me
despairing of a battle and scattered in all directions; and was
victorious more through stratagem and cunning than valor. But though
there had been room for such stratagem against savage and unskilled men,
not even Ariovistus himself expected that thereby our armies could be
entrapped. That those who ascribed their fear to a pretense about the
deficiency of supplies and the narrowness of the roads acted
presumptuously, as they seemed either to distrust their general's
discharge of his duty or to dictate to him. That these things were his
concern; that the Sequani, the Leuci, and the Lingones were to furnish
the corn; and that it was already ripe in the fields; that as to the
road, they would soon be able to judge for themselves. As to its being
reported that the soldiers would not be obedient to command, or advance,
he was not at all disturbed at that; for he knew that in the case of all
those whose army had not been obedient to command, either upon some
mismanagement of an affair fortune had deserted them, or that upon some
crime being discovered covetousness had been clearly proved against
them. His integrity had been seen throughout his whole life, his good
fortune in the war with the Helvetii. That he would therefore instantly
set about what he had intended to put off till a more distant day, and
would break up his camp the next night in the fourth watch, that he
might ascertain as soon as possible whether a sense of honor and duty,
or whether fear, had more influence with them. But that if no one else
should follow, yet he would go with only the tenth legion, of which he
had no misgivings, and it should be his praetorian cohort."--This legion
Caesar had both greatly favored, and in it, on account of its valor,
placed the greatest confidence.

Upon the delivery of this speech, the minds of all were changed in a
surprising manner, and the highest ardor and eagerness for prosecuting
the war were engendered; and the tenth legion was the first to return
thanks to him, through their military tribunes, for his having expressed
this most favorable opinion of them; and assured him that they were
quite ready to prosecute the war. Then the other legions endeavored,
through their military tribunes and the centurions of the principal
companies, to excuse themselves to Caesar, saying that they had never
either doubted or feared, or supposed that the determination of the
conduct of the war was theirs and not their general's. H