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Julius Cffisar tells us expressly for what purpose he built this wall, viz. to confine
the Helvetii within their own limits, on being informed of their design to emigrate in
one body into Gaul. (See Comm. De Bello Gall. lib. i. " a !acu Lemano, ad montem
Juram, murum, in altitudinem pedum sexdecim, fossamque perducit"). The Helvetii
did, notwithstanding, pass into Gaul ; but Cjesar pursued and defeated them, and obliged
the miserable remainder to return and re-occupy their own country. The Romans,
having soon after extended their conquests, and subdued the different nations which
inhabited the banks of lake Leman, as well as the whole of the Helvetii, or ancient
Swiss, they made Geneva one of their principal repositories for arms. They then not
only strengthened, but embellished it, and encouraged by their example its trade, clearing
and cultivating the waste land in its vicinity, making it thereby a considerable, and,
in a short time, one of the chief cities of Gallia Narbonensis.
Some historians have been led to suppose, that the Genevese originally worshipped
the sun, and that under that emblem a magnificent temple to Apollo had been erected,
and at that time held in great veneration by the Allobroges. Be this as it may, the
only circumstance which seems to corroborate the above suggestion is confined to a
few inscriptions, or rather verses, in honour of that god, found near the spot where
St. Pierre, the principal church at Geneva, now stands ; as likewise the head, or figure
of the sun, in white marble, discernible on the internal wall of the same edifice.
These fragments are not, however, the only reiiques of antiquity which have been
found, both within and without that city; for, at different periods, many have been the
vestiges of ancient grandeur discovered, which, doubtless, denote the flourishing state of
Geneva previous to the decline of the Roman empire,—such as sepulchral urns, bassreliefs,
lamps, medals, military weapons, &c.
But at that melancholy epoch, this city, as well as most of those in Gaul and Italy,
shared the same fate, and were sacked at various times by the hordes of barbarians, who,
for a long series of years, desolated the western empire.
It then fell under the power of the Burgundians, whose kings made it, for a time,
their place of residence, thereby preserving it from new troubles and vexations; so
that it imperceptibly began to recover a part of its fallen prosperity,—till the Franks,
succeeding in destroying the first kingdom of the Burgundians, took possession of the
whole country, and sent governors to Geneva, who, by cruel and atrocious acts, produced
a renewal of calamities.
Fortunately, however, for that city, as well as for the greater part of Europe (whose
inhabitants were involved in all the horrors of servitude and misery, which they endured
with great patience, under a swarm of petty tyrants, who had assumed to themselves the
right of governing with a rod of iron), there arose a Charlemagne, who may be said to
have, in many instances, imitated the example of Julius Caisar; for, being as great a
s legislator, and animated by the same spirit of glory and conquest, feeling like-
; for the deplorable situation of Europe, he resolved on putting an end to their
is, and healing the wounds of conquest, by abolishing the kingdoms formed by the
descendants of those barbarous hordes who had heretofore inundated the southern parts
of Europe, and who actually, at that time, possessed the richest provinces of France,
Spain, and Italy.
This great general, after many glorious victories, being desirous of expelling the
Lombards from Italy, or rather of annihilating their kingdom, again followed the example
of Cffisar, in making Geneva one of his chief repositories, or places d'artnes^ on this
side of the Alps, and also a central point of union for the different columns of the
army destined to cross Mont-Cenis. Charlemagne, having completely succeeded in
this famous expedition, as well as in all those he afterwards concerted, paid to Nature,
after a long and successful reign, the tribute from which neither rank, courage, nor
talents, can exempt us.
In the dismemberment or general division of his vast and extensive states, Geneva,
after his death, was at first included in the kingdom of Aries, and afterwards made part
of the new kingdom of Burgundy. This last, having had but a short duration, soon
became united to the German empire.
Owing, however, to the vast extent of the western empire at that time, and the
trifling authority the emperors then enjoyed, they being as it were under the/era/«, or
immediate controul of the popes, scarcely possessing suflicient power for the enforcement
of their laws and edicts even in the provinces contiguous to their own residence,—consequently
those who were at a great distance from the seat of government were left
entirely to the mcrcy and direction of the bishops and nobles, who were alternately
contending for absolute power, some under the mask of religion, and others under pretence
of their employ or appointment as governors or grand-officers of the empire; so
that these provinces soon after detached themselves from the emperor, and threw off all
obedience to his government and authority.