h. But if he would depart and resign to
him the free possession of Gaul, he would recompense him with a great
reward, and would bring to a close whatever wars he wished to be carried
on, without any trouble or risk to him."

Many things were stated by Caesar to the following effect:--"That he
could not waive the business, and that neither his nor the Roman
people's practice would suffer him to abandon most meritorious allies;
nor did he deem that Gaul belonged to Ariovistus rather than to the
Roman people; that the Arverni[116] and the Ruteni[117] had been subdued
in war by Quintus Fabius Maximus, and that the Roman people had pardoned
them and had not reduced them into a province or imposed a tribute upon
them. And if the most ancient period was to be regarded, then was the
sovereignty of the Roman people in Gaul most just: if the decree of the
Senate was to be observed, then ought Gaul to be free, which they [the
Romans] had conquered in war, and had permitted to enjoy its own laws."

While these things were being transacted in the conference, it was
announced to Caesar that the cavalry of Ariovistus were approaching
nearer the mound, and were riding up to our men and casting stones and
weapons at them. Caesar made an end of his speech and betook himself to
his men; and commanded them that they should by no means return a weapon
upon the enemy. For though he saw that an engagement with the cavalry
would be without any danger to his chosen legion, yet he did not think
proper to engage, lest after the enemy were routed it might be said that
they had been ensnared by him under the sanction of a conference. When
it was spread abroad among the common soldiery with what haughtiness
Ariovistus had behaved at the conference, and how he had ordered the
Romans to quit Gaul, and how his cavalry had made an attack upon our
men, and how this had broken off the conference, a much greater alacrity
and eagerness for battle was infused into our army.

Two days after, Ariovistus sends ambassadors to Caesar to state that "he
wished to treat with him about those things which had been begun to be
treated of between them, but had not been concluded"; and to beg that
"he would either again appoint a day for a conference, or if he were not
willing to do that, that he would send one of his officers as an
ambassador to him." There did not appear to Caesar any good reason for
holding a conference; and the more so as the day before, the Germans