If Caesar had not seized a shield and, making his way
through the first ranks, charged the barbarians, and if the tenth
legion had not run down from the heights to support him when he was in
danger of being overpowered, and broken the ranks of the enemy, it is
supposed that not a single Roman would have escaped. Encouraged by
Caesar's intrepidity, the Romans fought, as the saying is, beyond their
strength, but yet they could not put the Nervii to flight, who
defended themselves till they were cut to pieces. Out of sixty
thousand only five hundred are said to have escaped; and three
senators out of four hundred.
XXI. The Senate on receiving intelligence of this victory, decreed
that for fifteen days[491] there should be sacrifices to the gods and
cessation from all business, with feasting, which had never been done
before, for so long a time. For the danger was considered to have been
great, so many nations having broken out at once; and because Caesar
was the conqueror, the good will of the many towards him made the
victory more splendid. And accordingly, having settled affairs in
Gaul, he again spent the winter in the plain of the Padus, and
employed himself in intriguing at Rome. Not only the candidates for
the offices of the State carried their election by Caesar supplying
them with money which they spent in bribing the people, and directed
all their measures to the increase of Caesar's power, but the greater
part of the Romans most distinguished for rank and political power,
came to see him at Luca,[492] Pompeius and Crassus, and Appius, the
governor of Sardinia, and Nepos, proconsul of Iberia, so that there
were a hundred and twenty lictors there, and more than two hundred
senators.
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