Chapter 541: Chapter 409 Vercingetorix Escapes Danger
Of course, after stepping down as Governor, Caesar was also preparing to continue serving as Governor of the Northern Three Provinces, at least to include Illyria under his command. This way, during his next Provincial Governor term, he could take military action against the Nix Tribe, grasp the long-desired papermaking technology, increase his wealth, and expand his influence in Rome...
This was Caesar’s next political plan at the end of 52 BC (the 21st year after the establishment of the Nix Tribe), when he was observing the situation in Rome from Ravenna, having learned that Pompey issued a new decree allowing him to run for Governor in absentia.
However, the following year (51 BC), when Marcus Claudius Marcellus became Governor, the situation changed.
Marcellus hadn’t previously had any grievances with Caesar, but the main reason was that the Triumvirate had almost monopolized all prominent and important offices in Rome, positions that under normal circumstances should have belonged to aristocratic families like Marcellus’s.
Hence, it was clear that Marcellus not only despised Caesar but was also dissatisfied with Pompey. However, Pompey’s power was too strong to offend at the moment, and Caesar’s political position in Rome seemed quite vulnerable.
Thus, as soon as Marcellus took office, he publicly announced: Caesar should be recalled from the position of Governor of Gaul because although there were some conflicts in specific areas over the past year, there was no major war, which indicated that Gaul tribes had basically submitted to Rome, and Caesar was no longer needed to lead the army for conquest.
Moreover, he had a more justified reason: In 55 BC, the law of Crassus and Pompey granted Caesar a new five-year term in Gaul, which would expire by the first of March next year.
In response, Caesar obviously had a different view. He believed that the decree issued by Crassus and Pompey extended his original five-year term by another five years.
Caesar repeatedly wrote to the Senate to clarify this, although he never mentioned when he thought his gubernatorial term should end.
Additionally, Marcellus also advocated that the supplementary clause proposed by Pompey last year, which allowed Caesar to run for Governor in absentia, conflicted with the original decree and should not be valid.
Marcellus’s actions challenged Pompey’s authority, which displeased Pompey. Therefore, Pompey stated clearly that he would not support any motion to recall Caesar before his gubernatorial term ended.
Nonetheless, under Marcellus’s continued pressure, the situation began to evolve.
In September, the Senate convened outside the official borders of Rome, allowing Pompey, as a Provincial Governor, to attend.
Pompey’s father-in-law Metellus proposed to revisit Caesar’s provincial matter in March of the following year, and Pompey didn’t oppose.
However, when Marculus proposed several motions unfavorable to Caesar, such as demobilizing soldiers who had completed their service term under Caesar’s command, and allowing those who could retire with honors despite incomplete service, he was repeatedly vetoed by several People’s Guardians supporting Caesar.
That year, besides manipulating his supporters in Rome from Ravenna to fully safeguard his interests, Caesar did something else: He increased the levy of grain taxes from various Gaul tribes and treated Gaul leaders and nobles who might hold dissatisfaction against Rome more harshly.
Because he felt: The Gaul region was too quiet, making his political opponents think that it no longer needed him, so he had to stir up bigger commotions among the Gauls to make the Senate aware that Gaul would not succeed without him!
Since making an alliance with the Nix Tribe, Vercingetorix had been urging those tribal leaders who had secretly pledged sacred oaths to him to be patient, while also paying close attention to Caesar’s and Rome’s situations.
In the past, the Avelli Tribe mainly interacted with the Romans in these northern provinces, but now Vercingetorix instructed his trade officials to subtly gather more information about Rome.
From the intelligence gathered by his subordinates, Caesar’s relationship with the Roman Senate was becoming increasingly tense, especially as time progressed into 51 BC... This made Vercingetorix excited and even more convinced of the oracle of the Danu Goddess.
However, the subsequent harsh measures taken by Caesar in the Gaul region made the survival of the Avelli and other tribes more difficult. Vercingetorix encouraged the allied tribal leaders to continue enduring through this toughest period.
But some tribes could tolerate no longer and successively launched uprisings, such as the Biturig Tribe and Sinonai Tribe, which were ultimately crushed by Roman Army attacks.
Vercingetorix still chose to endure, but his heart was filled with anguish.
The southern Gaul tribes saw the Avelli choose to watch in silence, hence did not dare to act recklessly, thereby preserving themselves.
However, the test for Vercingetorix was not over.
Caesar planned to convene another assembly of Gaul tribes and specifically named Vercingetorix to attend.
