Ariovistus

Family: German · Role: king · First appears: The Gallic War, Book I, 31–37

In Book I of the Gallic War, Ariovistus, king of the Germans, settled in Sequani territory and seized a third of their best land. After defeating the Gauls at Magetobria, he demanded hostages from the children of their principal nobles. When Caesar sent ambassadors to arrange a conference and demanded that Ariovistus stop bringing Germans across the Rhine, return Aedui hostages, and cease attacking the Aedui and their allies, Ariovistus refused, calling the Aedui his tributaries. He told Caesar, “That Caesar might enter the lists when he chose,” and challenged him to fight.

Ariovistus later hastened to seize Vesontio, then proposed a conference with Caesar. He insisted that they meet with cavalry only; at the conference, he rejected Caesar’s demands, threatened to treat him as an enemy, and offered a reward for his withdrawal. His cavalry attacked Caesar’s men, breaking off the meeting. Two days later, Ariovistus seized C. Valerius Procillus and M. Mettius and cast them into chains. After Caesar defeated his forces, Ariovistus fled to the Rhine and escaped across it in a small vessel.