53 BC
A Gallic prince named Ambiorix fomented several revolts against the Romans who were invading the free lands of Gaul. Several tribes joined the prince to fight against the invaders: Trier, Menapii, Carnutes, Senones and Eburones. Caesar, taken aback by this revolt, had to reorganize the army to quell it quickly; the Gauls were able to obtain victories, however Caesar didn't allow herself to be demoralized and counterattacked violently, cruelly raiding the Menapii and subduing the other rebels.
Ambiorix was not a riot like others, he was as cunning as a fox and as aggressive as a hungry bear. He forcefully attacked the legionaries together with a handful of men and quickly fled into the wilderness. Ambiorix's occasional attacks, while not a real threat, were annoying for Caesar, who was losing patience in continuing to hunt down that man. The more time passed, the more violent she became. One day she publicly flogged five alleged rebels and then had them executed with extreme brutality to avenge the death of some of her legionaries.
Caesar's cruelty became known throughout Gaul and Ambiorix became increasingly popular with the rebels, but he made one mistake: he put too much faith in the Germans. Some of Germany were happy to help the Romans and they were informers of that land to reveal that Ambiorix, despite his various movements, always returned home among the Eburones. It was precisely the Eburones who protected Ambiorix, it was they who provided the greatest contribution to the war and it was in their tribe that his children and his wife lived.
"If he wants to keep fighting, so be it, but I will teach him a lesson he will never forget."
Caesar surrounded the village of the Eburones, with a quick battle she destroyed the enemy army, after the clashes, however, the legions remained in place. If she had been any village, Caesar, would have accepted the slaves and the wealth of the place. But this was no ordinary village. With the defeat of the army in defense of the tribe, Caesar ordered to massacre every single inhabitant of that place. Fields and houses were burned and tens of thousands of civilians were killed. With that abominable move, Caesar exterminated an entire population. With the extermination of the Eburones also the struggle of Ambiorix came to an end. Nobody knows the fate of the brave rebel.
"This is goodbye," Divitiacus said as soon as he entered Caesar's tent.
"Are you leaving, then?" she asked that question without showing any signs of surprise or sadness.
"I'm sorry, I've seen too much violence to forgive you. By now I've realized that I have made a mistake. You have not been chosen by the Gods, you're just a monster that craves war, I cannot tolerate your presence. I will return to the Aedui, Caesar, so this is goodbye. "
"Divitiacus," she said before he could leave the tent "judge me as you wish, I won't oppose it, but don't make the mistake of facing me, it's not convenient for you."
"And what's better for me? Accept your domain? Bow my head as you pass?"
"You can be as witty as you want, Divitiacus, but you know what I'm talking about. What you better do is drop your arms when you are in front of me, because I can accept the opposition but I won't tolerate rebellion. I'll let you have the chance to express yourself as you wish, but I'll prevent you from taking up arms against me."
He turned and asked:
"Why?"
"Because you're my friend," she smiled pityingly, "and I want to do you a favor. If you face me on the battlefield you're dead."
52 BC
The Arverni were the most aggressive population of Gaul and at the death of their king they agreed to be commanded by a warrior whose fame was known throughout Gaul: Vercingetorix. The new leader of the Gauls urged the populations, who had been unjustly enslaved by Rome, to rebel against Caesar.
By now in Gaul for a long time, Caesar had learned many things about the culture of the place and when she learned of the Vercingetorix rebellion she took care to summon the chiefs of the most faithful and powerful tribes; her purpose was clearly to avoid being surrounded by enemies on every front. Caesar turned to the Aedui, the historical allies of Rome, and looked for Divitiacus in particular but he had disappeared, however in his place he received Coto, the commander of the cavalry, Cavarillo, commander of the infantry, and Eporedorix, the king of the Aedui.
"We will never take sides against Rome," said Coto, bowing his head in the presence of Caesar.
"This Vercingetorix is just a madman, you have nothing to fear from us," Cavarillo added.
The last to speak was the king of the Aedui, and he said these words to Caesar, looking into her eyes:
"Divitiacus, before leaving the tribe and disappearing into the fog, he told me to be careful with you Romans. Your strength is sure great, no one can deny it, but it's second only to your cruelty. I know what you have done to the Eburones. I know the fate of those poor people and I ask: what fate will it be for us?"
From the expressions of Coto and Cavarillo it was clear that the two did not associate themselves with the opinions of their sovereign. Caesar, remaining calm in her manner, replied politely:
"The fate of your people is the same as that of anyone who is an ally of Rome. Your people have known neither hunger nor poverty in recent years only thanks to Rome."
