23.
The night following the embassadors bring back his answer to their countrymen and
prepare the hostages. Embassadors flock in from the other states,
which were waiting for the issue of the [war with the] Bellovaci:
they give hostages, and receive his orders; all except Comius,
whose fears restrained him from intrusting his safety to any person's honor. For
the year before, while Caesar was holding the assizes
in Hither Gaul, Titus
Labienus, having discovered that Comius was tampering
with the state, and raising a conspiracy against Caesar, thought he might punish his infidelity without perfidy; but
judging that he would not come to his camp at his invitation, and unwilling to
put him on his guard by the attempt, he sent Caius Volusenus
Quadratus, with orders to have him put to death under pretense of
conference. To effect his purpose, he sent with him some chosen centurions. When
they came to the conference, and Volusenus, as had been
agreed on, had taken hold of Comius by the hand, and one of the
centurions, as if surprised at so uncommon an incident, attempted to kill him,
he was prevented by the friends of Comius, but wounded him severely
in the head by the first blow. Swords were drawn on both sides, not so much with
a design to fight as to effect an escape, our men believing that
Comius had received a mortal stroke; and the Gauls, from the treachery which they had seen, dreading
that a deeper design lay concealed. Upon this transaction, it was said that
Comius made a resolution never to come within sight of any
Roman.
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