Autun, and after a terrible battle, which raged from noon until night,
were defeated with great slaughter (58). The survivors, about one
third, were treated kindly, and most of them sent back to Switzerland.

Caesar now turned his attention to the Germans who had settled west of
the Rhine. After several fruitless attempts at negotiation, during
which the bad faith of Ariovistus became conspicuous, the forces came
together. Though the Germans were brave, they were no match for the
drilled legionaries, who fought with the regularity of a machine. Few
of the barbarians escaped, but among these was Ariovistus.

The campaigns of this year being ended, the legions were sent into
winter quarters among the Sequanians under Labiénus, the lieutenant of
Caesar. He himself went into Cisalpine Gaul to attend to his duties as
administrator, and to have communication with his friends at Rome.


THE WAR WITH THE BELGAE.

While Caesar was in Hither Gaul, he learned from Labiénus that the
BELGAE were forming a league to resist the Romans. This people
occupied the northeastern part of Gaul, and embraced several tribes,
of which the principal were the REMI, BELLOVACI, SUESSIÓNES, and
NERVII. The last were the fiercest and least civilized.

Caesar raised two new legions, making eight in all, and marched
against the Belgae as soon as the spring opened. His sudden approach
alarmed the Remi, who lived nearest to Central Gaul, and they
immediately put themselves under his protection. From them he learned
that the Belgae could muster about 300,000 men.