63.
The revolt of the Aedui being known, the war grows more dangerous.
Embassies are sent by them in all directions: as far as they can prevail by
influence, authority, or money, they strive to excite the state [to revolt].
Having got possession of the hostages whom Caesar had
deposited with them, they terrify the hesitating by putting them to death. The
Aedui request Vercingetorix to come to them and
communicate his plans of conducting the war. On obtaining this request they
insist that the chief command should be assigned to them; and when the affair
became a disputed question, a council of all Gaul is summoned to
Bibracte . They came together in great numbers and from every
quarter to the same place. The decision is left to the votes of the mass; all to
a man approve of Vercingetorix as their general. The Remi , Lingones , and Treviri were absent from this meeting; the two former because they
attached themselves to the alliance of Rome ; the Treviri because they were very remote and were hard pressed by the
Germans; which was also the reason of their being
absent during the whole war, and their sending auxiliaries to neither party. The
Aedui are highly indignant at being deprived of the chief
command; they lament the change of fortune, and miss Caesar's indulgence toward them; however, after engaging in the war,
they do not dare to pursue their own measures apart from the rest.
Eporedirix and Viridomarus, youths of the greatest
promise, submit reluctantly to Vercingetorix.
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