were defeated with such immense slaughter, that out of 60,000
fighting men only 500 remained in the state. When the Senate received
the dispatches of Caesar announcing this victory, they decreed a public
thanksgiving of fifteen days--a distinction which had never yet been
granted to any one.

_Third Campaign_, B.C. 56.--In the third campaign Caesar completed the
subjugation of Gaul. He conducted in person a naval war against the
Veneti, the inhabitants of the modern Brittany, and, by means of his
lieutenants, conquered the remaining tribes who still held out. In the
later part of the summer Caesar marched against the Morini and Menapii
(in the neighborhood of Calais and Boulogne). Thus all Gaul had been
apparently reduced to subjection in three years; but the spirit of the
people was yet unbroken, and they only waited for an opportunity to rise
against their conquerors.

_Fourth Campaign_, B.C. 55.--In the following year Caesar determined to
attack the Germans. The Gauls had suffered too much in the last three
campaigns to make any farther attempt against the Romans at present; but
Caesar's ambition would not allow him to be idle. Fresh wars must be
undertaken to employ his troops in active service. Two German tribes,
the Usipetes and the Tenchtheri, had been driven out of their own
country by the Suevi, and had crossed the Rhine with the intention of
settling in Gaul. This, however, Caesar was resolved to prevent, and
accordingly prepared to attack them. The Germans opened negotiations
with him, but, while these were going on, a body of their cavalry
defeated Caesar's Gallic horse. On the next day all the German chiefs
came into Caesar's camp to apologize for what they had done; but Caesar
detained them, and straightway led his troops to attack the enemy.
Deprived of their leaders and taken by surprise, the Germans, after a
feeble resistance, took to flight, and were almost all destroyed by the
Roman cavalry. After this victory Caesar resolved to cross the Rhine, in
order to strike terror into the Germans. In ten days he built a bridge
of boats across the river, probably in the neighborhood of Cologne; and
after spending eighteen days on the eastern side of the Rhine, and
ravaging the country of the Sigambri, he returned to Gaul and broke down
the bridge.

Although the greater part of the summer was now gone, Caesar resolved to
invade Britain. His object in undertaking this expedition at such a late
period of the y