Illyricum

As for Caesar's colleague Bibulus, since he availed nothing by obstructing Caesar's laws, but often ran the risk with Cato of being killed in the forum, he shut himself up at home for the remainder of his term of office.

Pompey, however, immediately after his marriage, filled the forum with armed men and helped the people to enact Caesar's laws, and give him as his consular province Gaul, on both sides of the Alps, for five years, together with Illyricum and four legions.

Cato, of course, tried to speak against these measures, but Caesar had him led off to prison, supposing that he would appeal to popular tribunes.

But when Cato walked off without a word, and Caesar saw not only that the most influential men were displeased, but also that the populace, out of respect for Cato's virtue, were following him in silence and with downcast looks, he himself secretly asked one of the tribunes to take Cato out of arrest.

Whereupon the Senate broke up, and the senators put on the garb of mourning in view of the dissension.

Chapter thirty-one.

But presently letters came from Caesar in which he appeared to take a more moderate position, for he agreed to surrender everything else, but demanded that Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum, together with two legions, should be given him until he stood for his second consulship.

Cicero the orator, too, who had just returned from Cilicia and was busy with a reconciliation, tried to mollify Pompey.

So, as you'll see...

Pompey and Crassus, who at the time were still Caesar's boys, worked some behind-the-scenes political magic and were able to get Caesar assigned to the governorship of Cisalpine Gaul, Gaul on the Italian side of the Alps, and Illyricum on the eastern side of the Adriatic, along with three legions for a term of five years.

So, this bought Caesar an additional five years free from prosecution because a governorship came with what was called a proconsulship and imperium of those provinces, so once again he was shielded from prosecution.

Right, and I have to imagine a lot can happen over the span of five years, right?

The devastating incursions of the Cimbri and Tutani at the end of the second century before Christ were followed, after an interval of thirty years, by the invasion of the German chieftain Ariovistus, and, a few years later, by the appearance of marauders from Switzerland on the right bank of the Rhone.

Thus, when Caesar was appointed governor of Illyricum and Gaul, his tenure of office was likely to be eventful, especially as his commission apparently gave him the right to include the whole of independent Gaul north of the province within his sphere of action.

His appointment carried with it the command of an army consisting of four legions, perhaps about twenty thousand men.

One of them was quartered in Transalpine Gaul; the other three were at Aquileia, near the site of the modern Trieste.

At the same time Caesar was informed by Publius Crassus, whom he had sent with a single legion to the territories of the Veneti, Veneli, Usismi, Coriosolites, Isuvii, Alerchi, and Radones, maritime tribes whose country reaches the ocean, that all of them had been brought completely under the dominion of the Roman people.

These operations resulted in the pacification of the whole Gaul, and the natives were so impressed by the story of the campaign which reached them that the peoples who dwelt beyond the Rhine sent envoys to Caesar, promising to give hostages and fulfill his commands.

Being anxious to get to Italy and Illyricum without delay, he ordered the envoys to return to him at the commencement of the following summer.

Quartering his legions for the winter in the territories of the Carnutes, Andes, Torone, and other tribes which were nearer the theater of the recent campaign, he started for Italy.

The other is that the barbarian chiefs who attacked the empire asked for and were proud of its honors and titles.

Alaric, king of the Goths, insisted at the same time on being recognized as an officer in the Roman service, the master general of Illyricum.

His successor, Atholf, while conquering in Gaul and Wallia, while conquering in Spain, professed to restore these provinces to the obedience of Honorius.

But nevertheless, the great revolution which was to override all resisting forces and the deeply planted habits of ages had come.

By the power of signs and wonders through the power of the Spirit of God.

So from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ Jesus.

We should be like that.

We should be just like that.