Caesar, having delayed two days in that place, because he had anticipated that, in the natural course of events, such would be the conduct of
Vercingetorix, leaves the army under pretense of raising recruits and cavalry: he places
Brutus, a young man, in command of these forces; he gives him instructions that the cavalry should range as extensively as possible in all directions; that he would exert himself not to be absent from the camp longer than three days. Having arranged these matters, he marches to
Vienna by as long journeys as he can, when his own soldiers did not expect him. Finding there a fresh body of cavalry, which he had sent on to that place several days before, marching incessantly night and day, he advanced rapidly through the territory of the
Aedui into that of the
Lingones , in which two legions were wintering, that, if any plan affecting his own safety should have been organized by the
Aedui, he might defeat it by the rapidity of his movements. When he arrived there, he sends information to the rest of the legions, and gathers all his army into one place before intelligence of his arrival could be announced to the
Arverni.
Vercingetorix, on hearing this circumstance, leads back his army into the country of the
Bituriges; and after marching from it to
Gergovia , a town of the
Boii, whom
Caesar had settled there after defeating them in the
Helvetian war, and had rendered tributary to the
Aedui, he determined to attack it.