Several Gallic Tribes Join Forces
Accordingly the two most extensive tribes, the Insubres
note
and Boii, joined in the despatch of messengers
to the tribes living about the Alps and on the
Rhone, who from a word which means "serving for hire," are
called Gaesatae. To their kings Concolitanus and Aneroetes
they offered a large sum of gold on the spot; and, for the future,
pointed out to them the greatness of the wealth of Rome, and
all the riches of which they would become possessed, if they
took it. In these attempts to inflame their cupidity and induce
them to join the expedition against Rome they easily succeeded.
For they added to the above arguments pledges of their own
alliance; and reminded them of the campaign of their own
ancestors in which they had seized Rome itself, and had been
masters of all it contained, as well as the city itself, for seven
months; and had at last evacuated it of their own free will,
and restored it by an act of free grace, returning unconquered
and scatheless with the booty to their own land. These arguments made the leaders so eager for the expedition, that there
never at any other time came from that part of Gaul a larger
host, or one consisting of more notable warriors. Meanwhile,
the Romans, informed of what was coming, partly by report
and partly by conjecture, were in such a state of constant alarm
and excitement, that they hurriedly enrolled legions, collected
supplies, and sent out their forces to the frontier, as though
the enemy were already in their territory, before the Gauls
had stirred from their own lands.
It was this movement of the Gauls that, more than anything
else, helped the Carthaginians to consolidate their power in
-- 120 --
Iberia. For the Romans, as I have said, looked upon the
Celtic question as the more pressing one of the two, as being so
near home; and were forced to wink at what was going on in
Iberia, in their anxiety to settle it satisfactorily first. Having,
therefore, put their relations with the Carthaginians on a safe
footing by the treaty with Hasdrubal, which I spoke of a short
time back, note they gave an undivided attention to the Celtic war,
convinced that their interest demanded that a decisive battle
should be fought with them.
