavius to his ships, ending the blockade.
Chapter 39
What peace terms did Caesar propose to Pompey through Vibullius Rufus?
Caesar proposed both sides end hostilities, since each had suffered enough losses to serve as a warning. He urged mutual pity for themselves and the republic, arguing this was the only time to treat, while both had confidence and seemed equal. He proposed both swear publicly to disband forces within three days and submit the matter to the senate and people, offering to dismiss all his land forces as assurance.
Chapter 39
BOOK III (part 2)3 cards
How did Antonius defeat Libo's fleet at Brundisium?
Antonius covered about sixty long-boats with penthouses and hurdle bulwarks, manned them with select soldiers, and placed them along the shore. Two three-banked galleys rowed toward the port mouth; when Libo sent five four-banked galleys and they pursued the retreating galleys into the harbour, Antonius's boats rowed out on signal, captured one four-banked galley with its crew, and routed the rest. Libo then abandoned the blockade.
Chapter 40
What happened to the two ships that fell behind near Lissus?
Anchored opposite Lissus overnight, they were attacked by Otacilius Crassus with barges and small craft. He promised them their lives if they surrendered. The ship of about two hundred twenty recruits surrendered after receiving his oath, but Crassus had them inhumanly put to death in his presence, contrary to the oath. The veteran soldiers' ship resisted.
Chapter 40
What did Caelius Rufus do as praetor regarding debts, and how did it end?
Caelius, undertaking the cause of debtors, promised relief to those appealing the debt valuations arbitrated by Caesar, but no one would appeal. He then promulgated a law for discharging debts in six equal payments without interest; when opposed, he issued laws remitting house rents and an act of insolvency, and a mob assaulted Trebonius. The senate removed him from managing the republic; he joined Milo and was later put to death at Thurii.
Chapter 40
BOOK III (part 3)4 cards
Why did Caesar send legions into Thessaly, Aetolia, and Macedonia?
After joining Antonius's army and drawing his legion from Oricum, Caesar wished to sound the provinces and march farther inland. Ambassadors from Thessaly and Aetolia promised obedience if garrisons were sent, so he despatched Cassius Longinus with the twenty-seventh legion and two hundred horse to Thessaly, Calvisius Sabinus with five cohorts and some horse to Aetolia, and Domitius Calvinus with the eleventh and twelfth legions and five hundred horse into Macedonia. He stressed securing corn, since those regions lay nearest him.
Chapter 41
How did Scipio's pursuit of Cassius end, and who saved whom?
Cassius, alarmed by Scipio's approach and mistaking Cotus's cavalry for Scipio's, fled to the Thessalian mountains toward Ambracia. As Scipio pursued, despatches from Favonius warned that Domitius was marching against him and the garrison could not hold without help. Scipio abandoned the pursuit to relieve Favonius, marching day and night so that the dust of both armies was seen at once. Thus Domitius's vigilance saved Cassius, and Scipio's speed saved Favonius.
Chapter 41
What trick did Domitius use to lure Scipio into battle, and did it work?
Domitius pretended that lack of corn forced him to change position. He gave the signal to decamp, advanced about three miles, and concealed his army and cavalry in a convenient place out of the enemy's view. Scipio sent cavalry and light infantry to explore the route, but the neighing of horses raised their suspicions and they began to retreat. The ambush was discovered, though the Romans intercepted two troops, killing or capturing all but Marcus Opimius, who escaped.
Chapter 41
Why did Caesar build a line of circumvallation around Pompey at Petra?
Caesar feared the war would be protracted and despaired of convoys from Italy, since Pompey's adherents guarded the coasts and his own fleets were detained. He occupied the high hills around Pompey's camps with forts and connected them by fortifications. The author argues Caesar intended three things: to supply his army with corn more safely from all sides, to prevent Pompey from foraging and so neutralize his cavalry, and to diminish Pompey's reputation among foreign nations by appearing to blockade him.
Chapter 41
BOOK III (part 4)4 cards
How did Caesar's men counter Pompey's night archery attacks on their guard posts?
Pompey's men observed the fires at night to locate the cohorts on guard, then came silently and shot arrows at random before retreating. Caesar's men learned by experience to light their fires in one place while keeping guard in another, so the enemy's aim was misdirected.
Chapter 42
Why did Sylla decline to pursue Pompey's fleeing men, and how does the chapter judge him?
