Caesar De Bello Gallico 6 13 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

March 9, 2014

DBG 6:13

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

[13]      1       In omni Gallia eorum hominum, qui aliquo sunt numero atque honore, genera sunt duo. Nam plebes paene servorum habetur loco, quae nihil audet per se, nullo adhibetur consilio.         2       Plerique, cum aut aere alieno aut magnitudine tributorum aut iniuria potentiorum premuntur, sese in servitutem dicant nobilibus: in hos eadem omnia sunt iura, quae dominis in servos.       3 Sed de his duobus generibus alterum est druidum, alterum equitum.   4       Illi rebus divinis intersunt, sacrificia publica ac privata procurant, religiones interpretantur: ad hos magnus adulescentium numerus disciplinae causa concurrit, magnoque hi sunt apud eos honore.     5 Nam fere de omnibus controversiis publicis privatisque constituunt, et, 6       si quod est admissum facinus, si caedes facta, si de hereditate, de finibus controversia est, idem decernunt, praemia poenasque constituunt; si qui aut privatus aut populus eorum decreto non stetit, sacrificiis interdicunt. Haec poena apud eos est gravissima. 7 Quibus ita est interdictum, hi numero impiorum ac sceleratorum habentur, his omnes decedunt, aditum sermonemque defugiunt, ne quid ex contagione incommodi accipiant, neque his petentibus ius redditur neque honos ullus communicatur. 8       His autem omnibus druidibus praeest unus, qui summam inter eos habet auctoritatem.       9       Hoc mortuo aut si qui ex reliquis excellit dignitate succedit, aut, si sunt plures pares, suffragio druidum, nonnumquam etiam armis de principatu contendunt.        10     Hi certo anni tempore in finibus Carnutum, quae regio totius Galliae media habetur, considunt in loco consecrato. Huc omnes undique, qui controversias habent, conveniunt eorumque decretis iudiciisque parent.       11     Disciplina in Britannia reperta atque inde in Galliam translata esse existimatur,      12 et nunc, qui diligentius eam rem cognoscere volunt, plerumque illo discendi causa proficiscuntur.

[13]          1          In omni Gallia eorum hominum, qui aliquo sunt numero atque honore, genera sunt duo. Throughout Gaul, only two kinds of men count at all or stand apart from the mass; Nam plebes paene servorum habetur loco, quae nihil audet per se, nullo adhibetur consilio For the plebean class is treated little better than slaves; they never venture an opinion unasked, and they are never asked.  “adhibetur” is third person plural present indicative passive of adhibeo, adhibere, adhibui, adhibitum, “to invite, call upon.”  Here “adhibetur” controls the dative “consilio” [lit., “admitted to counsel”].  “audet” is third person singular present indicative active of audeo, audire, ausus sum, “to dare, venture.” “habetur” is third person singular present indicative active of habeo, habere, habui, habitum. 

2  Plerique, cum aut aere alieno aut magnitudine tributorum aut iniuria potentiorum premuntur Most of them, when crushed by debt and taxes or oppressed by the oligarchs; “premuntur” is third person plural present indicative passive of premo, premere, pressi, pressum, “to press, pursue.”  Note the aut…aut…aut construction.

sese in servitutem dicant nobilibus: in hos eadem omnia sunt iura, quae dominis in servos.  They formally bind themselves in service to the nobility, who stand over them as a matter of law in the same relation as masters to slaves; “dicante” is third person plural present subjunctive active of dico, dicare, dicavi, dicatum [stem:  dicat] “to dedicate, devote.”  NB:  This first conjugation verb is to be distinguished from the third conjugation  dico, dicere, dixi, dictum [stem:  dict].

3 Sed de his duobus generibus alterum est druidum, alterum equitum But of the two important classes:  one is the druids, the other the equestrian order.  Note the alterum…alterum construction here. 

4  Illi rebus divinis intersunt, sacrificia publica ac privata procurant, religiones interpretantur The druids control religious life.  They direct both public and personal ritual observance and rule on disputed points of doctrine.  “interpretantur” is third person plural present indicative active of the deponent interpretor, interpretari, interpretatus sum, “interpret, expound.”    

ad hos magnus adulescentium numerus disciplinae causa concurrit, magnoque hi sunt apud eos honore. Large numbers of youth seek out and find their vocation with the druids and hold them in high honor; “concurrit” is third person singular present indicative active of concurro, concurrere, concurri, concursum, “to flock to, concur.” 

5 Nam fere de omnibus controversiis publicis privatisque constituunt For the druids adjudicate nearly all types of disputes, whether public or private; “constituunt” is third person plural present indicative active of constituo, constituere, constitui, constitutum, “to decide, resolve.”  “fere”=adverb, “all, almost all.” 

