Caesar, De Bello Gallico 5:27 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

March 30, 2014

Caesar, DBG 5:27

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

[27] 1         Mittitur ad eos colloquendi causa Gaius Arpineius, eques Romanus, familiaris Quinti Tituri, et Quintus Iunius ex Hispania quidam, qui iam ante missu Caesaris ad Ambiorigem ventitare consuerat; apud quos Ambiorix ad hunc modum locutus est:          2       Sese pro Caesaris in se beneficiis plurimum ei confiteri debere, quod eius opera stipendio liberatus esset, quod Aduatucis, finitimis suis, pendere consuesset, quodque ei et filius et fratris filius ab Caesare remissi essent, quos Aduatuci obsidum numero missos apud in servitute et catenis tenuissent;     3   neque id, quod fecerit de oppugnatione castrorum, aut iudicio aut voluntate sua fecisse, sed coactu civitatis, suaque esse eiusmodi imperia, ut non minus haberet iuris in se multitudo quam ipse in multitudinem.          4       Civitati porro hanc fuisse belli causam, quod repentinae Gallorum coniurationi resistere non potuerit. Id se facile ex humilitate sua probare posse, quod non adeo sit imperitus rerum ut suis copiis populum Romanum superari posse confidat.           5       Sed esse Galliae commune consilium: omnibus hibernis Caesaris oppugnandis hunc esse dictum diem, ne qua legio alterae legioni subsidio venire posset. 6       Non facile Gallos Gallis negare potuisse, praesertim cum de recuperanda communi libertate consilium initum videretur.

7       Quibus quoniam pro pietate satisfecerit, habere nunc se rationem offici pro beneficiis Caesaris: monere, orare Titurium pro hospitio, ut suae ac militum saluti consulat. 8       Magnam manum Germanorum conductam Rhenum transisse; hanc adfore biduo.    9       Ipsorum esse consilium, velintne priusquam finitimi sentiant eductos ex hibernis milites aut ad Ciceronem aut ad Labienum deducere, quorum alter milia passuum circiter quinquaginta, alter paulo amplius ab eis absit.        10     Illud se polliceri et iureiurando confirmare tutum iter per fines daturum. 11   Quod cum faciat, et civitati sese consulere, quod hibernis levetur, et Caesari pro eius meritis gratiam referre. Hac oratione habita discedit Ambiorix.

1          Mittitur ad eos colloquendi causa Gaius Arpineius, eques Romanus, familiaris Quinti Tituri, A Roman knight, Gaius Arpineius, a close friend of Sabinus, was sent for the purpose of negotiating with them; “colloquendi” is gerund expressing purpose of colloquor, colloqui, collocutus sum.  “mittitur” is third person singular presendt indicative passive of mitto, mittere, misi, missum.

et Quintus Iunius ex Hispania quidam, qui iam ante missu Caesaris ad Ambiorigem ventitare consuerat; He was accompanied by a Spaniard, Quintus Junius, who had often delivered messages from Caesar to Ambiorix in the past; “consuerat” is third person singular pluperfect indicative active of consuesco, consuescere, consuevi, consuetum, “to be accustomed.”  “ventitare” is present infinitive of ventito, ventitare, ventitavi, ventitatum, “to be wont to come, to come often.” 

apud quos Ambiorix ad hunc modum locutus est: To them Ambiorix spoke words to this effect:  “locutus est” is third person singular perfect indicative active of loquor, loqui, locutus sum.

2          Sese pro Caesaris in se beneficiis plurimum ei confiteri debere He acknowledged his great debt to Caesar for the marks of favor bestowed upon him; “debere” is present infinitive of debeo, debere, debui, debitum, “to owe.”  “confiteri” is present infinitive of the deponent confiteor, confiteri, confessus sum, “to confess, admit, acknowledge,” 

quod eius opera stipendio liberatus esset, quod Aduatucis, finitimis suis, pendere consuesset for it was through Caesar’s intervention that he had been freed from customary payment of tribute to his neighbors the Aduatuci; “consuesset” is third person singular pluperfect subjunctive active of consuesco.  “pendere” is present infinitive of pendo, pendere, pependi, pensum, “to pay.” “esset” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of sum esse, fui, futurus.  “liberatus” is perfect passive participle of libero, liberare, liberavi, liberatum.   

quodque ei et filius et fratris filius ab Caesare remissi essent, quos Aduatuci obsidum numero missos apud in servitute et catenis tenuissent and by Caesar’s actions that his son and nephew, sent to the Aduaci as hostages, and held there in chains and servitude, had been returned to him; “tenuissent” is third person plural pluperfect subjunctive active of teneo, tenere, tenui, tentum.  “essent” is third person plural imperfect subjunctive active of sum.  “remissi” is perfect passive participle of remitto.

3   neque id, quod fecerit de oppugnatione castrorum, aut iudicio aut voluntate sua fecisse sed coactu civitatis He declared that the attack on the camp had not been done of his own judgment or will, but by compulsory decree; “fecisse” is perfect infinitive of facio, facere, feci, factum.  “fecerit” is third person singular perfect subjunctive active of facio.

suaque esse eiusmodi imperia, ut non minus haberet iuris in se multitudo quam ipse in multitudinem and that the political reality he faced was that the masses had as at least as much power over him as he had over them.  “haberet” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of habeo, habere, habui, habitum.  “esse” is present infinitive of sum. 

