Chapter 421: Vercingetorix escapes danger

Of course, after leaving the consulship, Caesar was still prepared to continue to serve as the governor of the three northern provinces, at least to take the governorship of Illyria into his arms, so that he could use troops against the Nix tribe during his next term as governor of a province, grasp the long-awaited papermaking technology in his hands, increase his wealth, and expand his voice in Rome...

This was the next political plan that Caesar made for himself after he learned that Pompey had issued a new decree and allowed him to run for the consulship in absentia at the end of 52 BC (the 21st year after the establishment of the Nix tribe) while observing the situation in Rome in Ravenna.

But in the next year (51 BC), Marcus Claudius Marcellus became consul, and the situation changed.

Marcellus had no grudge against Caesar before, but the main reason was that the Triumvirate almost monopolized all the prominent and important official positions in Rome, which should normally belong to aristocratic families like Marcellus.

It can be seen that Marcellus not only hated Caesar, but also was dissatisfied with Pompey. However, Pompey was too powerful for him to offend for the time being, and Caesar's political position in Rome seemed very fragile.

So, as soon as Marcellus took office, he publicly announced that he would recall Caesar from the post of Governor of Gaul, because although there were some local conflicts in Gaul in the past year, there was no major war, which showed that the tribes in Gaul had basically surrendered to Rome and did not need Caesar to lead the army to conquer.

And he had a more legitimate reason: in 55 BC, the laws of Crassus and Pompey gave Caesar a new five-year term in Gaul, and on March 1st of the next year, this term would expire.

Caesar obviously had a different view on this. He believed that the decrees issued by Crassus and Pompey were to extend his original five-year term for another five years.

Caesar wrote to the Senate many times to explain this matter, but he did not propose when he thought the term of governor should end.

In addition, Marcellus also argued that the additional clause proposed by Pompey last year to allow Caesar to run for the consulship in absentia was inconsistent with the original decree and should not be established.

Marcellus's approach was challenging Pompey's authority, and Pompey was very dissatisfied with this, so he made it clear that he would never support any motion to recall Caesar before the end of his term as governor.

But under the continued pressure of Marcellus, the situation changed.

In September, the Senate met outside the official borders of Rome so that Pompey, as the governor of the province, could also attend the meeting.

Pompey's father-in-law Metellus proposed to discuss Caesar's provincial issue again in March of the following year, and Pompey did not object.

But when Marcellus proposed several motions that were unfavorable to Caesar, such as "starting to dismiss Caesar's soldiers who had completed their service and soldiers who had not completed their service but could retire with honor", they were all rejected by several tribunes supported by Caesar.

This year, in addition to manipulating his supporters in Rome in Ravenna to protect his own interests, Caesar also did another thing: increasing the intensity of grain tax collection from the tribes in Gaul, and treating those Gaul leaders and nobles who might be dissatisfied with Rome more harshly.

Because he felt that the Gaul region was too quiet now, which made his political opponents feel that he was no longer needed here, so he had to let the Gauls make a bigger fuss and let the Senate know that Gaul could not do without him!

Since reaching an alliance with the Nix tribe, Vercingetorix tried his best to persuade the tribal leaders who secretly made a sacred oath with him to be patient, while paying attention to the situation of Caesar and Rome.

In the past, the Arverni tribe dealt with the Romans mainly in these provinces in the north. Now Vercingetorix asked his subordinates in charge of trade to secretly inquire more about Rome.

According to the news from his subordinates, the relationship between Caesar and the Roman Senate became increasingly tense, especially after 51 BC... This made Vercingetorix excited and he believed more firmly in the oracle of the goddess Danu.

But then Caesar's harsh measures against Gaul made the survival of Arverni and other tribes more difficult. Vercingetorix encouraged the tribal leaders who allied with him to continue to endure and survive this most difficult period.

But some tribes could not bear it anymore and launched riots one after another, such as the Biturigi tribe and the Sinonai tribe, but they were eventually destroyed by the attack of the Roman army.

Vercingetorix still chose to endure, but he was very painful in his heart.

Seeing that Arverni chose to watch, the tribes in southwestern Gaul did not dare to act rashly, so they were preserved.

However, the test for Vercingetorix was not over.

Caesar was going to hold a tribal meeting of Gaul again, and named Vercingetorix to participate.

At that time, there was news that the Roman army had received a tip-off during the process of suppressing these tribes, saying that Vercingetorix had also participated in the riot against Rome, so Caesar would hold Vercingetorix accountable at this meeting.

