Hello and welcome to this episode of epochs where I should be once again continuing my narrative of the decline and fall of the Roman Republic, carrying on with Caesar's campaigns in Gaul. I think what I'll do is one episode per book of his narrative of his wars in Gaul. So we're up to book three of eight. And this time we're talking about the very end of 57 BC and the year

56 BC, which was a really, really busy year. I mean, they're all busy years, but this one's

particularly busy. And yet it's one of the shorter chapters, so I'll probably read it almost in its

entirety. But a lot goes on. So there's an unsuccessful campaign in the Alps. That is right at the end of 57 BC.

There's a big fight continuing fight on the Atlantic coast. If remember last time, Caesar sort of gave the impression that Krasas, that is the Krasis's son, the son of Krasis, had sort of mopped up everything there. Well, he hadn't, or rather, maybe he had,

but rebellions just break out immediately. Also, we're told he has a victorious campaign in

Aquitania, which is more central and southern France, Gaul, and then an indecisive campaign

against the Marini. So not everything always goes Caesar's way. So far in our story of

Caesar and Gaul, he's been more or less undefeated, hasn't he? Everything's essentially gone his way.

There was the Halvetti, which he was able to sweep aside, more or less without too much trouble.

There was the Ariovistus Affair, which he was also, you know, ultimately completely successful in.

Then there was the Belgian coalition with one or two minor reverses or setbacks, but essentially

just completely victorious again. Well, things start to go awry a little bit for Caesar here or there.

So let's start chronicling it.

Let's jump straight in.

So Caesar tells us this, towards the end of 57 BC, about his unsuccessful campaign in the Alps.

We're told, quote, when Caesar was starting for Italy, he sent Servius Galba with the 12th Legion and a detachment of cavalry to the territories of the

Nantuantes, Viragri and Suduni, which extend from the frontier of the Aliburgis, the Lake of

Geneva and the Rome to the higher Alps. Once again, I'll put a map up so everyone can see exactly

what we're talking about here. His object was to open up the route over the Alps,

by which invaders travelled only at great risk and on payment of heavy tolls.

Galba was authorised to quarter his legion in the district for the winter, if he thought it necessary.

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