Caesar De Bello Gallico 6 19 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

March 20, 2014

Caesar DBG 6:19

Course Notes
© 2014 James Ransom, M.A., J.D.

[19]          1         Viri, quantas pecunias ab uxoribus dotis nomine acceperunt, tantas ex suis bonis aestimatione facta cum dotibus communicant.          2         Huius omnis pecuniae coniunctim ratio habetur fructusque servantur: uter eorum vita superarit, ad eum pars utriusque cum fructibus superiorum temporum pervenit.          3         Viri in uxores, sicuti in liberos, vitae necisque habent potestatem; et cum paterfamiliae illustriore loco natus decessit, eius propinqui conveniunt et, de morte si res in suspicionem venit, de uxoribus in servilem modum quaestionem habent et, si compertum est, igni atque omnibus tormentis excruciatas interficiunt.         4         Funera sunt pro cultu Gallorum magnifica et sumptuosa; omniaque quae vivis cordi fuisse arbitrantur in ignem inferunt, etiam animalia, ac paulo supra hanc memoriam servi et clientes, quos ab eis dilectos esse constabat, iustis funeribus confectis una cremabantur.

[19] 1            Viri, quantas pecunias ab uxoribus dotis nomine acceperunt tantas ex suis bonis aestimatione facta cum dotibus communicant A husband, after making a good faith estimate, combines to the funds received from his wife as a dowry an equal portion of his own; “communicant” is third person plural present indicative active of communico, communicare, communicavi, communicatum, “to share, join to an equal part, make common.” “facta” is perfect passive participle of facio, facere, feci, factum in an ablative absolute construction ex suis bonis aestimatione facta.  “acceperunt” is third person plural perfect indicative active of accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptum, “to receive, accept.”

2            Huius omnis pecuniae coniunctim ratio habetur fructusque servantur: uter eorum vita superarit, ad eum pars utriusque cum fructibus superiorum temporum pervenit An account is kept of this joint fund and the interest earned: then whichever spouse survives the other becomes sole owner of both principal and interest; “pervenit” is third person singular present indicative active of pervenio, pervenire, perveni, perventum, “to arrive, reach, attain to.” “superarit” is third person singular future perfect indicative active of supero, superare, superavi, superatum, “to surmount, outlast.”  “servantur” is third person plural present indicative passive of servo, servare, servavi, servatum, “to save, guard.” 

3            Viri in uxores, sicuti in liberos, vitae necisque habent potestatem Men hold the power of life and death over their wives, as well as their children; “habent” is third person plural present indicative active of habeo, habere, habui, habitum.  et cum paterfamiliae illustriore loco natus decessit, eius propinqui conveniunt And when the head of a wealthier clan dies, his next-of-kin gather; “conveniunt” is third person plural present indicative active of convenio, convenire, conveni, conventum, “convene, assemble.” 

et, de morte si res in suspicionem venit, de uxoribus in servilem modum quaestionem habent et, si compertum est, igni atque omnibus tormentis excruciatas interficiunt. And, if something seems suspicious about the death, the wives are interrogated as if they were slaves and, if guilty, they are put to hideous torture by fire and then executed; “interficiunt” is third person plural present indicative active of interficio, interficere, interfeci, interfectum, “to kill, destroy.” 

4            Funera sunt pro cultu Gallorum magnifica et sumptuosa; omniaque quae vivis cordi fuisse arbitrantur in ignem inferunt… By Gallic standards, their funerals are magnificent--and expensive: every valuable thought near to the heart of the deceased in life is consigned to the flames…; “inferunt” is third person plural present indicative active of infero, inferre, intuli, inlatum, “to “to throw into, set fire to.”  “arbitrantur” is third person plural present indicative active of the deponent arbitror, arbitrari, arbitratus sum.  “fuisse” is perfect active infinitive of sum, esse, fui, futurus.

…etiam animalia, ac paulo supra hanc memoriam servi et clientes, quos ab eis dilectos esse constabat, iustis funeribus confectis una cremabantur. …even living animals; in fact, not long before the time of this account, slaves and vassals deemed dear to the departed followed them into the flames to perfect the funeral rite; “cremabantur” is third person lural imperfect passive indicative of cremo, cremare, cremavi, crematum, “to destroy by fire, cremate.”  “confectis” is perfect passive participle of conficio, conficere, confeci, confectum, “to accomplish, complete, finish.” “constabat”  is third person singular imperfect indicative active of consto, constare, constiti, constatum, “to be certain, agreed.”  “esse” is present infinitive of sum, esse, fui, futurus.  “dilectos” is perfect passive participle of diligo, diligere, dilexi, dilectum, “to esteem, love.”