II.

CESAR IN BRITAIN.

IN the year 55 B.C. Caius Julius Cæsar, who had been appointed four years before to a five years' command in Gaul,1 had conquered the whole of that country. The conquest, indeed, was not as complete as he seems to have imagined. Again and again the people rose against him, and five years more of fighting were required before the work could be said to have been thoroughly done. Still towards the end of the campaigning season in 55 he had carried his arms as far as the Ocean on the west, the Channel on the north, and the Rhine on the east. He had even crossed the Rhine, and ravaged the territory of certain German tribes beyond it. Then, after the manner of conquerors, he looked about for fresh enterprises in which to employ his troops, and it occurred to him to invade the neighbouring island of Britain. One of

This command was voted, as the result of a political compact, in 59. In the following year Cæsar left Rome for his province, which included Illyricum and the two divisions of Gaul (south and north of the Alps). Illyricum and Cisalpine Gaul were already Roman provinces, as was also, in Transalpine Gaul, the region known as the Provincia, South-eastern France, reaching northwards as far as the Cevennes, and westward to the Upper Garonne.

CESAR PREPARES TO CROSS.

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his reasons, as he states it himself in his Commentaries (ie., Notes on his Campaigns), was that he had found that the natives of Britain were in the habit of assisting the Gaul in their resistance to his armies. It may, however, be doubted whether this consideration weighed much with him. With the Channel commanded, as it was, by Roman fleets, the Britons could have given but very little help to their neighbours across the sea. The summer was nearly over, but he thought that there would be time for what may be called a reconnaissance in force. Information about the island, its population, harbours, &c., which he had hitherto tried in vain to get, might thus be acquired, and would be useful in case he should see fit to make afterwards a more regular expedition. His first step was to send one Volusenus to reconnoitre the country. While he was awaiting his return, envoys arrived from several of the British tribes offering submission. He received them courteously, encouraged them to persevere in their good resolutions, and sent them. back, in company with one Commius, a friendly Gaul, with the message that he should soon come in person to receive the submission of their countrymen. In four days' time Volusenus came back, having learnt, as Cæsar sarcastically remarks, as much as was possible for one who had never ventured to leave his ship. Meanwhile Cæsar had been busy preparing the means of transport. Eighty merchant ships were collected. These, with such ships of war as he had at command, would, he judged, be sufficient to carry across his army. But he had also eighteen other vessels, which were set apart for the transport of the

cavalry. The force which he proposed to employ consisted of two legions.

He set sail on the 27th of August, about three o'clock in the morning. At ten o'clock he sighted land, probably somewhere near Dover. The coast, he observed, was lined with armed forces of natives, and the "hills" (by which, doubtless, he means cliffs) were so near to the sea, that a javelin could easily be thrown from them on to the shore. The place therefore seemed unsuitable for landing. Accordingly he cast anchor, and waited till three o'clock in the afternoon for the rest of the fleet to come up. Meanwhile the higher officers were summoned to meet on his ship, and received instructions for their conduct of the landing of the troops. When all stragglers had come up, he gave the signal to weigh anchor, and having wind and tide in his favour, moved seven miles northward, probably to the neighbourhood of Deal, where the shore was level.

As soon as the Roman ships began to move, the Britons followed them along the coast, the cavalry and chariots galloping on in advance. The landing was not effected without great difficulty. The ships drew so much water that they could not come very near to the land, and the soldiers, heavily weighted as they were with their arms and armour, had to jump off into deep water, get what footing they could among the breakers, and so make their way to land. The enemy, on the other hand, either standing on dry ground, or advancing a little way into the water, harassed them with showers of missiles. It is not to be wondered at that, under these circumstances, the

(From the original in the British Museum.)

Roman legionaries did not show quite as much alacrity and "dash" as they were accustomed to display in battles on land. Their general did what he could to help and encourage them. He detached the ships of war from the rest of the fleet, and used them to make a diversion on the flank of the enemy. Their decks were manned with slingers and archers, and there were also catapults of the light, movable kind. A sharp fire was kept up on the Britons, who began to retreat out of range, and left clear the approach to the shore. Still the difficulty of the deep water remained. While the soldiers were hesitating to jump, the officer who carried the eagle of the tenth legion set them the example. After a brief prayer that his act might turn out well for the legion, he cried with a loud voice, "Leap down, men, unless you wish to betray your eagle to the enemy; I shall certainly have done my duty to my country and my general." The same moment he leapt boldly into the water, and began to struggle shorewards, holding the eagle in his hands. The soldiers in his ship to a man followed his example, and these again were backed up by the rest of the army.

Still there was a fierce struggle before a landing could be effected. The Romans could scarcely find a footing. As for keeping their ranks or following their standards, it was impossible. The enemy, on the other hand, who not only had the stronger position, but also knew the ground thoroughly, attacked them with every advantage on their side. Nevertheless their resistance was ineffectual. Cæsar manned the boats belonging to the ships of war, and sent them