The Podcast of the Lotus Eaters - PREVIEW： Epochs #185 ｜ Pompey & Caesar： Part X

00:00:00.160 Hello and welcome back to Epochs, where I shall be continuing my narrative of the decline and fall of the Roman Republic

00:00:05.540 and specifically the career of Julius Caesar and specifically the portion of his career where he's invading Gaul over many, many years.

00:00:14.480 So let's just continue the story. If you remember last time we left off at the end of the year 56 BC with an indecisive campaign against the Marini.

00:00:22.040 So the next year, 55 BC, this is the year where Caesar has incursions across the Rhine, i.e. into Germany and into Great Britain.

00:00:33.120 I mentioned before I've done a little bit of content before a while ago in the old studio all about Caesar in Britain.

00:00:39.160 Well it wasn't all about that but we talked about it a bit. So we'll go into it in more detail this time and that does cover pretty much the whole of the year 55 BC.

00:00:47.320 So first of all then, just to say, what it looks like Caesar is doing, or what Caesar is doing, is he's conquered Gaul nominally, lots of rebellions have risen up,

00:00:59.140 he's put them down and now he's trying to sort of shore up the edges, trying to make sure he doesn't have any big incursions,

00:01:07.420 firstly from the Germans really, the Britons are a whole different kettle of fish, 1.00

00:01:11.240 but just trying to make sure, trying to make his position, the Roman position in Gaul, as safe as possible and it's still far from safe.

00:01:19.900 So first of all, he tells us about a giant massacre of the Eusippetes and the Tenkturi, both German tribes.

00:01:27.740 So once again, this is the year 55 BC and he tells us this, quote,

00:01:30.860 In the following winter, in which the consulship of Pompey and Crassus began, the German tribes of the Eusippetes and the Tenkturi crossed the Rhine in large numbers not far from its mouth.

00:01:42.260 They were forced to migrate because for several years they had been subjected to harassing attacks by the Suebi and prevented from tilling their land.

00:01:50.380 So the Suebi are often called certainly one of the biggest, but definitely one of, if not the most warlike of the German tribes.

00:02:00.460 I often think of the Suebi as one of the inner core or one of, certainly just one of the most important Germanic tribes.

00:02:07.360 So if they're on the move or if they're doing some sort of large scale offensive operations, then it's really something to have to deal with.

00:02:15.740 Caesar goes on here.

00:02:16.480 The Suebi are by far the largest and most war, oh yes. 1.00

00:02:20.380 There you go.

00:02:21.960 Caesar says exactly what I just said.

00:02:24.000 The Suebi are by far the largest and most warlike of the German nations. 1.00

00:02:27.840 It is said that they have a hundred cantons, each of which provides annually a thousand armed men for service in foreign wars.

00:02:35.280 Those who are left at home have to support the men in the army as well as themselves,

00:02:39.420 and the next year take their turn of service while the others stay at home.

00:02:43.520 Thus both agriculture and military instruction and training continue without interruption.

00:02:49.320 No land, however, is the property of private individuals, and no one is allowed to cultivate the same plot for more than one year.

00:02:57.640 So there's something a little bit communistic there, like diggers, communal land, there's no private property.

00:03:04.920 One other thing I'll say before I continue is that Caesar's account of the Germanic peoples is among the first ever literary count of them.

00:03:14.340 Later, quite a lot later, 150 years later, plus Tacitus writes the Germania, which is another account.

00:03:22.320 So Caesar talking about both Britain and Germany, it's some of the earliest material.

00:03:29.320 And he says they don't really have much private property, or any real private property.

00:03:32.640 He says,

00:03:33.040 That's another thing that always comes up.

00:03:57.400 The Germanic people, particularly the Germanic people across the Rhine, are just big, physically big men, big and tall. 0.97

00:04:05.300 And the Italians find that disconcerting, or disquieting. 1.00

00:04:10.980 Caesar continues,

00:04:11.560 There's a certain type of person, isn't there, who doesn't mind swimming in very, very cold water.

00:04:29.680 It's not my cup of tea, but some people go out of their way to swim in mountain lakes and rivers and things, don't they?