6  si quod est admissum facinus, si caedes facta, si de hereditate, de finibus controversia est, idem decernunt, praemia poenasque constituunt; if any crime is perpetrated or murder committed, or if there is an inheritance or boundary dispute, the druids decide them all, and assess rewards and penalties as well; 
“decernunt” is third person plural present indicative active of decerno, decernere, decrevi, decretum, “to decide, pronounce judgment, decree.”  “facta” [with “est”] understood] is third person plural perfect indicative passive of facio, facere, feci, factum.  “admissum est” is third person plural perfect indicative active of admisso, admittere, admisi, admissum, “to commit.” 

si qui aut privatus aut populus eorum decreto non stetit, sacrificiis interdicunt. And if any individual or tribe fails to abide the judgment, those the druids excommunicate. “interdicunt” is third person plural present indicative active of interdico, interdicere, interdixi, interdictum, “to forbid, interpose.”  “stetit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of sto, stari, steti, statum.  Note the aut…aut construction.   Haec poena apud eos est gravissima.  Among them, this is the heaviest punishment.

7 Quibus ita est interdictum, hi numero impiorum ac sceleratorum habentur, his omnes decedunt, aditum sermonemque defugiunt The excommunicants are deemed atheistical and wicked, and everyone ostracizes them and refuses all meeting or communication; “defugiunt” is third person plural present indicative active of defugio, defugere, defugi, defugitum, “to shun, avoid.”  “decedunt” is third person plural present indicative active of decedo, decedere, decessi, decessum, “to abandon, withdraw from.” “his”: ablative of separation.  ne quid ex contagione incommodi accipiant, For fear that, by such contact, some uncleanness might harm them; “accipiant” is third person singular present subjunctive active of accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptum, “to receive, accept.”  neque his petentibus ius redditur neque honos ullus communicatur Their legal grievances go unredressed, and they receive no honor at all; “communicatur” is third person singular present indicative passive of communico, communicare, communicavi, communicatum, “to share, partake, receive a part of.”  “redditur” is third person singular present indicative passive of reddito, reddere, reddidi, redditum, “restore, return, redress.”  Note the “neque…neque” construction. 

8  His autem omnibus druidibus praeest unus, qui summam inter eos habet auctoritatem.  Among all these druids one is foremost, who holds supreme authority over the rest. “praeest” is third person singular present indicative active of praesum, praeesse, praefui, praefuturus, “to preside, rule over.”  The compound verb governs the dative “omnibus druidibus.” 

9  Hoc mortuo aut si qui ex reliquis excellit dignitate succedit, aut, si sunt plures pares, suffragio druidum, nonnumquam etiam armis de principatu contendunt. Upon his death, either the evidently best qualified man succeeds, or if there are several contenders, they compete by vote of the druids, or sometimes even by force of arms; “contendunt” is third person plural present indicative active of contendo, contendere, contendi, contentum, “to contend, compete.”  “succedit” is third person singular present indicative active of succedo, succedere, successi, successum, “to ascend, succeed.”  Note the “aut…aut” and “si…si” constructions.  “Hoc mortuo”:  ablative absolute. 

10            Hi certo anni tempore in finibus Carnutum, quae regio totius Galliae media habetur, considunt in loco consecrato.  These druids annually meet within the Carnutes’ territory—which is believed to be at the center of all Gaul--and gather in conclave on hallowed ground; “considunt” is third person plural present indicative active of consido, considere, consedi, consessum, “to sit, be seated.”  “habetur” is third person singular present passive indicative of habeo, habere, habui, habitum.   

Huc omnes undique, qui controversias habent, conveniunt eorumque decretis iudiciisque parent Litigants from all points converge on this place, and submit their suits to the decrees and judgments of the druids.  “parent” is third person plural present subjunctive active of paro, parare, paravi, paratum, “provide, furnish, obtain.”  “conveniunt” is third person plural present indicative active of convenio, convenire, conveni, conventum, “to convene, assemble.”  “habent” is third person plural present indicative active of habeo, habere, habui, habitum. 

11            Disciplina in Britannia reperta atque inde in Galliam translata esse existimatur, It is thought that this custom originated in Britain and from over there was introduced into Gaul; “existimatur” is third person singular present indicative passive of existimo, existimare, existimavi, existimatum, “to think, suppose, consider.”  “translata esse” is the perfect passive infinitive of transfero, transferre, transtuli, translatum, “to bear or bring across or over.”  “reperta”: see Steadman’s note.

 12 et nunc, qui diligentius eam rem cognoscere volunt, plerumque illo discendi causa proficiscuntur and today, those who seek to know such lore more precisely, generally make their way to Britain to study it there.  “proficiscuntur” is third person plural present indicative active of the deponent proficiscor, proficisci, profectus sum, “to set out, depart, leave.”  “discendi causa”: gerund, “for the sake of learning”; see Steadman’s note.  “volunt” is third person plural present indicative active of volo, velle, volui, “to wish, to want, to mean or intend.”  “cognoscere” is present infinitive of cognosco, cognoscere, cognovi, cognitum