aving accepted
their excuse, and having had the road carefully reconnoitred by
Divitiacus, because in him of all others he had the greatest faith, he
found that by a circuitous route of more than fifty miles he might lead
his army through open parts; he then set out in the fourth watch, as he
had said he would. On the seventh day, as he did not discontinue his
march, he was informed by scouts that the forces of Ariovistus were only
four-and-twenty miles distant from ours.

Upon being apprised of Caesar's arrival, Ariovistus sends ambassadors to
him, saying that what he had before requested as to a conference might
now, as far as his permission went, take place, since he [Caesar] had
approached nearer; and he considered that he might now do it without
danger. Caesar did not reject the proposal, and began to think that he
was now returning to a rational state of mind, as he voluntarily
proffered that which he had previously refused to him when he requested
it; and was in great hopes that, in consideration of his own and the
Roman people's great favors towards him, the issue would be that he
would desist from his obstinacy upon his demands being made known. The
fifth day after that was appointed as the day of conference. Meanwhile,
as ambassadors were being often sent to and fro between them, Ariovistus
demanded that Caesar should not bring any foot-soldier with him to the
conference, saying that "he was afraid of being ensnared by him through
treachery; that both should come accompanied by cavalry; that he would
not come on any other condition." Caesar, as he neither wished that the
conference should, by an excuse thrown in the way, be set aside, nor
durst trust his life to the cavalry of the Gauls, decided that it would
be most expedient to take away from the Gallic cavalry all their horses,
and thereon to mount the legionary soldiers of the tenth legion, in
which he placed the greatest confidence; in order that he might have a
body-guard as trustworthy as possible, should there be any need for
action. And when this was done, one of the soldiers of the tenth legion
said, not without a touch of humor, "that Caesar did more for them than
he had promised: he had promised to have the tenth legion in place of
his praetorian cohort; but he now converted them into horse."

There was a large plain, and in it a mound of earth of considerable
size. This spot was at nearly an equal distance from both camps.
Thither, as had been ap