00:04:36.480 It's very, they say, I'm sure it is, very invigorating, probably quite good for you, but, um, in short doses.

00:04:42.500 But, um, yeah, I'm not a fan of that sort of thing.

00:04:47.540 Anyway, it does make you hardy, though, doesn't it?

00:04:50.440 It's not for the faint-hearted.

00:04:52.440 Caesar goes on,

00:04:53.380 Traders are admitted into their country more because they want to sell their booty than because they stand in any need of imports.

00:04:59.980 I.e., he's saying they're Germany, sort of, fairly resource-poor, they haven't got many things that other people want to buy.

00:05:08.100 Even horses, which the Gauls are inordinately fond of, and purchase at big prices, are not imported by the Germans.

00:05:15.900 They are content with their homebred horses, which, although undersized and ugly, are rendered capable of very hard work by daily exercise.

00:05:23.740 In cavalry battles, they often dismount and fight on foot, training the horses to stand perfectly still so that they can quickly get back to them in case of need.

00:05:34.060 In their eyes, it is the height of effeminacy and shame to use a saddle, and they do not hesitate to engage the largest force of cavalry riding saddled horses, however small their own numbers may be.

00:05:45.620 They absolutely forbid the importation of wine, because they think that it makes them soft and incapable of enduring hard toil.

00:05:53.860 It's not that they don't like booze, but just not specifically Roman wine, Mediterranean wine.

00:06:00.660 They regard it as the proudest glory of a nation to keep the largest possible area around its frontiers uninhabited, like a dead zone,

00:06:08.680 because it shows that many other peoples are inferior to it in military might.

00:06:12.260 It is said, for example, that on one side of the Suebic Territory, the country is uninhabited for a distance of more than 550 miles.

00:06:21.900 End quote.

00:06:22.840 So, yeah, they have this idea of dead zones, that if you've got your tribe, in order to show that you're the master of all the surrounding territory,

00:06:31.980 you completely depopulate it, and the bigger this dead zone is, the more powerful you are.

00:06:38.580 Yeah, so the Suebic one is massive. 1.00

00:06:40.140 They didn't really imbibe the maxim of love thy neighbour.

00:06:44.460 The narrative goes on, quote,

00:06:46.060 On the other side, their nearest neighbours are the Ubi, who were once, by German standards, a considerable and populous nation.

00:06:54.180 They are somewhat more civilised than the rest of the Germans, for living on the Rhine close to the frontier of Gaul,

00:06:59.800 where traders visit them regularly, they have adopted Gallic customs.

00:07:03.700 The Suebi, after repeated attempts to oust them from their home by force of arms, 1.00

00:07:08.420 found them too numerous and strong to be dispossessed,

00:07:10.820 but compelled them to pay tribute and greatly reduce their pride and power.

00:07:15.940 The Usuppetes and Tenkturi were in the same case.

00:07:19.660 For many years they withstood the Suebi's pressure, but eventually were driven from their country, 1.00

00:07:24.820 and after wandering for three years in many parts of Germany,

00:07:28.120 reached the Rhine in the territory of the Menopi,

00:07:30.560 who had lands, farmhouses and villages on both banks of the river.

00:07:34.160 Terrified by the arrival of such a multitude,

00:07:37.360 the Menopi abandoned their dwellings on the German bank 0.97

00:07:40.280 and placed outposts on the Gallic bank to prevent the emigrants from crossing.

00:07:44.760 The Germans tried every expedient, 1.00

00:07:47.080 but not having boats with which to force a passage

00:07:49.560 and being unable to cross by stealth because of the Menopian pickets,

00:07:54.060 they pretended to return to their home country

00:07:56.040 and marched in that direction for three days.

00:07:58.920 Then they turned back again and recovered the whole distance in a single night.

00:08:03.040 Their cavalry made a surprise attack on the unsuspecting Menopi,

00:08:07.760 who, on being informed by their patrols of their enemy's departure,

00:08:12.480 had fearlessly recrossed the Rhine and returned to their villages.

00:08:15.980 The Germans slaughtered them, seized their boats,

00:08:18.640 crossed the river before the Menopi on the Gallic side knew what was afoot,

00:08:22.380 took possession of all their farmhouses

00:08:24.020 and lived on their provisions for the rest of the winter.

