The Terminal Date of Caesar's Gallic Proconsulate

The question of the date on which Caesar's command in Gaul expired has recently been reopened by Mr. Stevens (below, n. 10). His bold and original theories more than justify yet another contribution to the interminable controversy, but they also excuse this attempt at refuting them. This paper is concerned with re-establishing the view, which seemed so obvious to Mommsen and Hardy, that Caesar's governorship was to end on 28th February, 49 B.C. Since the last defence of this theory appeared (n. 6), scholars have more and more inclined to the view that the terminal date was in 50, and it will therefore be my task first to discuss in turn their refutations of the ‘traditional’ view. I propose to deal last with Mr. Stevens's theories, and then to suggest a new explanation of the important words of Caelius in Fam . 8, 8, 9, since I find it hard to accept either Mommsen's sanctio or Stevens's ‘appointment-period’. It is hoped that some light may be thrown on the events of 55–50 B.C., and on the motives and actions of the principal actors. I do not, of course, pretend to have found the final answer to the puzzle, but perhaps some useful points may be established

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