religion was Romanised, and if the Druids retained priestly
functions, it could only be by their becoming Romanised also. Perhaps
the new State religion in Gaul simply ignored them. The annual assembly
of deputies at Lugudunum round the altar of Rome and Augustus had a
religious character, and was intended to rival and to supersede the
annual gathering of the Druids.[1072] The deputies elected a flamen of
the province who had surveillance of the cult, and there were also
flamens for each city. Thus the power of the Druids in politics, law,
and religion was quietly undermined, while Rome also struck a blow at
their position as teachers by establishing schools throughout
Gaul.[1073]

M. D'Arbois maintains that, as a result of persecution, the Druids
retired to the depths of the forests, and continued to teach there in
secret those who despised the new learning of Rome, basing his opinion
on passages of Lucan and Mela, both writing a little after the
promulgation of the laws.[1074]. But neither Lucan nor Mela refer to an
existing state of things, and do not intend their readers to suppose
that the Druids fled to woods and caverns. Lucan speaks of them
_dwelling_ in woods, i.e. their sacred groves, and resuming their rites
after Caesar's conquest not after the later edicts, and he does not speak
of the Druids teaching there.[1075] Mela seems to be echoing Caesar's
account of the twenty years' novitiate, but adds to it that the teaching
was given in secret, confusing it, however, with that given to others
than candidates for the priesthood. Thus he says: "Docent multa
nobilissimos gentis clam et diu vicenis annis aut in specu aut in
abditis saltibus,"[1076] but there is not the slightest evidence that
this secrecy was the result of the edicts. Moreover, the attenuated
sacrificial rites which he describes were evidently practised quite
openly. Probably some Druids continued their teaching in their secret
and sacred haunts, but it is unlikely that noble Gauls would resort to
them when Greco-Roman culture was now open to them in the schools, where
they are found receiving instruction in 21 A.D.[1077] Most of the Druids
probably succumbed to the new order of things. Some continued the old
rites in a modified manner as long as they could obtain worshippers.
Others, more fanatical, would suffer from the law when they could not
evade its grasp. Some of these revolted against Rome after Nero's death,
and it was perhaps to this clas