47.
Two days after, Ariovistus sends embassadors to Caesar, to state "that he wished to treat with him about those
things which had been begun to be treated of between them, but had not been
concluded;" [and to beg] that "he would either again appoint a day for a
conference; or, if he were not willing to do that, that he would send one of his
[officers] as an embassador to him." There did not appear to Caesar any good reason for holding a conference; and the more so as
the day before the Germans could not be restrained
from casting weapons at our men. He thought he should not without great danger
send to him as embassador one of his [Roman]
officers, and should expose him to savage men. It seemed [therefore] most proper
to send to him C. Valerius Procillus, the son of C. Valerius Caburus, a young man of the highest courage
and accomplishments (whose father had been presented with the freedom of the
city by C. Valerius Flaccus), both on account of his
fidelity and on account of his knowledge of the Gallic language,
which Ariovistus, by long practice, now spoke fluently; and because
in his case the Germans would have no motive for
committing violence; and [as his colleague] M. Mettius,
who had shared the hospitality of Ariovistus. He commissioned them
to learn what Ariovistus had to say, and to report to him. But when
Ariovistus saw them before him in his camp, he cried out in the
presence of his army, "Why were they come to him? Was it for the purpose of
acting as spies?" He stopped them when attempting to speak, and cast them into
chains.
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