Sylla, left in charge of the camp, came up with two legions and repulsed Pompey's forces, then called his men back from pursuit. Many imagine a vigorous pursuit could have ended the war that day, but the author argues he does not deserve censure: a lieutenant-general must follow instructions, while a commander-in-chief acts at his own discretion.
Chapter 42
What evidence of the fort's ordeal was counted, and how did Caesar reward Scaeva?
The defenders counted about thirty thousand arrows thrown into the fort, and two hundred and thirty holes were found in the shield of the centurion Scaeva. Caesar gave Scaeva two hundred thousand pieces of copper money, promoted him from the eighth to the first centurion, and later rewarded the cohorts with double pay, corn, clothing, and other military honours.
Chapter 42
Why did the Allobrogian brothers Roscillus and Aegus desert to Pompey?
Though Caesar had honoured them greatly, the brothers defrauded their cavalry of pay and submitted false musters. Caesar gave them only a private rebuke, deferring the matter for their valour, but this offended them and made them contemptible in the army. Prompted by shame, and perhaps fearing a future trial, they borrowed money, bought horses, and deserted to Pompey.
Chapter 42
BOOK III (part 5)4 cards
Why did Pompey hesitate to pursue Caesar's fleeing army after the battle?
Pompey suspected an ambush, since the success had far exceeded his hopes and he had just seen his men fleeing from the camp. He also could not pursue quickly because the passes and gates were held by Caesar's soldiers. The author notes this trifling circumstance proved of great importance to each party, delaying Pompey's pursuit and thus preserving Caesar's army.
Chapter 43
How did most of Caesar's nine hundred and sixty casualties actually die?
The greatest part perished without a wound, being trodden to death in the trenches, on the ramparts, and on the banks of the river by reason of the terror and flight of their own men. Caesar lost nine hundred and sixty rank and file, several Roman knights of distinction, and thirty-two military tribunes and centurions in the two actions of that day.
Chapter 43
What did Caesar tell his soldiers after the defeat to restore their confidence?
Caesar urged them not to be troubled or dismayed, but to weigh their many successful engagements against one trifling disappointment. He said they should be grateful to Fortune for recovering Italy without bloodshed, subduing the two Spains, and transporting the army safely past enemy fleets. He argued any failure came from Fortune's caprices rather than his own faults, and that industry must supply Fortune's defects.
Chapter 43
What did Labienus do with the prisoners after the battle?
Labienus obtained Pompey's consent to have the prisoners delivered up to him. He had them all brought out, apparently to make a show of them and so that Pompey might place greater confidence in him as a deserter. Calling them fellow soldiers and asking insultingly whether it was usual with veterans to flee, he ordered them put to death in sight of the whole army.
Chapter 43
BOOK III (part 6)4 cards
How did Caesar prepare his cavalry to face Pompey's superior numbers?
Caesar selected the youngest and most active of his advanced guard and had them fight intermixed with his horse. Through constant practice they gained experience in this kind of fighting, so that a thousand of his horse could dare to stand against seven thousand of Pompey's even on open ground, and on one occasion he won a cavalry action, killing one of the two Allobrogians who had deserted to Pompey.
Chapter 44
What plan did Pompey reveal to his council before the battle?
Pompey declared that before the battalions came to battle, Caesar's army would be routed. He explained that he had persuaded his cavalry to attack Caesar's right wing on the flank as soon as the armies met, enclosing the army on the rear and throwing it into disorder before a weapon was thrown, ending the war without endangering the legions, since he far outnumbered Caesar in cavalry.
Chapter 44
How did Caesar counter the threat of Pompey's cavalry to his right wing?
Fearing his right wing might be surrounded by Pompey's numerous cavalry, Caesar rapidly drafted a single cohort from each of the legions composing the third line, formed them into a fourth line, and opposed them to Pompey's cavalry. He told them the success of that day depended on their courage, and ordered the third line and the entire army not to charge without his command.
Chapter 44
What was Crastinus's role and vow at the start of the battle?
Crastinus was a volunteer in Caesar's army who the year before had been first centurion of the tenth legion, a man of pre-eminent bravery. When the signal was given he urged his old comrades to follow him, calling it their last battle, and told Caesar he would act so that Caesar would feel grateful to him living or dead. He charged first on the right wing, followed by about one hundred and twenty chosen volunteers of the same century.
