Feeling that the passage of such a large body of emigrants (368,000) through Gaul would be dangerous to the province (Gallia Narbonensis), he determined to interfere.

The Helvetians were met at BIBRACTE, near Autun, and after a terrible battle, which raged from noon until night, were defeated with great slaughter (58).

The survivors, about one third, were treated kindly, and most of them sent back to Switzerland.
Caesar now turned his attention to the Germans who had settled west of the Rhine.

After several fruitless attempts at negotiation, during which the bad faith of Ariovistus became conspicuous, the forces came together.

Though the Germans were brave, they were no match for the drilled legionaries, who fought with the regularity of a machine.