I just joined this group and this is the first message I post. I don't know what is "customary", so please tell me if I do something wrong.

I just finished reading a book about the Gallic wars. The writers analyse some parts of Caesars book very carefully.
In the following part (from that book) the writers tell us about Caesar's battles with the Helvetii.
It is not the complete story, because that would make this post too long.

I had to read Caesars book myself during school. But as the writers of that book say: A lot of things in Caesars books are easily overlooked. I wanted to mention the part of the battle with the Helvetii.
I never really realised how large a part of the Helvetian tribes were actually killed. Caesar mentions some numbers, but not until you add them up you see that he was responsible for the loss of two-thirds of the Helvetii!

Most history-lessons depict Caesar much too romanticly as the general who enlarged the Roman empire and brought civilization and peace to Gallia. Most of the time they ignore the bad parts of Caesars actions and his character.

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following part is from the book about Gallia:
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About the first fight with the Gauls Caesar writes: "When Caesar had heard from informants (spies) that 3/4 of the Helvatians had passed the river Saone he decided to attack them. After nightfall he took 3 legions and attacked the quarter of the Helvetians that had not yet crossed the river."

The largest part of them were killed or sold as a slave, because they had not prepared themselves for battle. Those who survived fled into the neighbouring forests.
Of course the Helvetians were not very impressed by this. Killing people who had not taken up armor and weren't even expecting a fight was no big achievement.
The others weren't able to come to their rescue, because they had already crosse the river, or the battle might have ended in the favour of the Helvetians.

In his book Caesar ignores the fact that the Helvatians called him a coward and accused him of foul play. Caesar however says that the only thing that is important is that they should do what Rome wants them to do.

After this the Helvatians decided to attack the Romans at Bibracte. Caesar describes very
precisely how the battle goes. AND he says that only 130.000 Helvatians survived.
He then mentions that he finds the registers in the Helvatian camp said that there were
originally 368.000 Helvatians who had left Switzerland (Helvetia)

Later, 6000 Helvatians who tried to flee were killed or sold as slaves.

The Boii-tribe were sperated from the main group and another part was forced to return to Switzerland

So now one might wonder: How many Helvatians did survive?

We can illustrate that below;
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Helvetii at "start": 368.000

Loss at Saone-river: 92.000 = 25%
Loss at Bibracte: 146.000=39,7%
Battle with Verbigenus:6000=1,6%
TOTAL HELVETTII killed: 244.000 (=66,3%)

Helvetii at "end" : 124.000
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So: after their clash with the Romans, only 124.000 of the 368.000 Helvetians survived!
That means that more that 2/3 of them were killed or sold as a slave.
Of these people, 14.000 (of the Boii-tribe) was forced to stay. The "friends-and-allies" of the Haedui had asked this and had Caesar agreed.

Helvatians who returned to their homeland: 110.000

So: after leaving Helvetia with 368.000 people, they finally returned with only 110.000!

Was this a Roman general trying to defend Roman interests or simply a ruthless act of genocide?
Some say that Caesar only followed his own agenda while he was governer of Gallia and ignored the wishes of the Senate. If a general would kill two-thirds of a nation today, it would certainly cause the indignation of the rest of the world, to say the least.
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