sis in Boeotia, and the Hellenian islands in the Tyrrhenian sea,
and many other islands. Or they are _climatiae_,[73] which, with a
slanting and oblique blow, level cities, edifices, and mountains. Or
_chasmatiae_,[74] which suddenly, by a violent motion, open huge mouths,
and so swallow up portions of the earth, as in the Atlantic sea, on the
coast of Europe, a large island[75] was swallowed up, and in the
Crissaean Gulf, Helice and Bura,[76] and in Italy, in the Ciminian
district, the town of Saccumum[77] was swallowed up in a deep gulf and
hidden in everlasting darkness. And among these three kinds of
earthquakes, _myaemotiae_[78] are heard with a threatening roar, when the
elements either spring apart, their joints being broken, or again
resettle in their former places, when the earth also settles back; for
then it cannot be but that crashes and roars of the earth should resound
with bull-like bellowings. Let us now return to our original subject.

VIII.

Sec. 1. Caesar, passing his winter among the Parisii, was eagerly preparing
to anticipate the Allemanni, who were not yet assembled in one body, but
who, since the battle of Strasburg, were working themselves up to a
pitch of insane audacity and ferocity. And he was waiting with great
impatience for the month of July, when the Gallic campaigns usually
begin. For indeed he could not march before the summer had banished the
frost and cold, and allowed him to receive supplies from Aquitania.

2. But as diligence overcomes almost all difficulties, he, revolving
many plans of all kinds in his mind, at last conceived the idea of not
waiting till the crops were ripe, but falling on the barbarians before
they expected him. And having resolved on that plan, he caused his men
to take corn for twenty days' consumption from what they had in store,
and to make it into biscuit, so that it might keep longer; and this
enabled the soldiers to carry it, which they did willingly. And relying
on this provision, and setting out as before, with favourable auspices,
he reckoned that in the course of five or six months he might finish two
urgent and indispensable expeditions.

3. And when all his preparations were made, he first marched against
the Franks, that is against that tribe of them usually called Salii, who
some time before had ventured with great boldness to fix their
habitations on the Roman soil near Toxandria.[79] But when he had
reached Tongres, he was met by an embassy