00:08:27.220 These events were reported to Caesar.

00:08:29.640 The unstable character of the Gauls made him anxious, 1.00

00:08:32.180 for they are easily induced to form new plans

00:08:35.360 and generally welcome political change,

00:08:37.900 and he thought it better to place no reliance on them.

00:08:40.880 It is a custom of theirs to stop travellers, 0.89

00:08:43.260 even against their will,

00:08:44.680 and to question them about what they have heard by chance

00:08:47.120 or by inquiry on this or that subject.

00:08:50.200 And in the towns, a crowd will gather around traders

00:08:53.020 and demand to know what country they have come from

00:08:55.440 and what they have learnt there.

00:08:56.840 Such hearsay reports often induce them to make momentous decisions,

00:09:01.720 which they are bound to repent immediately afterwards,

00:09:04.860 since they credulously swallow unconfirmed rumours,

00:09:08.340 and most of their informants invest such answers as they think will please them.

00:09:12.460 So Caesar's saying the Gauls are a bit credulous, really,

00:09:15.640 almost childlike, a bit too quick,

00:09:18.320 impetuous, low impulse control, and too trusting and naive.

00:09:23.560 You know, a combination of things which aren't very good, 1.00

00:09:26.220 make you foolish, really. 0.99

00:09:28.080 Caesar continues. 1.00

00:09:28.740 Caesar was aware of this habit

00:09:30.820 and, not wishing to find himself faced with a dangerous war,

00:09:35.060 set out to rejoin his army earlier in the season than usual.

00:09:38.760 On his arrival, he found that his suspicions were correct. 0.99

00:09:42.040 A number of tribes had sent embassies to the Eusipates and the Tenctuary,

00:09:46.520 inviting them to go further afield than the Rhineland

00:09:49.040 and promising to supply all their requirements.

00:09:52.360 So Caesar's spidey sense was tingling

00:09:54.280 that he thought the Gauls,

00:09:55.880 still unhappy with being conquered by the Romans, of course,

00:09:59.220 might induce the more warlike German tribes of the Rhineland 0.95

00:10:02.360 to help them out.

00:10:03.600 And it seems that that's exactly what happened.

00:10:06.260 So Caesar's spidey sense was on the money.

00:10:09.820 He continues his narrative saying,

00:10:11.760 this attractive prospect had induced the Germans 1.00

00:10:14.100 to range over a wider area

00:10:15.760 and they had now reached the country of the Eubonis

00:10:19.420 and the Condrusi, departments of the Trevery.

00:10:22.720 Caesar thought it advisable to say nothing to the Gauls 0.90

00:10:25.380 about the information he had received,

00:10:27.120 summoning their leaders, therefore,

00:10:29.580 he addressed them in soothing and reassuring terms

00:10:31.920 and told them to furnish cavalry for the campaign

00:10:34.540 which he proposed to conduct against the Germans.

00:10:37.480 After arranging for his corn supplier

00:10:39.800 and making his selection of the cavalry,

00:10:42.220 he marched towards the district

00:10:43.420 when invading Germans was said to be.

00:10:45.960 It was a few days' march away

00:10:47.300 when envoys arrived from them with the following message.

00:10:50.020 We Germans are not taking aggressive action

00:10:52.680 against the Roman people 0.99

00:10:53.720 but we are ready to fight if provoked

00:10:55.760 for it is our custom to resist any attacker

00:10:58.240 and ask no quarter.

00:11:00.100 We wish to say, however,

00:11:01.480 that we have come into Gaul not from choice

00:11:03.820 but because we were expelled from our homes.

00:11:06.660 If you Romans desire our friendship,

00:11:08.980 we can be of service to you.

00:11:10.720 Either grant us land to live in

00:11:12.240 or let us keep what we have won by the sword.

00:11:14.300 The only people whose superiority we acknowledge

00:11:16.940 are the Suebi, 0.80

00:11:18.120 with whom the gods themselves cannot compete.

00:11:20.800 Caesar might have something to say about that.

00:11:22.720 They go, there is no one else on earth

00:11:24.500 that we cannot conquer.