"I don't deny what comes before my eyes, Caesar."
"So why do you seem to have problems with us?"
"Precisely because I don't deny the facts, I fear for my people. What will we be allowed to do under the rule of Rome? Will I still be respected as king or will I be deposed and forgotten as a common plebeian? Will the Aedui fall like the Eburons?"
"You know perfectly well that I have never threatened your power, you're aware of the fact that I have done nothing but save you and you also know that Divitiacus is a dear friend of mine. Your doubts are fueled by fear, not by rationality. The Eburons have suffered a fate deserved. Their 'heroic' stunts have led to their extinction. The Aedui will never suffer the same fate."
"Well," said Eporedorix, "then, if you keep this promise, you will never have to fear any betrayal from us."
The more time passed, the more powerful the figure of Vercingetorix became. The rebels managed to defeat the legions of Rome in some battles and managed to free many tribes; soon various peoples of Germany also joined the cause. Caesar, increasingly frightened by the threat represented by this rebellious figure who was inciting all of Gaul against the Romans, decided to attack Vercingetorix in Avaric; the battle had the precise purpose of putting an end to the rebellion but the rebels managed to evacuate the city and make scorched earth. Vercingetorix knew that the legions needed to eat and starving them was the most effective way to win.
Caesar, however, in addition to being frightened was also amused by that feeling of fear. She didn't know how to explain it, but the idea of having such a formidable enemy made her smile. If she had defeated the most powerful man in Gaul then she would have proved her strength to the Senators in Rome.
But Caesar's crystalline hopes shattered like glass when her spy, Baculus, relayed important information about Vercingetorix. Baculus, being a professional, had prepared a list with all the information obtained but Caesar stopped listening after the first thing said:
"Vercingetorix is a woman."
The man's words, after that statement, were lost in silence. Caesar, with her eyes open, petrified like a statue, began to sweat and bite the inside of his cheek while clenching her fists; she was ready to let out a cry of anger and sadness but she remained silent watching the void, swallowing whenever she thought she was in a dream.
After his exposition was over, Baculus left the tent. Caesar was alone. She got up. Her eyes, glued to nothing, became wet. With her teeth she bit her lip violently and raised her head.
"What is this?" she murmured with a pained smile. With her hands she passed first over her face then through her hair, heaving an unnerved sigh. "What is this? A game? A damn game? Is this it? A fucking game? It was my chance to cement my image as a powerful woman, it was the right time ... and now ... what is it? What conflict is this? A useless battle, wasted time, this land has not been able to give me an opponent worthy of me."
At that moment the girl had the impression of being in a battlefield surrounded only by the corpses of legionaries and barbarians. In that brief but intense hallucination she saw Divitiacus appear holding a small silver skeleton in his hand; the man uttered these words:
"It's up to you."
"NEVER!"
That scream shattered the illusion and Caesar, realizing that she had been deceived by her senses, wiped her tears, took her sword and left the tent determined to put an end to the rebellion.
The girl aimed at Gergovie, the capital of the Arverni, to be able to immediately capture Vercingetorix and kill her, she put the city under siege but her plan did not give birth to the desired results; Vercingetorix's soldiers were able to defend the stone walls with commendable courage, while the legionaries were killed in an attempt to breach the enemy defenses. Caesar refused to grant victory to the opponent and ordered the siege to continue. As the sun went down, the Roman offensive became increasingly weak and the messengers also warned of the arrival of allies.
"Who? Who would ever want to help Vercingetorix?" Caesar asked in shock.
One of the messengers advanced the answer:
"The Aedui."
"Impossible, they are our allies- "
"Not anymore." It was Titus Labienus. "They attacked the soldiers we had stationed in their villages and their king decided to support Vercingetorix's cause."
"So what's going to happen now, Labienus?" the girl was traumatized by that terrible news.
"Now? Now we are against Gaul, Caesar. All of Gaul."
Caesar gave the signal to withdraw to her men. The battle ended with the first real defeat of Gaius Julius Caesar in Gaul. Vercingetorix had defeated the invaders.
