Good points all, Demetrios - here's another for your pondering. A recent book I was reading was talking at some length about how the determination that the Rhine was the absolute border between "Roman" provinces and Germania was an artificial concept largely created by Caesar, and that it held dangerous implications for the future conduct of the Empire. Certainly it was Augustus who attempted to go beyond the Rhine and, after the disaster of Varus, pulled back so that the Rhine remained a sortof psychological barrier for centuries to come.

At the same time, if Caesar had NOT gone into northern Europe, the psychological barrier of having nations in the Empire bordering more or less on the Med. would not have been developed. I don't think Parthia or Armenia, or even Dacia, would have had the mental impact that there was NOWHERE the Empire could not go, as going into northern France and Belgium did. (and dancing around the border with Germany)

My guess is the idea of 'exploring strange new worlds' and bringing them into Rome's orbit would be something that appealed massively to Caesar - so maybe he did get the province he wanted most of all. But your 'what ifs' are fascinating.

Cal, as usual, thanks for looking up the necessary information on those provinces! And looking at them, the only one that seems truly "virgin" to me is - Gallia Comata.