00:11:26.060 And that's the end of the Germans' message 0.93

00:11:27.500 and Caesar's narrative goes on to say,

00:11:29.640 Caesar made what he considered

00:11:31.060 a suitable reply to this oration

00:11:33.060 but the upshot of his remarks

00:11:35.160 was that there could be no friendship

00:11:36.920 between him and the Germans 0.99

00:11:38.060 if they remained in Gaul.

00:11:39.660 He said that it was not reasonable

00:11:41.020 for men who had been unable

00:11:42.620 to protect their own territory

00:11:43.920 to expect to occupy other peoples.

00:11:46.700 There was no land available in Gaul

00:11:48.360 which he could justly assign to them,

00:11:50.580 particularly in view of their large numbers.

00:11:52.860 But they might settle if they chose

00:11:54.620 in the country of the Ubi

00:11:55.920 whose ambassadors were then with him

00:11:58.400 complaining of the wrongs done

00:12:00.060 by the Suebi and asking for assistance.

00:12:02.500 He would order the Ubi to admit them. 1.00

00:12:04.860 The German envoys said that

00:12:06.100 they would refer Caesar's reply

00:12:07.480 to their countrymen for consideration

00:12:09.460 and return in three days.

00:12:11.760 In the meantime,

00:12:12.380 they asked him not to move his camp any nearer

00:12:14.900 but Caesar refused this request also.

00:12:17.700 He knew that a large detachment

00:12:18.920 of their cavalry

00:12:19.600 had been sent across the Meuse

00:12:21.360 some days before

00:12:22.600 to the country of the Ambiviriti

00:12:24.800 in search of corn and plunder

00:12:26.620 and he thought that they must be

00:12:28.180 expecting these back

00:12:29.260 and that this was their reason

00:12:30.700 for trying to gain time.

00:12:32.880 The Meuse rises,

00:12:34.000 that's the river Meuse,

00:12:35.460 the river Meuse rises

00:12:36.740 in the Vosges Mountains

00:12:38.180 in the country of the Ligonis.

00:12:40.720 It is joined by a tributary from the Rhine

00:12:43.180 called the Waal,

00:12:44.640 making the island of the Batavians

00:12:46.620 and flows into the Rhine

00:12:48.480 some 75 miles from the sea.

00:12:51.280 The Rhine rises in the country

00:12:52.920 of the Lemponti in the Alps

00:12:55.280 and flows swiftly for a long distance

00:12:57.560 through the lands of the Helveti,

00:12:59.660 Sequani,

00:13:00.780 Tribocchi,

00:13:01.700 Namtes,

00:13:02.720 Mediomatricchi

00:13:03.560 and Treveri.

00:13:04.920 As it nears the sea

00:13:05.920 it divides into several channels

00:13:07.860 forming a number of very large islands

00:13:09.900 many of them inhabited

00:13:11.400 by wild barbarian tribes

00:13:13.040 some of whom are supposed to live

00:13:14.760 on the fish and bird eggs

00:13:16.200 and discharges itself

00:13:17.680 by several mouths

00:13:18.900 into the North Sea.

00:13:19.900 When Caesar was not more than 12 miles

00:13:22.400 from the Germans 0.96

00:13:23.520 their envoys returned

00:13:25.060 according to agreement

00:13:26.080 and meeting him on the march

00:13:28.260 earnestly begged him

00:13:29.640 to advance no further.

00:13:31.500 On Caesar's refusing to comply

00:13:33.080 they asked him to send word

00:13:34.720 to the cavalry

00:13:35.340 which had gone in advance

00:13:37.000 of the column

00:13:37.560 forbidding them to engage in battle

00:13:39.440 and also requested leave

00:13:41.220 to send an embassy to the Ubi.

00:13:43.300 They said that if the Ubian chiefs

00:13:45.060 and council would swear

00:13:46.320 to keep faith with them

00:13:47.380 they would avail themselves

00:13:48.860 of the offer that Caesar had made

00:13:50.420 and ask for three days

00:13:52.020 to complete the necessary negotiations.