After Gergovie more and more tribes sided with Vercingetorix and in a short time much of Gaul opposed Caesar. The leader of the rebellion had gathered all the tribes: Arverni, Ambivareti, Aulerci, Brannovici, Blannovi, Segusiavi, Eleuteti, Cadurci, Gabali, Vellavi, Sequani, Senones, Bituriges, Ruteni, Carnuti, Bellovaci, Lemovici, Turoni, Parisi, Elvezi, Suessioni, Ambiani, Petrocori, Nervii, Morini, Nitiobroges, Cenomani, Veliocasses, Viromandui, Andi, Rauraci, Redoni, Ambibari, Caleti, Veneti, Lexovii, Venelli and finally the Aedui. All those who had been defeated and subdued by Caesar were preparing for the showdown.
A Gallic prince named Ambiorix fomented several revolts against the Romans who were invading the free lands of Gaul. Several tribes joined the prince to fight against the invaders: Trier, Menapii, Carnutes, Senones and Eburones. Caesar, taken aback by this revolt, had to reorganize the army to quell it quickly; the Gauls were able to obtain victories, however Caesar didn't allow herself to be demoralized and counterattacked violently, cruelly raiding the Menapii and subduing the other rebels.
Ambiorix was not a riot like others, he was as cunning as a fox and as aggressive as a hungry bear. He forcefully attacked the legionaries together with a handful of men and quickly fled into the wilderness. Ambiorix's occasional attacks, while not a real threat, were annoying for Caesar, who was losing patience in continuing to hunt down that man. The more time passed, the more violent she became. One day she publicly flogged five alleged rebels and then had them executed with extreme brutality to avenge the death of some of her legionaries.
Caesar's cruelty became known throughout Gaul and Ambiorix became increasingly popular with the rebels, but he made one mistake: he put too much faith in the Germans. Some of Germany were happy to help the Romans and they were informers of that land to reveal that Ambiorix, despite his various movements, always returned home among the Eburones. It was precisely the Eburones who protected Ambiorix, it was they who provided the greatest contribution to the war and it was in their tribe that his children and his wife lived.
"If he wants to keep fighting, so be it, but I will teach him a lesson he will never forget."
Caesar surrounded the village of the Eburones, with a quick battle she destroyed the enemy army, after the clashes, however, the legions remained in place. If she had been any village, Caesar, would have accepted the slaves and the wealth of the place. But this was no ordinary village. With the defeat of the army in defense of the tribe, Caesar ordered to massacre every single inhabitant of that place. Fields and houses were burned and tens of thousands of civilians were killed. With that abominable move, Caesar exterminated an entire population. With the extermination of the Eburones also the struggle of Ambiorix came to an end. Nobody knows the fate of the brave rebel.
"This is goodbye," Divitiacus said as soon as he entered Caesar's tent.
"Are you leaving, then?" she asked that question without showing any signs of surprise or sadness.
"I'm sorry, I've seen too much violence to forgive you. By now I've realized that I have made a mistake. You have not been chosen by the Gods, you're just a monster that craves war, I cannot tolerate your presence. I will return to the Aedui, Caesar, so this is goodbye. "
"Divitiacus," she said before he could leave the tent "judge me as you wish, I won't oppose it, but don't make the mistake of facing me, it's not convenient for you."
"And what's better for me? Accept your domain? Bow my head as you pass?"
"You can be as witty as you want, Divitiacus, but you know what I'm talking about. What you better do is drop your arms when you are in front of me, because I can accept the opposition but I won't tolerate rebellion. I'll let you have the chance to express yourself as you wish, but I'll prevent you from taking up arms against me."
He turned and asked:
"Why?"
"Because you're my friend," she smiled pityingly, "and I want to do you a favor. If you face me on the battlefield you're dead."
52 BC
The Arverni were the most aggressive population of Gaul and at the death of their king they agreed to be commanded by a warrior whose fame was known throughout Gaul: Vercingetorix. The new leader of the Gauls urged the populations, who had been unjustly enslaved by Rome, to rebel against Caesar.
By now in Gaul for a long time, Caesar had learned many things about the culture of the place and when she learned of the Vercingetorix rebellion she took care to summon the chiefs of the most faithful and powerful tribes; her purpose was clearly to avoid being surrounded by enemies on every front. Caesar turned to the Aedui, the historical allies of Rome, and looked for Divitiacus in particular but he had disappeared, however in his place he received Coto, the commander of the cavalry, Cavarillo, commander of the infantry, and Eporedorix, the king of the Aedui.
"We will never take sides against Rome," said Coto, bowing his head in the presence of Caesar.
"This Vercingetorix is just a madman, you have nothing to fear from us," Cavarillo added.