At the time, there were rumors that during the suppression of these tribes, someone informed against Vercingetorix, alleging his involvement in the rebellion against Rome, leading Caesar to intend to accuse Vercingetorix at this assembly.
His subordinates thus urged Vercingetorix not to attend the assembly, but after careful consideration, he decided to attend nonetheless, and on the day of the assembly, managed to induce a high fever.
At the assembly, he knelt humbly at Caesar’s feet, tearfully narrating his grievances, and he also brought Caesar much more grain than the Romans’ demands.
Caesar, seeing Vercingetorix’s frail and pitiful state, recalled his previous esteem for him and the significant contributions he made leading the Gallian Cavalry for the Roman Army, ultimately declared to the outside world that these were mere rumors, slandering his loyal Vercingetorix.
Even if Caesar still held some suspicions about Vercingetorix, under the circumstances back then, he could not accuse Vercingetorix. After all, the series of measures he previously implemented against the Gauls were too harsh, causing dissatisfaction even among those Gaul tribes submissive to him. Should he choose to severely punish his deferential Vercingetorix then, it would foster bad associations among all Gaul leaders, possibly sparking a major rebellion, which would be extremely disadvantageous to him, now caught in a political quandary.
Vercingetorix narrowly escaped danger and safely returned to his tribe.
By the end of the year, no civil war broke out in Rome.
Vercingetorix felt some disappointment and had expressed grievances towards Lurios, but having invested so much already, could not just abandon midway, choosing instead to continue enduring through the difficulties.
Marcellus stepped down as Governor, and Caesar was still recognized as the legal governor of the three provinces.
However, Pompey’s actions and remarks during this period revealed a growing estrangement between him and his ally, Caesar.
On one hand, Caesar’s continuous spectacular victories in Gaul made Pompey somewhat jealous, and the large army under Caesar threatened his own position as Rome’s foremost military commander.
On the other hand, conservative Roman Elders were trying hard to win him over, especially his father-in-law’s family, making him feel being accepted by these notable Roman aristocrats.
Of course, Pompey also understood that if he helped the conservative Roman Elders completely topple Caesar, aristocratic Roman Elders like Cato, Marcellus, and others who inherently disliked him wouldn’t need him much in the future, which could easily put him in a politically weaker situation.
Pompey wanted to weaken Caesar but also needed Caesar to continue serving his own interests, keeping this balance to profit from this dominant position.
Thus, he publicly stated in the Senate: He couldn’t accept terminating Caesar’s governorship before next year’s March 1st, but his stance might change after that date.
When asked by a Roman Elder: What if on that day, a People’s Guardian vetoes the Senate’s resolution, what his stance would be?
Pompey replied: Whether Caesar personally opposes the Senate’s resolution or uses a People’s Guardian to oppose, it does not matter.
Another Roman Elder asked: If Caesar wants to become Governor while retaining his army, what then?
Pompey cleverly retorted: If my son wants to beat me with a stick, what then?
All in all, this seemingly ambiguous position encouraged Cato, Marcellus, and their group.
They continued raising Caesar’s provincial term issue repeatedly in the Senate.
Although far away in Ravenna, Caesar was not sitting idly by. He took a fancy to a new People’s Guardian, Little Curio. This representative of the younger generation Romans was notorious for his lavish lifestyle, yet ambitious and bold, and he had married the widow of Claudius, known as "Claudius II."
Just like what Crassus did for him back in the day, Caesar used gold from Gaul war spoils to help Little Curio clear his massive debts, bringing him into his camp.
Thus, Little Curio took action.
He proposed in the Senate: If they wanted to remove Caesar’s position as Governor of Gaul to ensure fairness, Pompey should also relinquish his exceptional governorship in the Provinces of Spain, which would be safer for Rome.
As Little Curio expressed such views at previous public meetings and received widespread public approval, this brought considerable pressure on Pompey.
Although Pompey had been finding excuses to stay in the outskirts of Rome since becoming Governor of Spain, his son and able subordinates were making substantial enterprises in Spain, and his gubernatorial term was extended during his consulship in 52 BC, with several more years to run. He was unwilling to terminate it prematurely.
Due to Pompey’s unwillingness to take a stance, the standoff between both sides lasted for several months, and Pompey even faced persistent pursuit and attacks from Little Curio, rendering his entire third consul term under scrutiny and assault, leaving him in a messy situation.
Time was dragged past the scheduled March 1st final vote for Caesar’s term.
By summer, the Senate made a decision: To draw one legion from under Pompey and another from under Caesar, then dispatch these troops to reinforce the Roman Army at the Parthian border.