Book 1.1-7
Book 1, Sections 1-7
Section 1
Gallia est omnis divisa in partis tris, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur. Hi omnes lingua, institutis, legibus inter se differunt. Gallos ab Aquitanis Garumna flumen, a Belgis Matrona et Sequana dividit.
Gallia . . . omnis: ‘Gaul as a whole,’ contrasted with Gaul in the narrower sense, or Celtic Gaul, Celtic Gaul also is often called Gallia. (Kelsey) Map
Gallia . . . divisa: Notice the order of the words. ‘Gaul, taken as a whole, is divided’. (Rice Holmes)
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, -ae m.: the Garumna river, or Garonne (Walker)
Matrona, -ae m.: the river Matrona, now the Marne (Walker)
Sequana, -ae m.: the river Sequana, now the Seine (Walker)
Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, propterea quod a cultu atque humanitate provinciae longissime absunt, minimeque ad eos mercatores saepe commeant atque ea quae ad effeminandos animos pertinent important, proximique sunt Germanis, qui trans Rhenum incolunt, quibuscum continenter bellum gerunt.
propterea adv.: because of, on this account; propterea quod: because (Walker)
humanitate: ‘refinement’ (Kelsey)
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)
cultu atque humanitate: ‘civilization and refinement;’ the second more significant word qualifying the less precise one. (Walpole)
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)
minime saepe: ‘very seldom’ (Walker)
commeant: ‘make their way to’ (Kelsey)
commeant: 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)
Rhenus, -i m.: the river Rhenus, better, the Rhine (Walker)
Qua de causa Helvetii quoque reliquos Gallos virtute praecedunt, quod fere cotidianis proeliis cum Germanis contendunt, cum aut suis finibus eos prohibent aut ipsi in eorum finibus bellum gerunt. Eorum una pars, quam Gallos obtinere dictum est, initium capit a flumine Rhodano; continetur Garumna flumine, Oceano, finibus Belgarum; attingit etiam ab Sequanis et Helvetiis flumen Rhenum; vergit ad septentriones.
Qua de causa: ‘For this reason’ (Kelsey); ‘and for this reason’: referring back to proximi, etc., and further explained by quod…contendunt
quoque: ‘also,’ always follows the emphatic word, ‘because they (just as the Belgians) dwell near the Germans.’ (Harper & Tolman)
Rhodanus, -i m.: the river Rhodanus, better, Rhone (Walker)
Ab Sequanis: ‘On the side of the Sequani.’ (Merryweather & Tancock); ‘on the side of’ (Allen & Judson)
Vergit: Lit. ‘it slopes;’ probably referring to the general inclination of the country in regard to its watershed and the course of its rivers. (Merryweather & Tancock); ‘slopes to the north’; that is, the highlands (Cevennes) are along the southern boundary, and the rivers flow in their main course northerly. (Allen & Judson)
Septentriones: i.e. 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)
Belgae ab extremis Galliae finibus oriuntur; pertinent ad inferiorem partem fluminis Rheni; spectant in septentrionem et orientem solem. Aquitania a Garumna flumine ad Pyrenaeos montes et eam partem Oceani quae est ad Hispaniam pertinet; spectat inter occasum solis et septentriones.
in septentriones…solem: i.e. toward the northeast (Walker)
inter occasum…septentriones: i.e. toward the northwest (Walker)
spectat inter: Translate by one compound English word all that follows spectat in this sentence (Harper & Tolman)
Section 2
Apud Helvetios longe nobilissimus fuit et ditissimus Orgetorix. Is, M. Messala et M. Pupio Pisone consulibus, regni cupiditate inductus coniurationem nobilitatis fecit, et civitati persuasit ut de finibus suis cum omnibus copiis exirent: perfacile esse, cum virtute omnibus praestarent, totius Galliae imperio potiri.