The last to speak was the king of the Aedui, and he said these words to Caesar, looking into her eyes:
"Divitiacus, before leaving the tribe and disappearing into the fog, he told me to be careful with you Romans. Your strength is sure great, no one can deny it, but it's second only to your cruelty. I know what you have done to the Eburones. I know the fate of those poor people and I ask: what fate will it be for us?"
From the expressions of Coto and Cavarillo it was clear that the two did not associate themselves with the opinions of their sovereign. Caesar, remaining calm in her manner, replied politely:
"The fate of your people is the same as that of anyone who is an ally of Rome. Your people have known neither hunger nor poverty in recent years only thanks to Rome."
"I don't deny what comes before my eyes, Caesar."
"So why do you seem to have problems with us?"
"Precisely because I don't deny the facts, I fear for my people. What will we be allowed to do under the rule of Rome? Will I still be respected as king or will I be deposed and forgotten as a common plebeian? Will the Aedui fall like the Eburons?"
"You know perfectly well that I have never threatened your power, you're aware of the fact that I have done nothing but save you and you also know that Divitiacus is a dear friend of mine. Your doubts are fueled by fear, not by rationality. The Eburons have suffered a fate deserved. Their 'heroic' stunts have led to their extinction. The Aedui will never suffer the same fate."
"Well," said Eporedorix, "then, if you keep this promise, you will never have to fear any betrayal from us."
The more time passed, the more powerful the figure of Vercingetorix became. The rebels managed to defeat the legions of Rome in some battles and managed to free many tribes; soon various peoples of Germany also joined the cause. Caesar, increasingly frightened by the threat represented by this rebellious figure who was inciting all of Gaul against the Romans, decided to attack Vercingetorix in Avaric; the battle had the precise purpose of putting an end to the rebellion but the rebels managed to evacuate the city and make scorched earth. Vercingetorix knew that the legions needed to eat and starving them was the most effective way to win.
Caesar, however, in addition to being frightened was also amused by that feeling of fear. She didn't know how to explain it, but the idea of having such a formidable enemy made her smile. If she had defeated the most powerful man in Gaul then she would have proved her strength to the Senators in Rome.
But Caesar's crystalline hopes shattered like glass when her spy, Baculus, relayed important information about Vercingetorix. Baculus, being a professional, had prepared a list with all the information obtained but Caesar stopped listening after the first thing said:
"Vercingetorix is a woman."
The man's words, after that statement, were lost in silence. Caesar, with her eyes open, petrified like a statue, began to sweat and bite the inside of his cheek while clenching her fists; she was ready to let out a cry of anger and sadness but she remained silent watching the void, swallowing whenever she thought she was in a dream.
After his exposition was over, Baculus left the tent. Caesar was alone. She got up. Her eyes, glued to nothing, became wet. With her teeth she bit her lip violently and raised her head.
"What is this?" she murmured with a pained smile. With her hands she passed first over her face then through her hair, heaving an unnerved sigh. "What is this? A game? A damn game? Is this it? A fucking game? It was my chance to cement my image as a powerful woman, it was the right time ... and now ... what is it? What conflict is this? A useless battle, wasted time, this land has not been able to give me an opponent worthy of me."
At that moment the girl had the impression of being in a battlefield surrounded only by the corpses of legionaries and barbarians. In that brief but intense hallucination she saw Divitiacus appear holding a small silver skeleton in his hand; the man uttered these words:
"It's up to you."
"NEVER!"
That scream shattered the illusion and Caesar, realizing that she had been deceived by her senses, wiped her tears, took her sword and left the tent determined to put an end to the rebellion.
The girl aimed at Gergovie, the capital of the Arverni, to be able to immediately capture Vercingetorix and kill her, she put the city under siege but her plan did not give birth to the desired results; Vercingetorix's soldiers were able to defend the stone walls with commendable courage, while the legionaries were killed in an attempt to breach the enemy defenses. Caesar refused to grant victory to the opponent and ordered the siege to continue. As the sun went down, the Roman offensive became increasingly weak and the messengers also warned of the arrival of allies.
"Who? Who would ever want to help Vercingetorix?" Caesar asked in shock.
One of the messengers advanced the answer:
"The Aedui."
"Impossible, they are our allies- "
"Not anymore." It was Titus Labienus. "They attacked the soldiers we had stationed in their villages and their king decided to support Vercingetorix's cause."
"So what's going to happen now, Labienus?" the girl was traumatized by that terrible news.
"Now? Now we are against Gaul, Caesar. All of Gaul."
