Caesar De Bello Gallico 5:29 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

March 31, 2014

Caesar DBG 5:29

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

[29]          1         Contra ea Titurius sero facturos clamitabat, cum maiores manus hostium adiunctis Germanis convenissent aut cum aliquid calamitatis in proximis hibernis esset acceptum. Brevem consulendi esse occasionem. Caesarem arbitrari profectum in Italiam;                  2         neque aliter Carnutes interficiendi Tasgeti consilium fuisse capturos, neque Eburones, si ille adesset, tanta contemptione nostri ad castra venturos esse.         3         Non hostem auctorem, sed rem spectare: subesse Rhenum; magno esse Germanis dolori Ariovisti mortem et superiores nostras victorias;  4   ardere Galliam tot contumeliis acceptis sub populi Romani imperium redactam superiore gloria rei militaris exstincta. 5 Postremo quis hoc sibi persuaderet, sine certa re Ambiorigem ad eiusmodi consilium descendisse?  6   Suam sententiam in utramque partem esse tutam: si nihil esset durius, nullo cum periculo ad proximam legionem perventuros; si Gallia omnis cum Germanis consentiret, unam esse in celeritate positam salutem.   7    Cottae quidem atque eorum, qui dissentirent, consilium quem habere exitum? In quo si non praesens periculum, at certe longinqua obsidione fames esset timenda.

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[29]             1            Contra ea Titurius sero facturos clamitabat, cum maiores manus hostium adiunctis Germanis convenissent aut cum aliquid calamitatis in proximis hibernis esset acceptum But Sabinus dismissed Cotta’s argument, and kept shouting that by the time additional German reinforcements arrived, or news were to come of some disaster striking a nearby fort, it would be too late to save the situation; “esset acceptum” is pluperfect passive of accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptum, “to hear of, learn of.”  “convenissent” is third person plural pluperfect subjunctive active of convenio, convenire, conveni, conventum, “to convene, assemble.”  “adiunctis” is ablative perfect passive participle [in ablative absolute construction] of adiungo, adiungere, adiunxi, adiunctum, “to add, join, attach.”  “clamitabat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of clamito, clamitare, clamitavi, clamitatum, “to yell, shout out.”  “facturos” is future active participle of facio, facere, feci, factum “to do, to make.” 

Brevem consulendi esse occasionem. Caesarem arbitrari profectum in Italiam The time to decide is running out.  In his opinion, Caesar had already left for Italy; “profectum (esse)” is the perfect infinitive of the deponent proficiscor, proficisci, profectus sum,  “to set out, depart, leave.”  “arbitrari” is present infinitive of the deponent arbitror, arbitrari, arbitratus sum, “to think, perceive.”  “consulendi” is gerund of consulo, consulere, consului, consultum, “to consult, deliberate.” 

2            neque aliter Carnutes interficiendi Tasgeti consilium fuisse capturos, neque Eburones, si ille adesset, tanta contemptione nostri ad castra venturos esse otherwise, the Carnutes would never have dreamed of assassinating Tasgetius; nor would the Eburones, if Caesar were still around, show such light regard for us in assaulting our camp; “venturos esse” is future infinitive of sum, esse, fui, futurus.  “adesset” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of adsum.  “fuisse capturos”= the perfect infinitive of sum + future participle of capio, capere, capui, captum, “to seize, to take.”  “interficiendi” is gerund of interficio, interficere, interfeci, interfectum, “to kill.” 

3            Non hostem auctorem, sed rem spectare: subesse Rhenum; magno esse Germanis dolori Ariovisti mortem et superiores nostras victorias He went on to say that he wasn’t “taking advice from the enemy,” but looking at the facts:  the Rhine is very close; the Germans are livid at the death of Ariovistus and our string of recent triumphs; “subesse” is present infinitive of subsum.  “spectare” is present infinitive of specto, spectare, spectavi, spectatus, “to observe, look at, see.” 

4   ardere Galliam tot contumeliis acceptis sub populi Romani imperium redactam superiore gloria rei militaris exstincta Gaul is burning from the numerous indignities she’s been forced to suffer since brought to heel under Roman rule, as well as from the obliteration of her military reputation; “exstincta”:  participle in ablative absolute construction of extinguo, exstinguere, exstinxi, exstinctum, “to snuff out, quench, extinguish.”  “redactam” is perfect passive participle of redigo, redigere, redegi, redactum, “to bring back.”  “acceptis”: participle in ablative absolute construction of accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptum, “to receive, accept.” “ardere” is present infinitive of ardeo, ardere, arsi, arsum,  “to burn.” 

5 Postremo quis hoc sibi persuaderet, sine certa re Ambiorigem ad eiusmodi consilium descendisse? And one last thing:  does anybody really believe that Ambiorix would get involved in this gamble if it weren’t really a sure bet?; “descendisse” is perfect infinitive of descendo, descendere, descendi, descensum, “to lower oneself, to stoop.”  “persuaderet” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of persuadeo, persuadere, persuasi, persuasum, “to persuade.”  See Steadman’s note. 

6   Suam sententiam in utramque partem esse tutam: si nihil esset durius, nullo cum periculo ad proximam legionem perventuros; si Gallia omnis cum Germanis consentiret, unam esse in celeritate positam salutem. Anyway, he continued, his plan works out either way:  if nothing all that bad does happen, then they will have reached the nearest fort in safety; but if all Gaul has indeed allied with Germany, then the only safety lies in flight; “positam”is perfect passive participle of pono, ponere, posui, positum, “to place, lay, ordain.” “esse” is present infinitive of sum.  “consentiret” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of consentio, consentire, consensi, consensum, “to accord with, unite, plot or conspire.” “perventuros” is future active participle of pervenio, pervenire, perveni, perventum, “to arrive, to reach.” “esset” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of sum. 

7    Cottae quidem atque eorum, qui dissentirent, consilium quem habere exitum? In quo si non praesens periculum, at certe longinqua obsidione fames esset timenda And what would be the upshot of the proposal by Cotta and the others who would oppose me?  Even if the present threat poses no imminent danger, the future prospect of famine during a prolonged siege must surely  be feared; “esset timenda”:  passive periphrastic; “timenda”:  gerundive of timeo, timere, timui.  “dissentirent” is third person plural imperfect subjunctive active of dissentio, dissentire, dissensi, dissensum, “to dissent, disagree, differ.”