So his subordinates advised Vercingetorix not to attend the meeting, but after repeated consideration, he finally decided to attend, and on the day of the meeting, he found a way to make himself have a high fever.

At the meeting, he knelt down at Caesar's feet, crying and telling his grievances, and he also brought Caesar much more food than the Romans asked for.

Caesar looked at the pitiful appearance of Vercingetorius, and remembered how much he had valued him in the past and the many contributions he had made to the Roman army by leading the Gallic cavalry. Finally, he declared: Those were all rumors, and they were for those who were loyal to him. Vercingetorix's slander.

Even if Caesar was still a little suspicious of Vercingetorius, he could not blame Vercingetorius under the circumstances. After all, the series of measures he had implemented before were too harsh on the Gauls, even those who surrendered to him. The Lu tribe is also dissatisfied. If he will severely punish Vercingetorius, who is respectful to him, it will have a bad association in the hearts of all the Gallic leaders, and then there will be a big rebellion. This is extremely disadvantageous for him who is currently in deep political trouble.

Vercingetor escaped and returned to the tribe safely.

By the end of the year, civil war had not broken out in Rome.

Vercingeoli was a little disappointed and complained about Lurios, but he had already paid so much and could not give up halfway. He could only continue to endure the difficulties.

Marcellus resigned as consul, but Caesar was still recognized as the legal governor of the three provinces.

However, some of Pompey's performances and remarks during this period showed that he had become somewhat alienated from his ally Caesar.

On the one hand, Caesar's continuous brilliant achievements in Gaul made him a little jealous, and Caesar's huge army also threatened his status as Rome's first military commander.

On the other hand, the conservative senators were trying their best to win over him, especially his father-in-law's family, making him feel that he was being accepted by these famous Roman nobles.

Of course, Pompeo also knew in his heart that if he helped the conservative senators completely overthrow Caesar, the aristocratic senators such as Cato and Marcellus who did not like him would not need him much in the future, but it would be easy. Putting him in a relatively weak position politically.

Pompey not only wanted to weaken Caesar, but also needed Caesar to continue to serve him, maintain this balance, and allow himself to continue to benefit from this dominant position.

Therefore, he publicly stated in the Senate that he could not accept Caesar's removal from the governorship before March 1 next year, but after that date, his attitude would be different.

Some senators asked: If on that day a tribune vetoes the resolution of the Senate, what will be his attitude?

Pompey replied: It does not matter whether Caesar opposes the resolution of the Senate himself or with the help of a tribune.

Some senators asked: What if Caesar wanted to be consul but also wanted to keep his own army?

Pompey cleverly asked: What if my son wants to beat me with a stick?

In short, his seemingly vague attitude inspired Cato, Marcellus and a group of others.

They continued to raise the issue of Caesar's provincial tenure repeatedly in the Senate.

Although Caesar was far away in Ravenna, he did not sit still. He took a fancy to a newly appointed tribune, Curio, who was a typical representative of the younger generation of Romans. He lived a dissolute, notorious, but ambitious life. , Dare to act boldly, and he also married Claudius's widow, known as "Claudius the Second".

Just like Crassus had done to him, Caesar used the gold from the Gallic spoils to help young Curio pay off his huge debt and make him join his camp.

So Curio took action.

He proposed in the Senate that if Caesar was to be removed from his position as governor of Gaul, in order to ensure fairness, Pompey would also need to give up his extraordinary governorship in the Spanish provinces. This would also be safer for Rome.

Since Curio Jr. had also expressed this view at previous public gatherings, it was endorsed by the masses and put a lot of pressure on Pompeo.

Although Pompey had always found reasons to stay in the suburbs of Rome after becoming governor of Spain, his sons and capable men were all in Spain and had established quite a business, and his term as governor of Spain lasted during his tenure as consul ( 52 B.C.) had been extended for several years before expiration, and he was unwilling to terminate his term now.

Because Pompeo was unwilling to express his position, the two sides were in a stalemate for several months. Pompey was even chased and beaten by Curio Jr. His entire third term as consul was questioned and attacked by the other party. It made him miserable.

Time was suddenly dragged past March 1, when the final vote on Caesar's term should have been held.

In the summer, the Senate made a decision: to take one legion from Pompey and one legion from Caesar, and then send these troops to reinforce the Roman army on the Roman-Parthian border.