nobilis, -e adj.: well-known, distinguished, noted; of noble birth, noble; as noun, a noble (Walker)
…M. Messala, et P. M. Pisone consulibus…: ‘61 B.C.’ (Kelsey); M. Messala, M. Piso: consuls, A. U. 693, B. C. 61, i. e. when Caesar was quaestor in Spain. (Walpole); Messala, &c.: this was B. C. 61, three years before Caesar’s first campaign in Gaul. The construction of consulibus is abl. absolute: not so formal as ‘while Messala and Piso were consuls,’ but merely ‘in their consulship.’ This was the usual way of denoting the year. (Allen & Judson, 9)
suis cum omnibus copiis: men, women, and children. (Harper & Tolman)
cum virtute omnibus praestarent: praestarent: ‘they excelled’ (Kelsey)
imperium, -i n.: command, order; authority, sway, supreme power, dominion, sovereignty; supreme military command, highest official power (Walker)
Id hoc facilius iis persuasit, quod undique loci natura Helvetii continentur: una ex parte flumine Rheno latissimo atque altissimo, qui agrum Helvetium a Germanis dividit; altera ex parte monte Iura altissimo, qui est inter Sequanos et Helvetios; tertia lacu Lemanno et flumine Rhodano, qui provinciam nostram ab Helvetiis dividit.
hoc facilius: hoc: ‘so much,’ abl. Of measure with comparatives (Walpole); ‘all the easier’ (Allen & Judson)
una ex parte: ‘on one side, &c’ The effect on the senses is supposed to come from the direction referred to. (Allen & Judson)
Lemannus, -i m.: Lake Lemannus, better Lake Leman or the Lake of Geneva
His rebus fiebat ut et minus late vagarentur et minus facile finitimis bellum inferre possent: qua ex parte homines bellandi cupidi magno dolore adficiebantur. Pro multitudine autem hominum et pro gloria belli atque fortitudinis angustos se finis habere arbitrabantur, qui in longitudinem milia passuum CCXL, in latitudinem CLXXX patebant.
his rebus: lit. ‘from these things it was coming about that they roamed about less widely and could less wasily make war,’ etc. fiebat: the imperfect expresses the continued effect of the causes. (Allen & Greenough)
qua ex parte: ‘and on that account’ (Kelsey); ‘In which respect;’ lit. ‘from which side’ (Merryweather & Tancock); ‘for this reason’ (Towle & Jenks)
Pro multitudine…pro gloria belli: Pro: ‘Considering’ (Kelsey); Pro: ‘In proportion to.’ This meaning of pro comes from its other sense of ‘in the place of;’ so, ‘in return or requital for.’ (Merryweather & Tancock); Pro: ‘in proportion to’ (Allen & Judson)
Angustos…fines: ‘too small’ (Kelsey); ‘too narrow’ (Walpole); ‘too narrow limits’ (Allen & Judson)
Qui in longitudinem…patebant: Qui: i.e. fines (Kelsey); Milia passuum: ‘miles’; Patebant: ‘extended.’
Section 3
His rebus adducti et auctoritate Orgetorigis permoti, constituerunt ea quae ad proficiscendum pertinerent comparare, iumentorum et carrorum quam maximum numerum coemere, sementis quam maximas facere ut in itinere copia frumenti suppeteret, cum proximis civitatibus pacem et amicitiam confirmare.
His rebus adducti: ‘Prompted by these considerations’ (Kelsey); ‘induced by these considerations’ (Harper & Tolman)
Ad eas res conficiendas biennium sibi satis esse duxerunt: in tertium annum profectionem lege confirmant. Ad eas res conficiendas Orgetorix deligitur. Is sibi legationem ad civitates suscepit.
Ad eas res conficiendas biennium sibi satis esse duxerunt: Ad…conficiendas: gerundive construction ‘to complete these preparations’ (Kelsey); Biennium satis esse: ‘that two years would be sufficient’ (Kelsey); Duxerunt: here a verb of thought; ‘they reckoned’ (Kelsey); Biennium…duxerunt: ‘they judged that two years were sufficient’ (Walker)
Ad eas res conficiendas: Ad…conficiendas: ‘to carry out these arrangements’ (Kelsey)
Civitates: ‘clans,’ such as the Aedui, Sequani, &c., - about 60 in all, - whose territory had no local name, but was known only by that of the clan, which was sovereign and wholly independent, except for voluntary alliances. (Allen & Judson)
In eo itinere persuadet Castico, Catamantaloedis filio Sequano, cuius pater regnum in Sequanis multos annos obtinuerat et a senatu populi Romani amicus appellatus erat, ut regnum in civitate sua occuparet, quod pater ante habuerat; itemque Dumnorigi Aeduo fratri Diviciaci, qui eo tempore principatum in civitate obtinebat ac maxime plebi acceptus erat, ut idem conaretur persuadet, eique filiam suam in matrimonium dat.
