54.
But Caesar, having summoned to him the principal persons
of each state, in one case by alarming them, since he declared that he knew what
was going on, and in another case by encouraging them, retained a great part of
Gaul in its allegiance. The Senones , however, which is a state eminently powerful and one of
great influence among the Gauls, attempting by
general design to slay Cavarinus, whom Caesar had created king among them (whose brother,
Moritasgus, had held the sovereignty at the period of the
arrival of Caesar in Gaul, and whose
ancestors had also previously held it), when he discovered their plot and fled,
pursued him even to the frontiers [of the state], and drove him from his kingdom
and his home; and, after having sent embassadors to Caesar for the purpose of concluding a peace, when he ordered all
their senate to come to him, did not obey that command. So far did it operate
among those barbarian people, that there were found some to be the first to wage
war; and so great a change of inclinations did it produce in all, that, except
the Aedui and the Remi, whom Caesar had always held in especial honor, the one people
for their long standing and uniform fidelity toward the Roman people, the other for their late service in the
Gallic war, there was scarcely a state which was not suspected
by us. And I do not know whether that ought much to be wondered at, as well for
several other reasons, as particularly because they who ranked above all nations
for prowess in war, most keenly regretted that they had lost so much of that
reputation as to submit to commands from the Roman
people.
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