Chapter 44
BOOK III (part 7)4 cards
How did Cassius's fire-ship attack at Vibo backfire against him?
Cassius sent about forty combustible ships into the port at Vibo, and five Roman ships were burnt. But the veteran legionaries left guarding the fleet, though considered invalids, could not endure the disgrace, boarded the ships themselves, attacked Cassius's fleet, and captured two five-banked galleys—one carrying Cassius, who escaped by taking to a boat—plus two three-banked galleys.
Chapter 45
Why did Pompey abandon his plan to go to Syria?
Pompey learned that Antioch's inhabitants and Roman traders there had seized the castle to shut him out, and that messengers warned refugees not to come to Antioch on pain of death. Similar rejections had happened to Lucius Lentulus and others at Rhodes, who were refused entry to the town and port. Hearing this, Pompey laid aside his design of going to Syria.
Chapter 45
Who killed Pompey, and under what pretext?
The king's regents, fearing Pompey would corrupt the young Ptolemy's army and seize Alexandria, or despising his misfortune, publicly invited him to come to the king but secretly plotted his death. They sent Achillas, captain of the guards, and Lucius Septimius, a military tribune, who murdered Pompey as he embarked in a small boat with a few attendants.
Chapter 45
What omens were reported on the day of Caesar's victory?
The author reports several prodigies: at Elis, the image of Victory before Minerva turned toward the temple's entrance; at Antioch, a shout of armies and trumpets was twice heard, and the same at Ptolemais; at Pergamus, a sound of drums in the Adyta; at Tralles, a palm sprouted from the pavement through the joints of the stones and rose above the roof.
Chapter 45
BOOK III (part 8)4 cards
According to the text, where does the name 'Egypt' come from and what was it previously called?
The text states the name by which Europeans know the country comes from the Greeks, some of whose writers say it received the appellation from Aegyptus, son of Belus. It had previously been called Aeria. In the Hebrew scriptures it is called Mitsraim, and also Matsor and Harets Cham, with Mitsraim being the name most commonly employed.
Chapter 46
How does the text define 'Africa' and explain the origin of the name?
The text calls Africa one of the four great continents into which the earth is divided. The name seems originally to have been applied by the Romans to the country around Carthage, the first part of the continent they knew, and is said to derive from a small Carthaginian district on the northern coast called Frigi. Even after the name covered the whole continent, Africa Proper remained a district on the Mediterranean coast.
Chapter 46
What does the text say about the Alemanni's origin, defeat, and legacy?
The text describes the Alemanni as a name assumed by a confederacy of German tribes between the Neckar and the Upper Rhine who united to resist Roman encroachment. According to Mannert, they derived from shattered remnants of Ariovistus's army, who retired to the Upper Rhine mountains after their leader's defeat and death. After Clovis overthrew them they ceased to exist as one nation, dispersing over Gaul, Switzerland, and Nether Italy; from them comes L'Allemagne, the French name for Germany.
Chapter 46
What does the text record about the Appian Way's construction and condition?
The text says the Appian road led from Rome to Campania and from the sea to Brundusium. Livy informs us it was made by the censor Appius Caecus in A.U.C. 442, first laid only as far as Capua, about 125 miles. It was later carried on to Beneventum and finally to Brundusium. According to Eustace's Classical Tour, surviving parts, as at Fondi and Mola, show few traces of wear after two thousand years.
Chapter 46
BOOK III (part 9)4 cards
What does the name of the Bruttii supposedly indicate about their origins?
The chapter reports that the Bruttii, after growing numerous, attacked their masters and gained independence. Their very name is said to indicate that they were revolted slaves, citing Strabo's Greek phrase describing them as apostates, which the text renders as calling them "Brettious" — that is, rebels or runaways.
Chapter 47
How did Caesar's fleet under Brutus fare against the Venetians?
Brutus was appointed to command the fleet in the war against the people of Vannes. According to the chapter's index, he engaged and defeated the Venetians at sea, and Caesar totally subdued them in that naval engagement, as recorded in the third book of the Gallic War.
Chapter 47
What happened to Caesar's army regarding food during the campaign against Pompey?
The chapter's index notes that Caesar's army was reduced to great straits for want of provisions while he besieged Pompey's camp. It also records that a root called chara served to support Caesar's army in extreme necessity, and the text mentions the manner of preparing it.
Chapter 47
What does the chapter say about the Cherusci and Varus?
