Map of the general divisions of Gaul at the outset of the Gallic Wars (Caesar's Gallic War 1.1). From Napoleon III, History of Julius Caesar Volume 2 (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1866), plate 1.
Map of Gaul at the time of Caesar's consulship, showing locations of peoples and regions (Caesar's Gallic War 1.1). From William Rainey Harper and Herbert Cushing Tolman, Eight Books of Caesar’s Gallic War (New York: American Book Company, 1891), pp. 64-65.
Dan Plekhov (Dickinson '14) created this map of places and peoples mentioned in Caesar's Gallic War, with advice and guidance from Christopher Francese (Dickinson) and Andrew Riggsby (University of Texas). In the summer of 2013 Dan did substantial research on geography in Caesar, reading through all of the Gallic War through Book 6, and making a comprehensive list of places and ethnic names mentioned. To create the map he used ArcGIS, and data from various sources, including NASA, ESRI, and Brill's New Pauly Historical Atlas.
Subductīs nāvibus, conciliōque Gallōrum Samarobrīvae perāctō, quod eō annō frūmentum in Galliā propter siccitātēs angustius prōvēnerat, coāctus est aliter āc superiōribus annīs exercitum in hībernīs collocāre, legiōnēsque in plūrēs cīvitātēs distribuere. Ex quibus ūnam in Morinōs dūcendam C. Fabiō lēgātō dedit, alteram in Nerviōs Q. Cicerōnī, tertiam in Esubiōs L. Rōsciō; quārtam in Rēmīs cum T. Labiēnō in cōnfīniō Trēverōrum hiemāre iussit. Trēs in Belgīs collocāvit: eīs M. Crassum quaestōrem et L. Munātium Plancum et C. Trebōnium lēgātōs praefēcit. Ūnam legiōnem, quam proximē trāns Padum cōnscrīpserat, et cohortēs V in Ebūrōnēs, quōrum pars māxima est inter Mosam āc Rhēnum, quī sub imperiō Ambiorīgis et Catuvolcī erant, mīsit. Eīs mīlitibus Q. Titūrium Sabīnum et L. Aurunculēium Cottam lēgātōs praeesse iussit. Ad hunc modum distribūtīs legiōnibus facillimē inopiae frūmentāriae sēsē medērī posse exīstimāvit. Atque hārum tamen omnium legiōnum hīberna, praeter eam quam L. Rōsciō in pācātissimam et quiētissimam partem dūcendam dederat, mīlibus passuum centum continēbantur. Ipse intereā, quoad legiōnēs collocātās mūnītaque hīberna cōgnōvisset, in Galliā morārī cōnstituit.
Quibus rēbus perturbātīs nostrīs nōvitāte pūgnae tempore opportūnissimō Caesar auxilium tulit: namque ēius adventū hostēs cōnstitērunt, nostrī sē ex timōre recēpērunt. Quō factō, ad lacēssendum hostem et committendum proelium aliēnum esse tempus arbitrātus suō sē locō continuit et, brevī tempore intermīssō, in castra legiōnēs redūxit. Dum haec geruntur, nostrīs omnibus occupātīs, quī erant in agrīs reliquī discessērunt. Secūtae sunt continuōs complūrēs diēs tempestātēs quae et nostrōs in castrīs continērent et hostem ā pūgnā prohibērent. Interim barbarī nūntiōs in omnēs partēs dīmīsērunt paucitātemque nostrōrum mīlitum suīs praedicāvērunt et quanta praedae faciendae atque in perpetuum suī līberandī facultās darētur, sī Rōmānōs castrīs expulissent, dēmōnstrāvērunt. Hīs rēbus celeriter māgnā multitūdine peditātūs equitātūsque coāctā ad castra vēnērunt.
Eōdem diē lēgātī ab hostibus mīssī ad Caesarem dē pāce vēnērunt.
Quibus rēbus perturbātīs nostrīs nōvitāte pūgnae tempore opportūnissimō Caesar auxilium tulit: namque ēius adventū hostēs cōnstitērunt, nostrī sē ex timōre recēpērunt. Quō factō, ad lacēssendum hostem et committendum proelium aliēnum esse tempus arbitrātus suō sē locō continuit et, brevī tempore intermīssō, in castra legiōnēs redūxit. Dum haec geruntur, nostrīs omnibus occupātīs, quī erant in agrīs reliquī discessērunt. Secūtae sunt continuōs complūrēs diēs tempestātēs quae et nostrōs in castrīs continērent et hostem ā pūgnā prohibērent. Interim barbarī nūntiōs in omnēs partēs dīmīsērunt paucitātemque nostrōrum mīlitum suīs praedicāvērunt et quanta praedae faciendae atque in perpetuum suī līberandī facultās darētur, sī Rōmānōs castrīs expulissent, dēmōnstrāvērunt. Hīs rēbus celeriter māgnā multitūdine peditātūs equitātūsque coāctā ad castra vēnērunt.