Caesar gave the signal to withdraw to her men. The battle ended with the first real defeat of Gaius Julius Caesar in Gaul. Vercingetorix had defeated the invaders.
After Gergovie more and more tribes sided with Vercingetorix and in a short time much of Gaul opposed Caesar. The leader of the rebellion had gathered all the tribes: Arverni, Ambivareti, Aulerci, Brannovici, Blannovi, Segusiavi, Eleuteti, Cadurci, Gabali, Vellavi, Sequani, Senones, Bituriges, Ruteni, Carnuti, Bellovaci, Lemovici, Turoni, Parisi, Elvezi, Suessioni, Ambiani, Petrocori, Nervii, Morini, Nitiobroges, Cenomani, Veliocasses, Viromandui, Andi, Rauraci, Redoni, Ambibari, Caleti, Veneti, Lexovii, Venelli and finally the Aedui. All those who had been defeated and subdued by Caesar were preparing for the showdown.
The night preceding the last battle began with a moment of pure passion between Caesar and Titus Labienus, the first; in that carnal dance the girl dulled her anxiety instead of seeking love and when she woke up, on the bed in the tent, she was amazed that dawn had not yet come. Labienus was hugging her and she had to gently move his arms to get up. She tiptoed off the bed and proceeded to dress.
"Something wrong?" Labienus asked, yawning.
"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up," she replied, smiling.
"You didn't even want to sleep. Are you still worried about what will happen tomorrow?"
"How can I not be? I've never faced anything like this in my life and now, after everything I've done to make my dream come true, all my nightmares are coming true. Divitiacus was right."
"No, you're wrong. That Druid was not right. He thought that only by relying on Crocea Mors you would be able to defeat your enemies, instead you proved him wrong. You're a rarity, Caesar, you are the most intelligent, the strongest and most beautiful woman I've ever known. Don't let that Druid's words influence you."
"One thing," she turned to him, "you never gave your opinion on my choice to leave Crocea Mors."
"What do you want me to tell you? I've seen its miraculous powers but only a descendant of Romulus can use it, so only you or a member of your family can wield that weapon. The fact that that blade is in Britain doesn't interest me that much. Anyway, none of those savages can wield the sword of Rome."
The girl, hearing those words, went back to the bed and kissed Labienus.
"Thank you, my friend."
Alesia. A beautiful city in Gaul with high stone walls defended by the most valiant warriors chosen by Vercingetorix. With the rising sun, the Romans came in front of the city, and Caesar did not immediately order the siege, this time she had in mind to end the war once and for all, so she told her soldiers to set up a double line of fortification for over seventeen kilometers around the city. This marvel of military engineering was intended to trap Vercingetorix while at the same time preventing reinforcements from hitting the legions from behind.
With the clash of the first deployments Caesar observed that the rebel soldiers were determined to tear down the fortification, for this reason they avoided fighting too long with the legionaries. It was clear that Vercingetorix had no intention of staying in Alesia.
The battles in front of the city began at dawn and ended towards sunset. The night was used by both factions to deploy spies and sabotage the opposing defenses. Only once did Vercingetorix attempt a night attack with the cavalry, which failed miserably due to the skilled Roman archers.
Days passed and food supplies ran out for both the Romans and the Gauls in Alesia. Hunger put both sides in very difficult conditions but neither leader was going to give up. Vercingetorix even went so far as to exile women and children from the city to leave food for his soldiers; those poor souls were left to starve and neither commanders cared about their lives. What really mattered to both of them was defeating the opponent.
The fate of the Gaul campaign reached a crossroads when reinforcements from Vercingetorix arrived. It was then that the legions' temper was really put to the test. Rebel forces attacked on two fronts simultaneously, and Caesar kept leaping from battle to battle providing support to every legionary. The fortress was not to fall. Thanks to her charisma, Caesar was able to incite the soldiers to give their best, to prove their worth; the Gauls, with their brute strength, were capable of killing the legionaries with ease and for this the girl ordered her men to move the cavalry and get it out of the rear.
Vercingetorix, seeing the legionaries on horseback, ordered her men to return to the city; the fear of being surrounded got the better of her heart of fire; with this newfound advantage, Caesar gave the order to repel the enemy reinforcements. No one was left alive.
Vercingetorix couldn't accept defeat. Only one last time did she try to attack the Roman defenses but had to order yet another retreat. Dejected and hungry, Vercingetorix had to accept surrender. The warrior who had lit the fuse of the greatest rebellion against the Romans entered the camp on horseback, head bowed, and threw her weapons at Caesar's feet.
