Eamonn Fitzgerald's Rainy Day

I'll be blogging from Rome next week and this prospect has got me thinking about history, power, alliances and trouble with the Gauls and the Germans. There's a long history of it — trouble, that is. Highly amusing, therefore, is "Bloggus Caesari, A weblog by Julius Caesar", who describes himself as "The original warblogger". The Governor of Gaul updates his site regularly from the front lines and here's a rather pertinent post:

"Some of you have questioned why we intervene in Gaul at all. I too have been thinking about it, especially in light of these recent uprisings. The Gauls are fickle, and their constantly shifting allegiances are difficult to manage. Because of recent events even our longstanding allies the Aedui are suspect, for example.

Now, of course their are material resources to be had in Gaul, and this provides a reason for conquest — for who wants to conquer a barren land? But there are resources everywhere in the known world. What matters is the cost of extraction. In this case, the Gaul's lack of unity works to Roman advantage; as separate tribes, they are easier to master than such united peoples as the Parthians. But it also means they are easier for other nations to dominate, and this brings us to the strongest reason for intervention in Gaul, one that transcends Rome's need for resources. We need a Romanized Gaul to act as a buffer against the Germans.

When I started as governor, Gaul tribes had begun a dangerous practice of requesting German help with their intertribal conflicts. As you know, this led to my war with Ariovistus. Without Roman intervention, Germans would overpower Gaul and settle their people there, which would create an unacceptable situation: a powerful, warlike people on Rome's northern border. So, ultimately, the war in Gaul is not about Gaul — it's about Gaul's more powerful neighbour, Germany.

Got to be vigilant with these tribes, eh?