Leadership And Values In Caesar's De Bello Gallico
517 Words3 Pages
In Caesar's De Bello Gallico, many different examples of Roman leadership and values are shown, both from Caesar, and his soldiers. In Part One, chapter seven, Caesar writes about how he, written in the third person, reacted to the plan of the Helvetians. When the news is reported to him(“Caesari cum id nuntiatum esset”(1)), he travels personally all the way to Geneva, the farthest parts of “Galliam ulteriorem”(3), Transalpine Gaul. Instead of sending people in his stead, Caesar makes a point to travel to Geneba himself, showing his dedication to Rome. One he arrives in Gaul, he orders “maximum potest militum numerum”(4), and levies an army, including his favorite “legio una”(4), the tenth legion. While Caesar seems to respect every legion, he often would command the tenth legion himself.…show more content… In two sentences, Caesar reacts to the news, arrives in Geneba, levies an army, and “pontem, qui erat ad Genevam, iubet rescindi”(5), orders the bridge of Geneva to be cut down. Caesar does not make a bad decision either. As he later remembers on line 8, Lucius Cassius was killed by the Helvetians in 107 BCE, which is why he hesitates to trust them. He is forced to make a quick decisionL risk allowing the Helvetians to pass through “provinciam nostram,” the Roman Province, or push them back. Ultimately, he chooses the best decision for Rome. If the Helvetians were allowed to pass through the Roman Province, they might try to take it, and that would be a hairy