Thus from dauntless throats They hurled their menace: "Caesar, give us leave To quit thy crimes; thou seek'st by land and sea The sword to slay us; let the fields of Gaul And far Iberia, and the world proclaim How for thy victories our comrades fell.
What boots it us that by an army's blood The Rhine and Rhone and all the northern lands Thou hast subdued?
Thou giv'st us civil war For all these battles; such the prize.

When fled The Senate trembling, and when Rome was ours What homes or temples did we spoil?
Our hands Reek with offence! Aye, but our poverty Proclaims our innocence! What end shall be Of arms and armies?
What shall be enough If Rome suffice not?
and what lies beyond?
Behold these silvered locks, these nerveless hands And shrunken arms, once stalwart! In thy wars Gone is the strength of life, gone all its pride! Dismiss thine aged soldiers to their deaths.
How shameless is our prayer! Not on hard turf To stretch our dying limbs; nor seek in vain, When parts the soul, a hand to close our eyes; Not with the helmet strike the stony clod: (19) Rather to feel the dear one's last embrace, And gain a humble but a separate tomb.
Let nature end old age.

And dost thou think We only know not what degree of crime Will fetch the highest price?
What thou canst dare These years have proved, or nothing; law divine Nor human ordinance shall hold thine hand.
Thou wert our leader on the banks of Rhine; Henceforth our equal; for the stain of crime Makes all men like to like.

Add that we serve A thankless chief: as fortune's gift he takes The fruits of victory our arms have won.
We are his fortunes, and his fates are ours To fashion as we will.

Boast that the gods Shall do thy bidding! Nay, thy soldiers' will Shall close the war." With threatening mien and speech Thus through the camp the troops demand their chief.
When faith and loyalty are fled, and hope For aught but evil, thus may civil war In mutiny and discord find its end! What general had not feared at such revolt?
But mighty Caesar trusting on the throw, As was his wont, his fortune, and o'erjoyed To front their anger raging at its height Unflinching comes.