36.
To this Ariovistus replied, that "the right of war was, that they
who had conquered should govern those whom they had conquered, in what manner
they pleased; that in that way the Roman people were
wont to govern the nations which they had conquered, not according to the
dictation of any other, but according to their own discretion. If he for his
part did not dictate to the Roman people as to the
manner in which they were to exercise their right, he ought not to be obstructed
by the Roman people in his right; that the
Aedui, inasmuch as they had tried the fortune of war and had
engaged in arms and been conquered, had become tributaries to him; that Caesar was doing a great injustice, in that by his
arrival he was making his revenues less valuable to him; that he should not
restore their hostages to the Aedui, but should not make war
wrongfully either upon them or their allies, if they abided by that which had
been agreed on, and paid their tribute annually: if they did not continue to do
that, the Roman people's name of 'brothers' would
avail them naught. As to Caesar's threatening him, that
he would not overlook the wrongs of the Aedui, [he said] that no
one had ever entered into a contest with him [Ariovistus] without
utter ruin to himself. That Caesar might enter the
lists when he chose; he would feel what the invincible Germans, well-trained [as they were] beyond all others to arms, who
for fourteen years had not been beneath a roof, could achieve by their valor."
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