00:13:54.680 Caesar believed that all these suggestions

00:13:56.280 had the same object

00:13:57.460 as their previous manoeuvre

00:13:58.920 to obtain a further three days delay

00:14:01.260 to give time for the return

00:14:02.480 of the German cavalry

00:14:03.360 from their foray.

00:14:04.540 So Caesar suspects

00:14:05.620 they're just playing for time

00:14:06.640 and they have got every intention

00:14:08.480 of meeting him in combat

00:14:09.920 at some point.

00:14:10.780 However, he said that he would

00:14:12.520 restrict his advance that day

00:14:14.060 to four miles

00:14:15.460 the distance that was necessary

00:14:17.100 to get water.

00:14:18.400 On the next day

00:14:19.100 if as many of them as possible

00:14:21.000 would assemble

00:14:21.660 at his halting place

00:14:23.380 he would give their requests

00:14:24.940 a formal hearing.

00:14:26.440 In the meantime

00:14:27.040 he sent orders to the officers

00:14:29.100 who had gone on in front

00:14:31.140 with the whole cavalry force

00:14:32.440 that they were not

00:14:33.460 to attack the enemy

00:14:34.340 and if attacked themselves

00:14:35.980 were to remain on the defensive

00:14:37.760 until he approached

00:14:38.920 with the main army.

00:14:39.780 So Caesar trying

00:14:41.240 to accommodate them

00:14:43.000 you know

00:14:43.920 it's not just

00:14:44.780 it's not just a complete brick wall

00:14:47.080 like dealing with

00:14:48.380 Attila the Hun

00:14:49.500 or Genghis Khan

00:14:50.260 it's not that

00:14:51.220 right

00:14:51.760 but he also sees as

00:14:53.900 he's not a fool

00:14:55.340 is he

00:14:55.680 it's the opposite

00:14:56.180 he knows what's going on

00:14:57.380 almost certainly

00:14:58.040 and he's just not going

00:14:59.800 to leave himself

00:15:00.620 open to any sort of

00:15:02.240 sneak attack

00:15:02.840 or anything like that

00:15:03.700 but still

00:15:04.580 he's not hell bent

00:15:05.820 on at this point 0.99

00:15:06.940 on massacring them all 0.98

00:15:08.240 or anything 0.99

00:15:08.640 so you know

00:15:09.800 it does sound like

00:15:10.780 he's trying to

00:15:11.720 you know

00:15:12.360 trying to give them

00:15:13.280 some sort of degree

00:15:14.880 of benefit of the doubt

00:15:16.100 but they're really

00:15:17.740 not to be trusted.

