4.
There in like manner, Vercingetorix the son of
Celtillus the Arvernian, a young man of the
highest power (whose father had held the supremacy of entire Gaul, and had been put to death by his fellow-citizens, for this
reason, because he aimed at sovereign power), summoned together his dependents,
and easily excited them. On his design being made known, they rush to arms: he
is expelled from the town of Gergovia , by his uncle Gobanitio and the rest of the
nobles, who were of opinion, that such an enterprise ought not to be hazarded:
he did not however desist, but held in the country a levy of the needy and
desperate. Having collected such a body of troops, he brings over to his
sentiments such of his fellow-citizens as he has access to: he exhorts them to
take up arms in behalf of the general freedom, and having assembled great forces
he drives from the state his opponents, by whom he had been expelled a short
time previously. He is saluted king by his partisans; he sends embassadors in
every direction, he conjures them to adhere firmly to their promise. He quickly
attaches to his interests the Senones , Parisii , Pictones, Cadurci, Turones , Aulerci, Lemovice, and all the
others who border on the ocean; the supreme command is conferred on him by
unanimous consent. On obtaining this authority, he demands hostages from all
these states, he orders a fixed number of soldiers to be sent to him
immediately; he determines what quantity of arms each state shall prepare at
home, and before what time; he pays particular attention to the cavalry. To the
utmost vigilance he adds the utmost rigor of authority; and by the severity of
his punishments brings over the wavering: for on the commission of a greater
crime he puts the perpetrators to death by fire and every sort of tortures; for
a slighter cause, he sends home the offenders with their ears cut off, or one of
their eyes put out, that they may be an example to the rest, and frighten others
by the severity of their punishment.
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