The Cherusci were a great and warlike people of ancient Germany between the Elbe and Weser. Under Arminius (Hermann), they lured the unfortunate Varus into the wilds of the Saltus Teutoburgiensis, where they massacred him and his whole army. They were afterwards defeated by Germanicus, who found the legions' bones in the forest.
Chapter 47
BOOK III (part 10)3 cards
What does the index say about the power of Fortune in war?
The index lists Fortune's wonderful power and influence on matters of war, citing G. vi. 30. This is a reference entry pointing to the passage in Book VI where the topic is discussed, rather than a summary of the argument itself.
Chapter 48
Which Gallic city alone resisted Caesar's attacks, according to the index?
The index states that Gergovia of the Arverni was the only Gallic city which baffled the attacks of Caesar. It records that Vercingetorix was expelled thence by Gobanitio (G. vii. 4) and that the Romans attacking it eagerly were repulsed with great slaughter (G. vii. 50).
Chapter 48
What does the index record about the Helvetii and their plans?
The index calls the Helvetii the most warlike people of Gaul (G. i. 1) and notes their design of abandoning their own country (G. i. 2). They were attacked with considerable loss near the river Saône (G. i. 12) and were vanquished and obliged to return home by Caesar (G. i. 26).
Chapter 48
BOOK III (part 11)3 cards
According to the text, what was the Roman Provincia and how far did it extend?
The text describes Provincia Romana as one of the southern provinces of France, the first the Romans conquered and reduced to provincial form, hence its name, still partly preserved in Provence. It stretched from the Pyrenees to the Alps along the coast, and in full extent included departments such as Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Haute-Garonne, Tarn, Herault, Gard, Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Basses-Alpes, Hautes-Alpes, Drôme, Isère, and Ain.
Chapter 49
How does the text describe the course of the Rhine river?
The text says the Rhine springs from the Rhaetian Alps in Switzerland and the Grisons, from two springs uniting near Coire, and falls into the Meuse and German Ocean by two mouths, whence Virgil calls it Rhenus bicornis. It passes through the Lake of Constance and Lake of Zell, then flows to Basle, bends north, separates Germany from France and Belgium, and its whole course is nine hundred miles, six hundred and thirty navigable from Basle to the sea.
Chapter 49
What does the text record about the centurion Scaeva?
The text states that Scaeva, one of Caesar's centurions, displays remarkable valour, with a reference to book three, chapter five. It adds that his shield is pierced in two hundred and thirty places. No further details about the engagement are given in this entry.
Chapter 49
BOOK III (part 12)4 cards
What does the index say about the Veneti's power and their fate at Caesar's hands?
The Veneti were powerful by sea (G. iii. 1). Caesar put their senate to death (G. iii. 16), completely defeated them (G. iii. 15), and they surrendered (G. iii. 16). The index notes the name was anciently applied both to the Venetians and to the people of Vannes in Bretagne, for which last it stands in Caesar.
Chapter 50
Who was Vertico, and what service did he perform according to the index?
Vertico was one of the Nervii. He was in Cicero's camp when it was attacked by the Eburones, and he prevailed on a slave to carry a letter to Caesar communicating that information (G. v. 49).
Chapter 50
What does the index record about the Ubii and their relationship with the Suevi and Caesar?
The Ubii were an ancient people of Lower Germany, inhabiting about where Cologne and the duchy of Juliers now are. They sought protection from the Romans against the Suevi (G. iv. 3), were tributary to the Suevi (ibid.), and declared in favour of Caesar (G. iv. 9, 14).
Chapter 50
What does the index say about Vercingetorix's rise, conduct, and surrender?
Vercingetorix, son of Celtillus, received the title of king from his followers (G. vii. 4). His plans are given at G. vii. 8, and his acts also at G. vii. 8. He is accused of treachery (G. vii. 20) and surrenders to Caesar (G. vii. 82).
Chapter 50
Source and licence
Text used: Project Gutenberg eBook #10657 (Public domain in the United States). Generated from the full text; cards paraphrase the source.
Version: Public domain edition. Retrieved 2026-11-02. Cards reviewed 2026-11-02.
These cards paraphrase the text for study. They are not a substitute for reading the book, and they do not reproduce long passages.
Turn your own notes into cards
Upload a PDF, Word, or text file and get question-and-answer cards for closed-notes practice. Five cards are free, no signup.