00:15:19.340 He goes on here

00:15:19.980 quote

00:15:20.320 but when the enemy

00:15:21.200 caught sight of our cavalry

00:15:22.340 5,000 strong

00:15:23.920 although they themselves

00:15:25.320 had not 800 horse

00:15:26.960 those who had crossed the mews 0.52

00:15:28.500 to get corn

00:15:29.120 having not yet returned

00:15:30.200 they immediately charged

00:15:31.740 our men

00:15:32.620 who thought themselves

00:15:33.620 safe from attack

00:15:34.400 because the enemy's envoys

00:15:35.660 had only just left Caesar

00:15:36.920 and had asked for a truce

00:15:38.640 for that day

00:15:39.280 were at first

00:15:40.240 thrown into disorder

00:15:41.220 when they rallied

00:15:42.700 the German horsemen

00:15:43.820 following their usual practice

00:15:45.180 jumped down

00:15:46.240 unhorced a number

00:15:47.360 of our men

00:15:48.100 by stabbing their horses 0.99

00:15:49.140 in the belly 0.99

00:15:49.740 put the rest of them

00:15:51.380 to flight

00:15:51.840 and kept them on the run

00:15:53.160 in such a panic

00:15:53.980 that they did not stop

00:15:55.100 until they came in sight

00:15:56.100 of the marching column

00:15:57.020 of infantry

00:15:57.600 in this engagement

00:15:59.060 74 of our cavalrymen

00:16:00.980 were killed

00:16:01.500 including Piso

00:16:02.840 a gallant Aquitanian

00:16:04.540 of a very good family

00:16:05.640 whose grandfather

00:16:06.840 had been king

00:16:07.800 of his tribe

00:16:08.460 and had been granted

00:16:09.600 the title of friend

00:16:10.620 by the Roman senate

00:16:11.560 so not

00:16:12.920 one of the Roman Piso's 0.64

00:16:14.740 I take it

00:16:15.440 just somebody else

00:16:16.600 who happens to also

00:16:17.400 be called Piso

00:16:18.120 he went to the assistance

00:16:19.440 of his brother

00:16:20.100 who was cut off

00:16:21.160 by some of the Germans

00:16:22.020 and succeeded

00:16:23.020 in rescuing him

00:16:23.960 but his own horse

00:16:25.120 was wounded

00:16:25.600 and threw him 0.91

00:16:26.480 as long as he could

00:16:27.660 he resisted

00:16:28.560 with the utmost bravery

00:16:29.720 but eventually

00:16:30.640 was surrounded

00:16:31.300 and fell covered

00:16:32.520 with wounds

00:16:33.220 when his brother

00:16:34.420 who by this time

00:16:35.560 had got well away

00:16:36.440 from the fight

00:16:37.140 saw what had happened

00:16:38.360 he galloped

00:16:39.300 straight up to the enemy 0.99

00:16:40.280 and let them kill him too 1.00

00:16:41.900 after this treacherous 1.00

00:16:43.480 and unprovoked attack

00:16:44.360 by an enemy

00:16:44.940 who had asked for peace

00:16:46.160 Caesar dismissed

00:16:47.340 all further thought

00:16:48.260 of giving audience

00:16:49.120 to their envoys

00:16:49.940 or attempting

00:16:50.860 any overtures

00:16:51.940 at the same time

00:16:53.380 he thought it would be

00:16:54.140 sheer madness

00:16:54.780 to wait till they

00:16:55.960 were reinforced

00:16:56.580 by the return

00:16:57.340 of their cavalry

00:16:58.060 the Gauls

00:16:58.900 were so scatterbrained

00:17:00.120 that even this

00:17:01.120 single German success 0.70

00:17:02.340 had no doubt

00:17:03.180 made a great impression

00:17:04.120 upon them

00:17:04.640 and they must not

00:17:05.600 be given time

00:17:06.300 to concert plans

00:17:07.420 he told his generals

00:17:08.800 and Quiestor

00:17:09.720 of his decision

00:17:10.680 and not wanting

00:17:11.660 to lose a single day

00:17:12.800 in bringing the enemy

00:17:13.620 to battle

00:17:14.200 marched forward

00:17:15.200 the next morning

00:17:16.420 he had a great stroke

00:17:17.640 of luck

00:17:18.020 still pursuing

00:17:18.960 their policy

00:17:19.620 of treachery

00:17:20.280 and deceit

00:17:20.860 a large deputation

00:17:22.080 of Germans

00:17:22.700 comprising all their

00:17:23.960 leaders and elder men

00:17:25.120 of note

00:17:25.520 came to visit him

00:17:26.800 in his camp

00:17:27.520 their ostensible object

00:17:29.140 was to apologise

00:17:30.020 for attacking