Genus hōc est ex essedīs pūgnae. Prīmō per omnēs partēs perequitant et tēla cōiciunt atque ipsō terrōre equōrum et strepitū rotārum ōrdinēs plērumque perturbant et, cum sē inter equitum turmās īnsinuāvērunt, ex essedīs dēsiliunt et pedibus proeliantur. Aurīgae interim paulātim ex proeliō excēdunt atque ita currūs collocant ut, sī illī ā multitūdine hostium premantur, expedītum ad suōs receptum habeant. Ita mōbilitātem equitum, stabilitātem peditum in proeliīs praestant, āc tantum ūsū cotīdiānō et exercitātiōne efficiunt utī in dēclīvī āc praecipitī locō incitātōs equōs sustinēre et brevī moderārī āc flectere et per tēmōnem percurrere et in iugō īnsistere et sē inde in currūs citissimē recipere cōnsuērint.
Dum ea geruntur, legiōne ex cōnsuētūdine ūnā frūmentātum mīssā quae appellābātur septima, neque ūllā ad id tempus bellī suspīciōne interpositā, cum pars hominum in agrīs remanēret, pars etiam in castra ventitāret, eī quī prō portīs castrōrum in statiōne erant Caesarī nūntiāvērunt pulverem māiōrem quam cōnsuētūdō ferret in eā parte vidērī quam in partem legiō iter fēcisset. Caesar id quod erat suspicātus, aliquid novī ā barbarīs initum cōnsilī, cohortēs quae in statiōnibus erant sēcum in eam partem proficīscī, ex reliquīs duās in statiōnem succēdere, reliquās armārī et cōnfestim sēsē subsequī iussit. Cum paulō longius ā castrīs prōcessisset, suōs ab hostibus premī atque aegrē sustinēre et cōnfertā legiōne ex omnibus partibus tēla cōicī animadvertit. Nam quod omnī ex reliquīs partibus dēmessō frūmentō pars ūna erat reliqua, suspicātī hostēs hūc nostrōs esse ventūrōs noctū in silvīs dēlituerant; tum dispersōs, dēpositīs armīs in metendō occupātōs subitō adortī, paucīs interfectīs reliquōs incertīs ōrdinibus perturbāverant, simul equitātū atque essedīs circumdederant.
At Caesar, etsī nōndum eōrum cōnsilia cōgnōverat, tamen et ex ēventū nāvium suārum et ex eō quod obsidēs dare intermīserant fore id quod accīdit suspicābātur. Itaque ad omnēs cāsūs subsidia comparābat. Nam et frūmentum ex agrīs cotīdiē in castra cōnferēbat et, quae gravissimē adflīctae erant nāvēs, eārum māteriā atque aere ad reliquās reficiendās ūtēbātur et quae ad eās rēs erant ūsuī ex continentī comportārī iubēbat. Itaque, cum summō studiō ā mīlitibus administrārētur, XII nāvibus āmīssīs, reliquīs ut nāvigārī satis commodē posset effēcit.
Quibus rēbus cōgnitīs, prīncipēs Britanniae, quī post proelium ad Caesarem convēnerant, inter sē conlocūtī, cum equitēs et nāvēs et frūmentum Rōmānīs deësse intellegerent et paucitātem mīlitum ex castrōrum exiguitāte cōgnōscerent, quae hōc erant etiam angustiōra quod sine impedīmentīs Caesar legiōnēs trānsportāverat, optimum factū esse dūxērunt, rebelliōne factā, frūmentō commeātūque nostrōs prohibēre et rem in hiemem prōdūcere, quod eīs superātīs aut reditū interclūsīs nēminem posteā bellī īnferendī causā in Britanniam trānsitūrum cōnfīdēbant. Itaque, rūrsus coniūrātiōne factā, paulātim ex castrīs discēdere āc suōs clam ex agrīs dēdūcere coepērunt.