nardnob
Magistrate
Disclaimer -- Really, I'm a nice guy! 
1. Prologue: The Gallic Wars
Julius Caesar's campaigns in Gaul (58-51 BC) are collectively termed the Gallic Wars. In 58 BC, Gallic agitation against the Suevi, a German tribe that had recently conquered territory in Gaul, and the threat of invasion by the Helvetii, a Celtic tribe from the area that is now Switzerland, gave Caesar a pretext to advance his career through war. Lack of cavalry support almost caused Caesar's defeat by the Helvetii at Bibracte, but his legions rallied and forced the Helvetii to withdraw (58). In the same year Caesar's army defeated and killed the Suevi's leader Ariovistus in Alsace after a hard campaign.
In 57, Caesar successfully met the attacks of the Gallic tribes of the Belgae and Nervii and established Roman control over what is now Belgium and northern France. The following year he conquered the Atlantic coast, thus isolating the central Gallic tribes, and massacred the German Usipites and Tencteri, who had entered Belgium. His invasions of Germany (55) and Britain (55 and 54) accomplished little but provided much publicity for Caesar.
The winter of 54 and most of 53 were spent in suppressing sporadic revolts in northern Gaul. The biggest threat came in 52 when a coalition of tribes in central Gaul under Vercingetorix (chieftain of the Averni) rose against the Romans. Caesar finally besieged Vercingetorix at Alesia. Famine overcame the defenders while Caesar's troops defeated a Gallic rear attack. Vercingetorix was brought to Rome, exhibited in Caesar's triumphal march, and executed. Serious Gallic resistance had now ended, but minor uprisings caused Caesar considerable frustration during 51 BC.
The Gallic Wars provided Caesar with wealth, a trained loyal army, and enormous popularity to use against his rivals at Rome.
2. Entertaining the Troops
When we captured Usipite or Tencteri women and girls, we liked to keep them around for as long as practical, to help boost the morale of our men so far from home. But always mindful of maintaining our strategic mobility, the practicalities as they were usually dictated they would be our honored guests for only a few days to a week at most. If fortunate, orders to break camp would come soon after news of perceived threat or opportunity, and the prisoner's throats were cut on-the-spot.
If not so lucky, men with idle time on their hands enthusiastically invented , perfected, practiced and taught to their comrades blood-craving rituals of torture-rape and murder. Barbarian females were usually executed in familial groups, but sometimes individually or together in multiple groups.
The following has been excerpted from officer's journals, describing some of these rituals in graphic detail.
Be forewarned, the reading ahead may be offensive to some civilized sensibilities!
1. Prologue: The Gallic Wars
Julius Caesar's campaigns in Gaul (58-51 BC) are collectively termed the Gallic Wars. In 58 BC, Gallic agitation against the Suevi, a German tribe that had recently conquered territory in Gaul, and the threat of invasion by the Helvetii, a Celtic tribe from the area that is now Switzerland, gave Caesar a pretext to advance his career through war. Lack of cavalry support almost caused Caesar's defeat by the Helvetii at Bibracte, but his legions rallied and forced the Helvetii to withdraw (58). In the same year Caesar's army defeated and killed the Suevi's leader Ariovistus in Alsace after a hard campaign.
In 57, Caesar successfully met the attacks of the Gallic tribes of the Belgae and Nervii and established Roman control over what is now Belgium and northern France. The following year he conquered the Atlantic coast, thus isolating the central Gallic tribes, and massacred the German Usipites and Tencteri, who had entered Belgium. His invasions of Germany (55) and Britain (55 and 54) accomplished little but provided much publicity for Caesar.
The winter of 54 and most of 53 were spent in suppressing sporadic revolts in northern Gaul. The biggest threat came in 52 when a coalition of tribes in central Gaul under Vercingetorix (chieftain of the Averni) rose against the Romans. Caesar finally besieged Vercingetorix at Alesia. Famine overcame the defenders while Caesar's troops defeated a Gallic rear attack. Vercingetorix was brought to Rome, exhibited in Caesar's triumphal march, and executed. Serious Gallic resistance had now ended, but minor uprisings caused Caesar considerable frustration during 51 BC.
The Gallic Wars provided Caesar with wealth, a trained loyal army, and enormous popularity to use against his rivals at Rome.
2. Entertaining the Troops
When we captured Usipite or Tencteri women and girls, we liked to keep them around for as long as practical, to help boost the morale of our men so far from home. But always mindful of maintaining our strategic mobility, the practicalities as they were usually dictated they would be our honored guests for only a few days to a week at most. If fortunate, orders to break camp would come soon after news of perceived threat or opportunity, and the prisoner's throats were cut on-the-spot.
If not so lucky, men with idle time on their hands enthusiastically invented , perfected, practiced and taught to their comrades blood-craving rituals of torture-rape and murder. Barbarian females were usually executed in familial groups, but sometimes individually or together in multiple groups.
The following has been excerpted from officer's journals, describing some of these rituals in graphic detail.
Be forewarned, the reading ahead may be offensive to some civilized sensibilities!