"You have won. My life is yours."
Vercingetorix was tied to her wrists and led to Caesar's tent where the two women were left alone.
"Please have a seat, Vercingetorix, I hope you don't mind having a chat in private with the person you tried to kill. We've never introduced ourselves: I'm Gaius Julius Caesar. Nice to meet you."
"I know who you are. I have no respect for you, Roman. You and your legions are oppressing my people, the poor people of Gaul who have never done you any harm. Plunder our lands, enslave our people and massacre the innocent. People like you don't deserve my respect because I know that people like you are only looking for power."
"I don't seek power, I create power" Caesar corrected with a wave of her fingers. "You and your people fought for 'freedom' but I know you were made queen, right? You managed to unite Gaul against us, a truly commendable act but I doubt you've ever thought about the future of such a Alliance. You, who have united different tribes, would you have really thrown everything into the fire with the defeat of the Romans or would you have tried to put an end to all the internal wars that have always created suffering?"
"What are you talking about? Are you comparing me to you? Do you dare to compare me to you invaders?!"
"More or less." Caesar took a chair and sat in front of her rival to look her in the eyes and said, with a grin: "Freedom leads to laziness, violence and greed. An aristocrat in Rome and an aristocrat in Gaul think the same way because they have too much freedom. Think about it: the aristocracy of Rome wanted to hand me over to the Germans while the aristocracy of Gaul handed you over to me. Don't you find the similarity curious? Freedom is overestimated. The primary need of every human being is not freedom but the peace from which order follows and from which happiness follows and therefore the result is progress, civilization."
"You speak like a tyrant. Your words are poisonous, Caesar."
"Am I really poisonous?"
"Freedom is the right of every people. Every person and every tribe deserves freedom and independence. These values can bring peace if one is willing to communicate rather than fight. What I did was use my voice, not the weapon, so I managed to unite the tribes against you. I've not subdued anyone."
"But precisely because I was the common enemy they joined you, if I had not been there your words would not have reached anyone. And then ... what freedom are you talking about when you mention tribes? Each tribe has its own laws, every tribe has leaders, right? So every tribe limits freedom in its own way because everyone knows that those who enjoy too much freedom only create chaos. It's like grammar: only by following the rules do the propositions make sense and can be understood by everyone, without rules everything is subjective and nothing is certain and therefore cohesion is lost. I believe in a world where freedom is subject to restrictions, not too severe but still existing. I believe in the law and in the rules that guide a perfect society ."
"And the people you slaughtered?" Vercingetorix asked.
"What about them?"
"Are they too part of this world of yours with 'rules'? Did your 'rules' include the extermination of the Eburones and all those innocent people you killed? Are these the 'rules' you believe in?"
"You don't walk without crushing some ants. But I doubt you're smart enough to understand these things, that's why you're not made for political life: you're too naive."
"As I imagined ... you talk a lot about 'rules' and 'law' but in the end what matters to you is having power and using it to kill the weakest people."
"Is this your opinion of me, Vercingetorix? Maybe you might be right, but ... so what? Even if I had the most evil ideas, the whole world still wouldn't have the power to stop me. Whatever I do ... I win. I always win. People like you, on the other hand, always lose. That's life."
"You're right, Caesar ... now it doesn't matter anymore. Kill me in front of the Romans, just show me as your personal prize and let's get it over with. I'm not going to waste my breath on you."
Then Caesar, with a treacherous smile, said:
"It's not that simple, my girl, there are problems. The aristocrats have promised me another man, the strongest of your tribe, he will be brought to Rome and will be Vercingetorix."
"What?! Why? I'm here! I'm here! Kill me and let's get it over with!" the girl yelled, angry.
"You're a woman, like me, and in Rome you're considered weak and unable to change the world, like me. But precisely because you are like me you're an obstacle to me. If I were to return to Rome exhibiting the strongest woman in Gaul none of my rivals would take my victory seriously, I need to defeat the strongest man in Gaul to be recognized by those greedy, lazy and gluttonous men who control the Republic. Your sacrifice, the sacrifice of your body and your memory, it will serve to make me immortal."
Vercingetorix spat in Caesar's face and said in a contemptuous tone:
"You're a shame. You may be smart but you are the worst human being ever."
"I know." Caesar took a knife and stabbed Vercingetorix in the heart. "Too bad it doesn't matter. Now die, my nemesis, die knowing that the fate of Gaul is in my hands."
