Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-08
The Story of Civilization

sternness, he had yet made himself
beloved Of all who knew him well
eager for power. he nevertheless de-
spised fiattery and sought only to put
to use the abilities which burned
within him.
It seemed to him that here in Gaul
lay the fate Of Rome. Great numbers
of Germans were crossing the Rhine
and the Danube to west and south
casting hungry eyes on the plains OF
Italy. For 5000 years the fertility OF
the Teutons has created problems for
Europe, Caesar, like Napoleon
dreamed of unifying all the west un
der one system of law, imposed al
first by force and then consolidated
by provincial participation in Roman
citizenship and senatorial power. The
Gauls were far more advanced in civil
ization than the Germans. They had
given up the hunting life for tillage
they had built splendid bridges and
roads; they had stored up an economic
surplus and begun to develop luxury
and leisure. They were, thought Gaze
sar, ripe for Rome.
The Gauls could not see the matter
as Caesar did. They were lovers OF
liberty and warriors without fear.
For FIVE years they opposed him with
great armies along the Aisne. the
Somme and the Meuse, where the men
of the Stone Age had battled 10000
years before, and where in our own
times war was 10 wage again. While
Caesar r:sked himself in battle after
battle, the Senate sent word to Ario
vistus. the greatest chieftain OF the
German hordes. to attack Caesar, an6
promised him lavish rewards II he
could bring the Senate Caesars head
Assailed on every side. Caesar found
It impossible TO attain his ends within
the Ave years for which he had beer
appointed Governor of Gaul. Wher
he asked for five years more the Sen
ate consented gladly---as the French
Directory was glad to have Egypt
swallow Napoleon. There are many
ways" said Cicero, lin which a mar
can die.
"All Gaul is divided into three
parts" said Caesar, with geography
in mind. But he might have said the
same thing of its tribunal disunion. II
was the inability of the Gauls to unite
against him that in the end gave him
victory. His success was due still
more to the efficiency, bravery and
zeal OF his legions. They were not
only highly.trained soldiers but they
were skilled workers. who could ex
temporize a fortress in a day, bridge
the Rhine in a week and bear every
manner Of toll and danger without
complaint. But. most of all. Caesar
owed his achievements to himself.
There was no peril" says Plutarch
ito which he did not expose himself
no labor from which he pleaded ex
en.ption. His enduring so much hard
ship seemed beyond his strength and
astonished his men. for he was thin
and delicate. with soft, white skin
and he was distempered in the head
and subject to epilepsy. But he did
not make the weakness Of his consti
tuition pretext for his ease; rather
he used the hardships of war as the
best tonic against his illness. By
long journeys, coarse food, frequent
sleeping in the open fields and con
tinuous. laborious exercise he strug
gled with his diseases and fortified
his body against their assaults. While
riding on horseback he dictated let
tiers and gave instructions to two
others who took notes." No detail OF
foresight or provision escaped him
AT every step he saw to IL that the
next step would find his army well
supplied with tools and food. Like
Napoleon. he saved the lives of his
soldiers by winning victories with their
legs. Rapidly Of movement won many
battle for him. The enemy could
never find time to unite all THEN
forces against him. He himself often
travelled a hundred miles in one day.
In the midst of war he INDUCED his
secret love for literary fame. While
crossing the Alps In his carriage he
found time to write learned treatise
on the Latin language. Between bat
ties he wrote his Commentaries on
the Gallo War;" just as in later days
he was to write his book ION the
Civil War; In the midst of perils and
alarms. The British Museum shows
US a bust of him tNo. 1870. which
looks for all the world like a man of
letters and a philosopher, rather than
a statesman and a warrior. OF these
books his political enemy and sole
literary master. Cicero. said that only
q fool would try to improve upon
them. They were. In the words OF
Cicero, nudi omni ornatu orationis,
tamquam veste detracta--all the dra.
peries OF sentiment and metaphor
taken away and the clear reality OF
things left naked to the eye.
Through all these years anarchy
ran riot at Rome. Senators and citi
zens INDUCED in assassinations, as II
Nuisance. In 81 BIC. the hostile
forces of Milo and Clodius celebrated
the meeting OF the Assembly with
mutual massacre. Cicero. who was
not as accurate as Caesar. tells us
that the Tiber was covered with float.
ing bodies and REDEEMED with blood.
Some weeks later Clodius tried to
murder Milo and Cicero. He failed
and finally Milo murdered him first.
1t was such chaos that made Rome
long for q dictator who should give
them order and peace.
Caesar conquered the Gauis by leni
ency. When he won q battle he
spared the prisoners and dealt honor.
ably with the Gallo chieftains. Soon
the understanding spread that to yield
To Caesar was slightly less dangerous
than TO resist him. Occasionally he
was guilty OF great cruelty. Once he
punished the slaughter OF his ENJOYS
by wtping out an entire tribe. His
ieniency. he said. must admit excep.
ton when IL endangered others beside
himself.
Now he made his way through all
Gaui and even crossed the Channel
into Britain. Here he did not aim al
conquest. seeking only 10 brighten the
Erttains from sending reinforcements
to the Gauls. In his absence the Gauls
rose again for the last time. Yer
cingetorix. the bravest and ablest OF
their chieftains. organized them into
enormous armies. and though even
with their vastly superior numbers
they did not dare 10 face Caesars
iegtons, they cut off his supplies.
burnt into a blackened wilderness all
the fields which might have given his
soldiers sustenance and sacrificed even
their own farms and homesteads when
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