00:17:30.780 the day before

00:17:31.860 in contravention

00:17:33.000 of the agreement

00:17:34.120 they had themselves

00:17:35.000 asked for

00:17:35.640 but they also hoped

00:17:37.040 to hoodwink Caesar

00:17:38.160 into granting

00:17:38.900 an extension of the truce

00:17:40.260 Caesar was delighted

00:17:41.640 that they had put

00:17:42.360 themselves in his power

00:17:43.460 and ordered them

00:17:44.440 to be detained

00:17:45.200 while he himself

00:17:46.340 marched his whole army

00:17:47.460 out of camp

00:17:48.180 with the cavalry

00:17:49.160 bringing up the rear

00:17:50.200 because he thought

00:17:51.080 it had been demoralised

00:17:52.500 by its recent defeat

00:17:53.580 end quote

00:17:54.340 so once again

00:17:55.240 Caesar

00:17:55.680 you're not really

00:17:57.420 going to fool

00:17:58.100 Caesar

00:17:58.680 not very often

00:17:59.920 and certainly

00:18:00.640 not for very long

00:18:01.540 he's savvy

00:18:02.480 his political

00:18:03.700 and particularly

00:18:04.420 his tactical sense

00:18:05.760 is razor sharp

00:18:06.760 I suspect

00:18:07.440 these German

00:18:08.060 leaders thought

00:18:09.260 they were

00:18:09.780 hoodwinking Caesar

00:18:10.880 in some way

00:18:11.920 you can only imagine

00:18:12.860 they would have thought

00:18:13.540 they would have

00:18:14.480 calculated

00:18:14.960 that the absolute

00:18:15.940 worst thing

00:18:16.660 that could happen

00:18:17.360 which they didn't

00:18:18.380 expect would happen

00:18:19.100 but the worst thing

00:18:19.720 that could possibly

00:18:20.340 happen

00:18:20.680 is that they would

00:18:21.720 be detained

00:18:22.200 and Caesar would

00:18:22.900 keep marching

00:18:23.740 straight forward

00:18:24.700 and that's exactly

00:18:25.640 what he does

00:18:26.380 it's a classic thing

00:18:27.860 in war isn't it

00:18:28.460 just do the thing

00:18:29.260 that is going to be

00:18:30.380 the worst thing

00:18:31.740 for your enemy

00:18:32.320 whatever is the worst

00:18:33.600 thing

00:18:33.940 no matter how much

00:18:34.620 it costs you

00:18:35.380 if you do that

00:18:36.980 throw them into

00:18:37.960 disarray

00:18:38.880 that's how Caesar rolls

00:18:40.320 he continues the story

00:18:41.780 here

00:18:42.060 with the soldiers

00:18:43.680 formed in three

00:18:44.660 parallel columns

00:18:45.560 ready for wheeling

00:18:46.880 into line of battle

00:18:47.800 he made a rapid

00:18:48.920 march of eight miles

00:18:50.180 and reached the

00:18:50.800 enemy's camp

00:18:51.380 before they realised

00:18:52.200 his intention

00:18:52.880 the speed of his

00:18:54.180 advance

00:18:54.620 and the absence

00:18:55.580 of their leaders

00:18:56.400 combined to throw

00:18:57.420 them into a sudden

00:18:58.120 panic

00:18:58.520 they had no time

00:18:59.940 to think what to do

00:19:00.760 or to arm themselves

00:19:01.700 and were too

00:19:02.580 distracted

00:19:03.080 to decide

00:19:04.140 whether it was

00:19:04.660 best to march

00:19:05.280 out against Caesar

00:19:06.200 to stay and defend

00:19:07.580 the camp

00:19:08.040 or to flee

00:19:08.800 for their lives

00:19:09.520 the Roman soldiers

00:19:10.780 could tell

00:19:11.600 that they were afraid

00:19:12.420 by their cries

00:19:13.180 and hurried movements

00:19:14.220 and spurred on

00:19:15.420 by the recollection

00:19:16.160 of the previous

00:19:16.720 day's treachery

00:19:17.640 burst into the camp

00:19:18.920 those of the Germans

00:19:20.220 who were quick enough

00:19:21.420 in seizing their weapons

00:19:22.680 resisted for a time

00:19:23.820 fighting under cover

00:19:25.240 of their wagons

00:19:26.060 and baggage

00:19:27.060 but there was also

00:19:28.520 a great crowd

00:19:29.240 of women and children

00:19:30.080 in the camp

00:19:30.700 for they had brought

00:19:31.820 all their families

00:19:32.600 with them

00:19:33.140 when they left home

00:19:34.180 and crossed the Rhine

00:19:34.960 these began to flee

00:19:36.280 in all directions

00:19:37.080 and were hunted down

