The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19
Ill.

Mommsen maintains that Caesars con-
quest of Gaul was the outcome Of a far
sighted design TO make OF that country a
bulwark of Italy and thus shield the penin-
sula from barb rian ~invasions like that of
the Cimbri and Teutones. which q excited
so much terror in the closing years of the
second century B. C. Ferrero on the other
hand insists that the conquest Of Gaul was
in the first intention of it's author simply an
e~lectioneering npu to make a deep
impression on the Senate and tine profess
sional politicians, the electors and the gen.
eral public Of Italy, who found themselves
in the midst of a confused struggle of cliques
and parties. the inevitable. unprecedented
result Of the revolutionary policy which
Cesar had been forced TO carry through in
his consulship. 1t is not denied, however,
that, undesignedly. Caesar was the maker Of
modern Europe. In those critical days in
Gaul. while he was vent solely on check
mating his conservative opponents at Rome,
Caesar was in truth the blind instrument Of
destiny, moulding the whole future course
Of European history.
In Ferrero's Judgment we must never lose
sight of the fact that CRsar's only aim at
the moment was to regain the ground
which he had lost at Rome by his own early
follies and by the later blunders Of his sup
porters. In this he was entirely successful.
Exactly as he had calculated, the %nnounce-
ment made by him in A. d. 81 that the whole
OF Gaul had been conquered and trans
formed into a Roman province caused an
immense sensation all over Italy. The
proletariat, the middle classes, the fnan-
oiers, the men Of letters, the whole. OF the
b~ourgeoisie, which ordinarily stood aloof
from political conflicts, in short. the entire
nation felt a glow Of patriotic pride in his
achievement. and believing that somehow
il would bring forth fruits as abundant as
those Of the Eastern wars OF the preceding
decade. INDUCED in one OF those short but
violent epidemics OF enthusiasm which
from time to time stir the depths Of a civil
liged community
There were very few who suspected that
Gaul was not really conquered. The author
OF this book conjectures that Cesar felt
compelled to proclaim the annexation pre-
maturely because Of the condition of his
party in Rome. The conjecture is rendered
probable by many analogous cases in h!s
tory and confirmed by the outcome Of the
conference with Pompey and Crassus held
at Lucca. The fact that Cesar in his "Com-
mentaries on the Gallo War DISCUSSES in one
brief phrase what was the most important
moment OF his life. far from refuting Fer
rero's conjecture. makes IL more plausible,
Caesar wrote his Commentaries not for the
purpose OF b~equeathing to posterity q first
hand account OF a memorable event-com-
parable with the exposition Of the Pelo-
ponnesian Wal by Thucydides-but to clear
himself OF the accusations OF the conserva-
tives with regard TO his administration; and
as the annexation was made prematurely,
before the Gallo people were really sub
jugated. and provoked a national war last
ing several years, for which the conserva-
tives held Cesar responsible. IL was his
object to conceal, so far as possible. the
pr-onatureness Of the proclamation, which
having been issued for temporary poliicsi