- Th e customs of the Germans diff er widely from those
of the Gauls; for neither have they Druids to preside over
religious services, nor do they give much attention to
sacrifi ces. Th ey count in the number of their gods those
only whom they can see, and by whose favors they are
clearly aided; that is to say, the Sun, Vulcan, and the
Moon. Of other deities they have never even heard. Th eir
whole life is spent in hunting and in war. From childhood
they are trained in labor and hardship. - Th ey are not devoted to agriculture, and the greater
portion of their food consists of milk, cheese, and
fl esh. No one owns a particular piece of land, with fi xed
limits, but each year the magistrates and the chiefs
assign to the clans and the bands of kinsmen who have
assembled together as much land as they think proper,
and in whatever place they desire, and the next year
compel them to move to some other place. Th ey give
many reasons for this custom—that the people may
not lose their zeal for war through habits established by
prolonged attention to the cultivation of the soil; that
they may not be eager to acquire large possessions, and
that the stronger may not drive the weaker from their
property; that they may not build too carefully, in order
to avoid cold and heat; that the love of money may not
spring up, from which arise quarrels and dissensions;
and, fi nally, that the common people may live in
contentment, since each person sees that his wealth is
kept equal to that of the most powerful. - It is a matter of the greatest glory to the tribes to
lay waste, as widely as possible, the lands bordering
their territory, thus making them uninhabitable. Th ey
regard it as the best proof of their valor that their
neighbors are forced to withdraw from those lands and
hardly any one dares set foot there; at the same time
they think that they will thus be more secure, since
the fear of a sudden invasion is removed. When a tribe
is either repelling an invasion or attacking an outside
people, magistrates are chosen to lead in the war, and
these are given the power of life and death. In times of
peace there is no general magistrate, but the chiefs of
the districts and cantons render justice among their
own people and settle disputes. Robbery, if committed
beyond the borders of the tribe, is not regarded as
disgraceful, and they say that it is practiced for the
sake of training the youth and preventing idleness.
When any one of the chiefs has declared in an assembly
that he is going to be the leader of an expedition, and
that those who wish to follow him should give in their
names, they who approve of the undertaking, and of
the man, stand up and promise their assistance, and are
applauded by the people. Such of these as do not then
follow him are looked upon as deserters and traitors,
and from that day no one has any faith in them.
To mistreat a guest they consider to be a crime. Th ey
protect from injury those who have come among them
for any purpose whatever, and regard them as sacred. To
them the houses of all are open and food is freely supplied.From: Frederic Austin Ogg, ed., A Source
Book of Mediaeval History: Documents
Illustrative of European Life and
Institutions from the German Invasions
to the Renaissance (New York, American
Book Company, 1908). Julius Caesar, “Th e Germans,” excerpt from
De bello Gallico (Th e Gallic Wars, ca. 51 b.c.e.) EuropeFURTHER READING
Géza Alföldy, Th e Social History of Rome, trans. David Braund and
Frank Polluck (Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University
Press, 1988).
Alfredo López Austin and Leonardo López Luján, Mexico’s Indig-
enous Past, trans. Bernard R. Ortiz de Montellano (Norman:
University of Oklahoma Press, 2001).
K. R. Bradley, Slaves and Masters in the Roman Empire: A Study in
Social Control (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987).
Lionel Casson, Th e Horizon Book of Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
(New York: American Heritage, 1975).
Barry Cunliff e, Th e Ancient Celts (New York: Penguin Books,
2000).
Geoff rey E. M. de Ste. Croix, Th e Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek
World: From the Archaic Age to the Arab Conquests (Ithaca,
N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1989).Ian Hodder, Th e Leopard’s Tale: Revevealing the Mysteries at Catal-
hoyuk (London: Th ames and Hudson, 2006).
Simon James, Th e World of the Celts (London: Th ames and Hudson,
2005).
T. G. H. Ja mes , Pharaoh’s People: Scenes from Life in Imperial Egypt
(London: Bodley Head, 1984).
Nicholas F. Jones, Public Organization in Ancient Greece (Philadel-
phia: American Philosophical Society, 1987).
A. G. McDowell, Village Life in Ancient Egypt: Laundry Lists and
Love Songs (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999).
Sarah B. Pomeroy, Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in
Classical Antiquity (New York: Schocken Books, 1995).
Michael E. Smith and Marilyn A. Masson, eds., Th e Ancient Civili-
zations of Mesoamerica: A Reader (Malden, Mass.: Blackwell,
2000).
Miriam Stead, Egyptian Life (London: British Museum, 1986).1046 social organization: further reading0895-1194_Soc&Culturev4(s-z).i1046 1046 10/10/07 2:30:52 PM