CaesarBG1Notes

1.1

Gallia . . . omnis: ‘Gaul as a whole,’ contrasted with Gaul in the narrower sense, or Celtic Gaul; Celtic Gaul also is often called Gallia. (Kelsey) historical map satellite image

Gallia . . . divisa: Notice the order of the words. ‘Gaul, taken as a whole, is divided’. (Rice Holmes)

Belgae: Belgae -arum m., the Belgae or Belgians; Aquitani, -orum m.: the Aquitani, inhabiting southwestern Gaul;Celtae, -arum m: the Celtae or Celts (Walker)

institutis: institutum, -i n., fixed course or principle; habit, institution, custom (Walker)

Gallos . . . dividit: the verb is singular, because the two rivers make one boundary; as we should say, ‘is divided by the line of the Seine and Marne.’ (Allen & Judson; Allen & Greenough)

Garumna: Garumna, -ae m., the river Garumna now the Garonne. Matrona, -ae m.: the river Matrona, now the Marne. Sequana, -ae m.: the river Sequana, now the Seine (Walker)

propterea: adv., because of, on this account; propterea quod: because (Walker)

cultu atque humanitate: cultus indicates the outward characteristics of civilization (dress, habits of life, etc.); humanitas, the moral characteristics (refinement of thought and feeling, education, etc.) (Merryweather & Tancock). humanitate: ‘refinement’ (Kelsey)

provinciae: the province of Gallia Narbonensis, organized about B. C. 120. Its chief cities were Massilia (Marseilles), an old Greek free city, and the capital, Narbo (Narbonne), a Roman colony. The name Provincia has come down to us in the modern Provence. (Allen & Greenough) historical map satellite image

minime saepe: ‘very seldom’ (Walker)

mercatores: nom. Traders and peddlers from Massilia (Marseilles) and northern Italy brought wine (their most attractive commodity) and other luxuries on pack mules or even on their own backs (Towle & Jenks).

commeant: ‘make their way to’ (Kelsey); words of motion compounded with cum often contain an idea of ‘hither and thither’ (Walpole)

construe saepe with commeant, minime with both commeant and important; ‘least of all do traders (often resort) make frequent journeys back and forth to them and bring in', etc. (Towle & Jenks)

ad effeminandos animos: ‘to weaken the courage’ (Walker)

Germani, -orum m.: Germani, or Germans

Rhenus, -i m.: the river Rhenus, better, the Rhine. (Walker)

Qua de causa: ‘For this reason’ (Kelsey); ‘and for this reason’: referring back to proximi, etc., and further explained by quod…contendunt

Helvetii, -orum m.: the Helvetii or Helvetians. historical map

quoque: i.e. as well as the Belgians (Towle & Jenks); ‘also,’ always follows the emphatic word, ‘because they (just as the Belgians) dwell near the Germans.’ (Harper & Tolman)

in eorum finibus: eorum refers to the Germans (Walker)

historical map

Eorum una pars: Eorum refers back to the Gauls as a whole, not to the Helvetii, who have just been mentioned.

quam Gallos obtinere: quam is the subject, Gallos the object of obtinere; the infinitive clause quam...obtinere is the subject of dictum est. The whole may be freely translated 'which, as has been said, the Gauls occupy'. (Walker)

a flumine: 'at the river' (Walker)

ab Sequanis: ‘on the side of the Sequani.’ (Merryweather & Tancock).

Rhodanus, -i m.: the river Rhodanus, better, Rhone (Walker)

in septentriones…solem: i.e. toward the northeast (Walker). Septentriones -um m.: 'the north,' lit. the constellations of the great and little Bear. The word is used both in the singular (as a compound) and in the plural. (Allen & Judson)

spectat inter etc.: i.e. 'has a northwesterly aspect'. Caesar regards the whole country from the standpoint of 'The Province'. (Walpole)