4          Civitati porro hanc fuisse belli causam, quod repentinae Gallorum coniurationi resistere non potuerit. As for the state, it was swept into war by the unexpected Gallic plot before it had time to say “No.”  “potuerit” is third person singular future perfect indicative active of possum, posse, potui.

Id se facile ex humilitate sua probare posse, He could show this merely by pointing out his own powerless position; “posse” is present infinitive of possum, posse, potui.  “probare” is present infinitive of probo, probare, probavi, probatum. 

quod non adeo sit imperitus rerum ut suis copiis populum Romanum superari posse confidat. For he was not so clueless as to imagine that he could overcome the might of the Roman people with his force alone;  “confidat” is third person singular present subjunctive active of the semi-deponent confido, confidere, confisus sum. “superari” is present passive infinitive of supero, superare, superavi, superatum.  “sit” is third person singular present subjunctive active of sum.

5          Sed esse Galliae commune consilium: omnibus hibernis Caesaris oppugnandis hunc esse dictum diem, ne qua legio alterae legioni subsidio venire posset Far from it:  in reality, all of Gaul is carrying out a single strategy:  today is D-Day for a simultaneous assault on all Caesar’s camps, so that no legion will be free to come to the relief of another; “posset” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of possum.  “venire” is present infinitive of venio, venire, veni, ventum.  “esse” is present infinitive of sum.  “oppugnandis” is dative of the future passive participle (gerundive) of oppugno, oppugnare, oppugnavi, oppugnatum. 

6          Non facile Gallos Gallis negare potuisse, praesertim cum de recuperanda communi libertate consilium initum videretur.  It’s never easy for one Gaul to say no to another, and that’s even truer here, since they all look at the current plan as a way to recoup their collective liberty; “videretur” is third person singular imperfect passive subjunctive of video, videre, visi, visum.  “recuperanda” is future passive participle (gerundive) of recupero, recuperare, recuperavi, recuperatum, “to regain, restore.”  “potuisse” is perfect active infinitive of possum.  “negare” is present infinitive of nego, negare, negavi, negatum. 

7          Quibus quoniam pro pietate satisfecerit, habere nunc se rationem offici pro beneficiis Caesaris: monere, orare Titurium pro hospitio, ut suae ac militum saluti consulat But now, having fulfilled the requirements of duty to his state, he looks to his duty owed to Caesar, for Caesar’s favors:  and so to warn Sabinus, even to plead with him for the sake of old friendship, to think long and hard about how to save himself and his men; “consulat” is third person singular present subjunctive active of consulo, consulere, consului, consultum, “to consider, take counsel, reflect, ponder.” “orare” is present infinitive of oro, orare, oravi, oratum.  “monere” is present infinitive of moneo, monere, monui, monitum.  “satisfecerit” is third person singular perfect subjunctive active of satisfacio. 

8          Magnam manum Germanorum conductam Rhenum transisse; hanc adfore biduo A massive German army had been recruited and had already crossed the Rhine; it will be here within 2 days; “transisse” is perfect infinitive of transeo, transire, transii, transitum, “to traverse, go across.”  “conductam” is perfect participle of conduco, conducere, conduxi, conductum, “to assemble, hire, recruit.” 

9          Ipsorum esse consilium, velintne priusquam finitimi sentiant eductos ex hibernis milites aut ad Ciceronem aut ad Labienum deducere It was for the Romans themselves to decide whether to evacuate the forts before tribes in the vicinity could learn of it, and to withdraw either to Cicero’s or Labienus’ position; “deducere” is present infinitive of deduco, military: “withdraw.”  “eductos” is perfect passive participle of educo.  “sentiant” is third person plural present subjunctive active of sentio, sentire, sensi, sensum, “to notice, perceive.”  “velint” is third person plural present subjunctive active of volo, velle, volui, “to want, to wish.” 

quorum alter milia passuum circiter quinquaginta, alter paulo amplius ab eis absit one of which was about 50 miles away, the other a little further away than that;  “absit” is third person singular present subjunctive active of absum, abesse, abfui, abfuturus, “to be away.”  

10        Illud se polliceri et iureiurando confirmare tutum iter per fines daturum He promised them, and confirmed the promise by an oath, that he would provide safe passage through his territory; “daturum” is future active participle of do, dare, dedi, datum.  “confirmare” is present infinitive of confirmo, confirmare, confirmavi, confirmatum. “polliceri” is present infinitive of the deponent polliceor, polliceri, pollicitus sum, “to promise, guarantee.” 

11   Quod cum faciat, et civitati sese consulere, quod hibernis levetur, et Caesari pro eius meritis gratiam referre In so doing, he was taking into account both the state, which would be spared the cost of hosting Caesar’s troops for the winter, and Caesar, to return due thanks for his services; “referre” is present infinitive of refero, “to give back, give in return.”  “levetur” is third person singular present passive subjunctive of levo, levare, levavi, levatum, “to spare, ease, mitigate.”  “consulere” is present infinitive of consulo.  “faciat” is third person singular present subjunctive active of facio. 

Hac oratione habita discedit Ambiorix Having said his piece, Ambiorix departed; “discedit” is third person singular present indicative active of discedo, discedere, discessi, discessum, “to leave, depart.”