00:19:38.440 by the cavalry

00:19:39.020 with Caesar

00:19:39.660 sent out for that purpose

00:19:41.100 a bit harsh

00:19:42.280 isn't it

00:19:42.600 a bit harrowing

00:19:44.140 you know

00:19:45.300 it's things like that

00:19:45.940 where some people

00:19:46.900 that criticize Caesar

00:19:47.900 they have got things

00:19:49.120 like that to point to

00:19:50.240 but there you go

00:19:51.160 it was the ancient world

00:19:51.900 they had a completely

00:19:52.740 different set of rules

00:19:54.320 and morality

00:19:55.360 and ethic

00:19:56.440 than we do

00:19:57.600 the story goes on

00:19:58.940 hearing cries

00:19:59.980 behind them

00:20:00.600 and seeing that

00:20:01.380 their people

00:20:01.860 were being massacred

00:20:02.740 the Germans

00:20:03.480 threw down their arms

00:20:04.580 deserted their standards

00:20:06.060 and rushed out

00:20:07.040 of the camp

00:20:07.560 when they reached

00:20:08.840 the confluence

00:20:09.420 of the Moselle

00:20:10.300 and the Rhine

00:20:11.160 Moselle

00:20:12.420 another river

00:20:12.980 they realized

00:20:14.280 that they could

00:20:15.060 flee no further

00:20:16.000 a large number

00:20:17.100 were killed

00:20:17.600 and the rest

00:20:18.420 plunged into the water

00:20:19.440 and perished

00:20:20.120 overcome by the force

00:20:21.960 of the current

00:20:22.840 in their terror-stricken

00:20:24.020 and exhausted state

00:20:25.100 the Romans

00:20:26.120 returned to camp

00:20:26.960 without a single

00:20:27.720 fatal casualty

00:20:28.840 I wonder if that's

00:20:30.280 quite true

00:20:31.240 and with only

00:20:32.280 a few wounded

00:20:32.980 although a grim struggle

00:20:34.440 had been anticipated

00:20:35.480 against an enemy

00:20:36.660 430,000 strong

00:20:38.780 Caesar gave the prisoners

00:20:40.180 detained in camp

00:20:41.560 leave to depart

00:20:42.440 but they were afraid

00:20:43.840 of being killed

00:20:44.480 or tortured by the Gauls

00:20:45.700 whose lands

00:20:46.440 they had ravaged

00:20:47.220 they said they wished

00:20:48.280 to remain with him

00:20:49.180 they were allowed

00:20:50.140 to retain their liberty

00:20:51.240 end quote

00:20:52.100 so that is almost

00:20:53.500 a scarcely believable

00:20:54.640 story

00:20:55.220 430,000

00:20:58.100 usipates

00:20:59.120 and tectory

00:20:59.920 seen off

00:21:01.240 not massacred

00:21:02.980 to a man

00:21:03.580 but largely massacred

00:21:05.220 and the rest

00:21:05.680 completely defeated

00:21:06.520 with zero fatalities

00:21:08.920 for the Romans

00:21:09.760 could have happened

00:21:11.560 just you know

00:21:12.800 seems a bit unlikely

00:21:14.560 if anywhere

00:21:15.540 Caesar might have

00:21:16.420 exaggerated

00:21:17.100 a very small

00:21:18.660 number of casualties

00:21:19.440 it might be there

00:21:20.320 but still

00:21:21.420 when you catch

00:21:22.540 your enemy

00:21:22.920 completely in disarray

00:21:24.480 and they just flee

00:21:25.500 they're doing nothing

00:21:26.460 but fleeing

00:21:27.100 it might be possible

00:21:28.500 even if there is

00:21:29.600 some exaggeration there

00:21:30.740 either way

00:21:31.520 it's just one more

00:21:32.380 tick in the column

00:21:33.160 of Caesar

00:21:33.740 doing away

00:21:35.240 with giant enemies

00:21:36.400 really quickly

00:21:38.200 and really easily

00:21:39.000 just one more

00:21:40.860 example of it

00:21:41.640 to watch the full video

00:21:43.120 please become a premium

00:21:44.160 member at

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00:21:45.800 please

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00:21:51.200 njr

00:21:51.640 ven gang

00:21:52.320 pos

00:21:52.880 njr

00:21:53.720 absence

00:21:53.860 tm

00:21:54.080 in

00:21:54.880 njr

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00:21:56.160 njr

00:21:56.420 mjr

00:21:56.920 njr

The Podcast of the Lotus Eaters - November 15, 2024

PREVIEW： Epochs #185 ｜ Pompey & Caesar： Part X

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