Itemque: Item: ‘also’ (Kelsey, 10)
Principatum…obtinebat: Principatum: ‘the foremost place’ (Kelsey); Distinct from regnum, and implying the influential position in his tribe of a man of high birth, wealth, and military distinction. ‘Who at that time held a leading position in his state.’ (Merryweather & Tancock); ‘highest rank,’ as distinct from political power. (Allen & Greenough)
Perfacile factu esse illis probat conata perficere, propterea quod ipse suae civitatis imperium obtenturus esset: non esse dubium quin totius Galliae plurimum Helvetii possent; se suis copiis suoque exercitu illis regna conciliaturum confirmat. Hac oratione adducti inter se fidem et ius iurandum dant, et regno occupato per tris potentissimos ac firmissimos populos totius Galliae sese potiri posse sperant.
Perfacile factu esse illis probat conata perficere…: Factu: ‘of accomplishment,’ lit. ‘in respect to the doing’ (Kelsey); Probat: ‘He showed them’ (Kelsey)
Obtenturus esset: Obtenturus esset: ‘he was going to seize’ (Kelsey)
Non esse dubium quin: Non esse dubium: ‘that there was no doubt’ (Kelsey)
Possent: Quin…possent: ‘that the Helvetians were the most powerful (people) in all Gaul, ‘ lit. ‘were able the most of the whole (of) Gaul’ (Kelsey); Quin…plurimum…possent: ‘that the Helvetii were the most powerful nation of Gaul.’ ‘Possum’ means here absolutely ‘to be powerful:’ not prolatively, ‘to be able to do a thing.’ (Moberly)
ius iurandum, iuris iurandi n.: an oath (Walker)
Regno occupato: Regno occupato: ‘having seized the supreme power’ (Kelsey); ‘in case they should get in their hands the royal power’ (Allen & Greenough)
Section 4
Ea res est Helvetiis per indicium enuntiata. Moribus suis Orgetoricem ex vinclis causam dicere coegerunt. Damnatum poenam sequi oportebat ut igni cremaretur.
ea res: ‘this conspiracy.’ The generic word res is constantly used in Caesar, where in English we should use the specific words, ‘occurrence,’ ‘movement,’ ‘exploit,’ ‘misfortune,’ ‘undertaking,’ ‘intelligence,’ ‘fact,’ ‘heads of a summary,’ ‘mode of life,’ ‘supplies,’ &c., according to the context. (Moberly); ea res…enuntiata: ‘when this design was disclosed.’ No word in Latin admits of such a variety of meanings as res. The student must always determine by the context the most suitable word to employ in translating, (Harper & Tolman)
ex vinclis causam dicere: ex vinculis: ‘in chains’ (Kelsey); causam dicere: ‘to plead his case’ (Kelsey)
moribus suis: ‘according to their custom’ (Moberly)
damnatum poenam sequi oportebat: damnatum: agrees with eum understood as object of sequi; ‘if condemned’ (Kelsey); poenam: subject of sequi; ‘the penalty,’ defined by the following ut-clause (Kelsey); poenam sequi oportebat: ‘the penalty would inevitably follow,’ lit. ‘it was necessary that the penalty follow.’ (Kelsey); In this sentence the subject of oportebat is the clause damnatum…sequi; the subject of sequi is poenam; and ut…cremaretur is in apposition with poenam, defining the puishment. Translate, ‘he was doomed, if condemned, to be burned by fire’; lit. ‘it must needs be that the penalty should overtake him condemned of being burned with fire.’ (Allen & Greenough)
Die constituta causae dictionis Orgetorix ad iudicium omnem suam familiam ad hominum milia decem undique coegit, et omnes clientes obaeratosque suos, quorum magnum numerum habebat, eodem conduxit: per eos ne causam diceret se eripuit.
