Narrative in Eighth Book of the " Gallic War" 31 



Hirtius does not indicate whether Labienus was present at the 

 review or was already in Italy at the time when he was placed in 

 charge of the province. The frequency of the reports concerning 

 him, together with the fact that the army remained in the Tre- 

 veran country, probably, long enough to make it desirable to shift 

 its camping ground from time to time, warns us that the period 

 between the review and Caesar's final departure for Italy must 

 not be made too short. 



At last Caesar sent his legions into winter quarters, while he 

 himself proceeded to Cisalpine Gaul (c. 54, 4-5). The distance 

 from Augusta Treverorum to Augusta Praetoria via the Little St. 

 Bernard was nearly 520 m. p. Caesar and his army had prob- 

 ably not moved far from the scene of the review in their changes 

 of camping ground. The time necessary for Caesar's journey 

 may be reckoned at eight days. The total time for the various 

 estimates made becomes sixty-one days (i2-|-io-|-6-|-24+i 

 -1-8), exclusive of Caesar's tour of Cisalpine Gaul and of the 

 period between the review and Caesar's final departure for Italy. 



It must be admitted that such calculations as those made above 

 run no little risk of error. The rates of travel in the case of 

 Caesar, couriers, and legions, may have been, but probably were 

 not, more rapid than assumed ; orders to march to the Treveran 

 country may have been despatched to the more distant legions 

 while Caesar was enroute to Nemetocenna, although this is not the 

 natural inference to be drawn from c. 52, i, and was certainly not 

 true of the legions at Nemetocenna; the place of review, too, may 

 have been in the western part of the Treveran country, which 

 would somewhat reduce the marching time of the legions quar- 

 tered among the Turoni. On the other hand, the news of the 

 augural election may have come to Caesar later than twelve days 

 after the election ; it has been assumed also that the review took 

 place at the earliest possible date after the assembling of the 

 legions; again, it is possible that a portion of the army did come 

 from the country of the Lemovices and from a point as far south 

 as Argentat. If it be granted, as may be done with due regard 

 for probabilities, that Caesar sent marching orders to the legions 

 farthest from the place of review while he was on his northward 



323 



