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The Expulsion of the Mandubii and Caesar's Subversion of the Speech of Critognatus (De Bello Gallico 7.77–78)
- Classical World
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 112, Number 4, Summer 2019
- pp. 283-307
- 10.1353/clw.2019.0042
- Article
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Buy Issue for $25 at JHUPABSTRACT:
The speech of Critognatus at Alesia (BGall. 7.77), which advocates cannibalism as a means of alleviating the food shortage during Caesar's siege, has elicited a broad critical response, ranging from those who see it as an indictment of Gallic barbarism to those who emphasize its Roman qualities. This article reexamines the speech, paying particular attention to the event that follows it: the expulsion of the Mandubii from Alesia (7.78). The function of the episode, as constructed by Caesar, is to further undermine the moral stature and credibility of Critognatus, already weakened by Caesar's harsh introductory verdict (7.77.2) and the borrowing by Critognatus of Roman rhetorical tools to promote a nefarious and decidedly un–Roman course of action (7.77.12). The speech as a whole illustrates the fanaticism of the Gallic chieftains, which taints their struggle for freedom.
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