Caesar De Bello Gallico 5 41 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

May 5, 2014

Caesar DBG 5:41

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

[41]          1         Tunc duces principesque Nerviorum qui aliquem sermonis aditum causamque amicitiae cum Cicerone habebant colloqui sese velle dicunt.          2         Facta potestate eadem quae Ambiorix cum Titurio egerat commemorant: omnem esse in armis Galliam;          3         Germanos Rhenum transisse; Caesaris reliquorumque hiberna oppugnari.         4     Addunt etiam de Sabini morte: Ambiorigem ostentant fidei faciendae causa.          5         Errare eos dicunt, si quidquam ab his praesidi sperent, qui suis rebus diffidant; sese tamen hoc esse in Ciceronem populumque Romanum animo, ut nihil nisi hiberna recusent atque hanc inveterascere consuetudinem nolint:          6         licere illis incolumibus per se ex hibernis discedere et quascumque in partes velint sine metu proficisci.          7         Cicero ad haec unum modo respondit: non esse consuetudinem populi Romani accipere ab hoste armato condicionem:          8         si ab armis discedere velint, se adiutore utantur legatosque ad Caesarem mittant; sperare pro eius iustitia, quae petierint, impetraturos.

         1            Tunc duces principesque Nerviorum qui aliquem sermonis aditum causamque amicitiae cum Cicerone habebant colloqui sese velle dicunt Now, the leaders and influential men among the Nervii with access to Cicero and claims of friendship with him said they wished to discuss the situation; “dicunt” is third person plural present indicative active of dico, dicere, dixi, dictum.  “velle” is present infinitive of volo, velle, volui, “to wish, want.”  “colloqui” is present infinitive of colloquor, colloqui, collocutus sum, “to speak together, parley.”  “habebant” is third person plural imperfect indicative active of habeo, habere, habui, habitum. 

2            Facta potestate eadem quae Ambiorix cum Titurio egerat commemorant: Once given the chance, they rehashed all the same talking points Ambiorix had used with Sabinus, i.e.: omnem esse in armis Galliam             3            Germanos Rhenum transisse; Caesaris reliquorumque hiberna oppugnari All Gaul is risen in arms, the Germans have already crossed the Rhine, and Caesar’s other winter forts are all under attack; “oppugnari” is present infinitive of oppugno, oppugnare, oppugnavi, oppugnatum, “to attack, assault, besiege.”  “transisse” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of transeo, transire, transii, transitum, “to traverse, go across.”  “esse” is present infinitive of sum, esse, fui, futurus. 

4 Addunt etiam de Sabini morte: Ambiorigem ostentant fidei faciendae causa They added a grim reminder of the death of Sabinus and summoned the spectre of Ambiorix to drive home their point; “faciendae” is future passive participle (gerundive) of facio, facere, feci, factum. 

5            Errare eos dicunt, si quidquam ab his praesidi sperent, qui suis rebus diffidant They continued that the Romans would be making a big mistake to count on assistance from those whose own situation is desparate; “diffidant” is third person plural present subjunctive active of diffido, diffidere, diffisus sum, “to despair, distrust.”  “sperent” is third person plural present subjunctive active of spero, sperare, speravi, speratum, “to hope, expect.”  “dicunt” is third person plural present indicative active of dico, dicere, dixi, dictum.  “errare” is present infinitive of erro, errare, erravi, erratum, “to err, go astray.” 

sese tamen hoc esse in Ciceronem populumque Romanum animo, ut nihil nisi hiberna recusent atque hanc inveterascere consuetudinem nolint but they themselves, as far as Cicero and the Roman people are concerned, would refuse nothing—except the provision of winter quarters, which they would prefer not set a precedent; “nolint” is third person plural present subjunctive active of the deponent nolo, nolle, nolui, “to be unwilling, to not want.”  “inveterascere” is present infinitive of inveterasco, inveterascere, inveteravi.  “recusent” is third person plural present subjunctive active of recuso, recusare, recusavi, recusatum, “to refuse, decline.” “esse” is present infinitive of sum, esse, fui, futurus. 

6            licere illis incolumibus per se ex hibernis discedere et quascumque in partes velint sine metu proficisci but they’d be quite willing to allow the Romans to depart from their camp and go wherever they wanted without fear; “proficisci” is present infinitive of the deponent proficiscor, proficisci, profectus sum.  “velint” is third person plural present subjunctive active of volo.  “discedere” is present infinitive of discedo, discedere, discessi, discessum, “to leave, depart.” “licere” is present infinitive of the impersonal licet, licere, licuit, licitum, “it is allowed, permitted.” 

 7            Cicero ad haec unum modo respondit: non esse consuetudinem populi Romani accipere ab hoste armato condicionem Cicero had just one thing to say in reply to all this:  that it is not the custom of the Roman people to accept conditions from an armed enemy; “accipere” is present infinitive of accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptum, “to receive, accept.”  “esse” is present infinitive of sum, esse, fui, futurus.  “respondit” is third perfect singular perfect indicative active of respondeo, respondere, respondi, responsum, “to reply, respond.”   

 8            si ab armis discedere velint, se adiutore utantur legatosque ad Caesarem mittant; sperare pro eius iustitia, quae petierint, impetraturos but if they were willing to lay down their arms, he promised to facilitate their sending a team of negotiators to Caesar.  He had reason to hope, in view of Caesar’s sense of fairness, that what they sought, they would obtain;  “impetraturos” is future active participle of “impetro, impetrare, impetravi, impetratum, “to obtain, procure.”  “petierint” is third person plural perfect subjunctive active of peto, petere, petivi, petitum, “to seek, desire.”  “sperare” is present infinitive of spero, sperare, speravi, speratum.  “utantur” is third person plural present subjunctive active of the deponent utor, uti, usus sum, “to use, employ.”  “velint” is third person plural present subjunctive active of volo. “discedere” is present infinitive of discedo, discedere, discessi, discessum.