Ad haec Ariovistus respondit:  Ius esse belli, ut qui vicissent eis, quos vicissent, quem ad modum vellent imperarent:  item populum Romanum victis non ad alterius praescriptum, sed ad suum arbitrium imperare consuesse.  Si ipse populo Romano non praescriberet, quem ad modum suo iure uteretur, non oportere sese a populo Romano in suo iure impediri.  Aeduos sibi, quoniam belli fortunam temptassent et armis congressi ac superati essent, stipendiarios esse factos.  Magnam Caesarem iniuriam facere, qui suo adventu vectigalia sibi deteriora faceret.  Aeduis se obsides redditurum non esse, neque eis neque eorum sociis iniuria bellum illaturum, si in eo manerent, quod convenisset, stipendiumque quotannis penderent; si id non fecissent, longe eis fraternum nomen populi Romani afuturum.  Quod sibi Caesar denuntiaret se Aeduorum iniurias non neglecturum, neminem secum sine sua pernicie contendisse.  Cum vellet, congrederetur:  intellecturum, quid invicti Germani, exercitatissimi in armis, qui inter annos XIIII tectum non subissent, virtute possent.


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Ariovistus responded to this, "It is a right of war that the victors should rule the conquered as they wish. Therefore, the Roman people ought to rule the conquered not according to that which others prescribe, but according to their own beliefs. If I did not prescribe to the Roman people as to the manner which they should use their right, it ought not be commanded to me by the Roman people in my own right. The Haeduans, because they tried for the fortune of war and collected arms and were conquered, were made tributatires to me. Caesar makes a great injury, since by his arrival he made less tribute for me. I will not release the prisoners of the Haeduans. Neither with these nor with their allies will I wage war unjustly, if they will abide by that which they agreed upon and pay tribute yearly. If they do not complete this, the Roman peoples' name of brothers would avail them not. AS to the fact that Caesar threatening me that he would not neglect the injuries of the Haeduans, nobody struggles with me without their destruction. Since he desires it, let him come on. He will learn what the invincible Germans, being trained well in arms, who for fourteen years have not remained under a roof, can accomplish through strength.

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