Caesar's confrontation with the German king, Ariovistus, becomes the first antagonist in his narrative, as he attempts to solve the root cause of Gaul's destabilization by engaging in battle and explaining the characteristics of the Germans to Rome.
In 58 BCE, Caesar faces his first true opponent in Gaul, Ariovistus, king of the Suebi, who had destabilized the area by settling there with his warriors and causing a domino effect of migrations. Although historians are unsure when Caesar decided to conquer Gaul, many believe it was not his initial plan.
In this episode, the history of how Caesar had to fight for Gaul's freedom from the Germanic people is narrated. Caesar saw the Gauls were losing the psychological edge against their enemies, which opened the doors to the Germans having a permanent base in Gaul.