familiam: ‘slaves’ (Merryweather & Tancock); ‘clansmen’: by Roman use this would mean slaves; but it is more probable that it here means all who bore his name or regarded him as their chief (Allen & Greenough); ‘all his dependants:’ the word, as being connected with famulus, properly means ‘a body of slaves;’ and is opposed to the liberi, who constitute the family, as now understood. (Moberly)
ad…decem: ad with numerals denotes an approach to the number, ‘to the number of;’ hence ‘about.’ It is sometimes used as a preposition in this way, and sometimes as an adverb. (Harper & Tolman)
Cum civitas ob eam rem incitata armis ius suum exequi conaretur, multitudinemque hominum ex agris magistratus cogerent, Orgetorix mortuus est; neque abest suspicio, ut Helvetii arbitrantur, quin ipse sibi mortem consciverit.
Cum…conaretur: Note the tense; it was while these measures were being carried out that Orgetorix committed suicide. (Walpole); ‘while the state was trying’ (Towle & Jenks)
magistratus, -us m.: public office, magistracy; public officer, magistrate
Neque abest suspicio: Neque abest suspicio: ‘and there is ground for suspecting,’ lit. ‘not is there lacking (ground for) suspecting.’ (Kelsey)
Section 5
Post eius mortem nihilo minus Helvetii id quod constituerant facere conantur, ut e finibus suis exeant.
nihilo minus: nihilo minus: ‘nevertheless’ ; lit. ‘by nothing less.’ (Kelsey)
Ubi iam se ad eam rem paratos esse arbitrati sunt, oppida sua omnia, numero ad duodecim, vicos ad quadringentos, reliqua privata aedificia incendunt; frumentum omne, praeterquam quod secum portaturi erant, comburunt, ut domum reditionis spe sublata paratiores ad omnia pericula subeunda essent; trium mensum molita cibaria sibi quemque domo efferre iubent.
oppida sua omnia: The oppida are strongholds, while the vici are groups of houses. Vicus is the word for the street of a city, referring to the rows of houses on either side. (Harper & Tolman)
praeterquam quod: i.e. praeter id (frumentum) quod (Kelsey)
praeterquam adv., besides, except (Walker)
domum reditionis: ‘hope of return home.’ Domum is the accusative of limit of motion after the verbal noun reditionis. (Harper & Tolman)
Persuadent Rauracis et Tulingis et Latobrigis finitimis suis uti eodem usi consilio, oppidis suis vicisque exustis, una cum eis proficiscantur, Boiosque, qui trans Rhenum incoluerant et in agrum Noricum transierant Noreiamque oppugnarant, receptos ad se socios sibi asciscunt.
uti eodem usi consilio oppidis suis vicisque exustis una cum iis proficiscantur: uti…proficiscantur: usi: ‘adopting,’ or ‘to adopt’; ‘having used’ (Kelsey); consilio: ‘plan’ (Kelsey); oppidis suis vicisque exustis: ‘having burned their towns and villages,’ lit. ‘their towns and villages having been burned.’ (Kelsey); una: adv. (Kelsey)
Noricum: Agrum Noricum: ‘the territory of the Norici,’ corresponding, in general, with the western part of Austria south of the Danube, between Bavaria and Hungary (); …now eastern Bavaria and upper Austria (Allen & Judson)
receptos ad se socios sibi adsciscunt: ‘they received and associated with themselves’ (lit. ‘to themselves’) ‘as allies’ (Kelsey)
Section 6
Erant omnino itinera duo, quibus itineribus domo exire possent: unum per Sequanos, angustum et difficile, inter montem Iuram et flumen Rhodanum, vix qua singuli carri ducerentur; mons autem altissimus impendebat, ut facile perpauci prohibere possent: alterum per provinciam nostram, multo facilius atque expeditius, propterea quod inter finis Helvetiorum et Allobrogum, qui nuper pacati erant, Rhodanus fluit, isque non nullis locis vado transitur.
vix qua: ‘It was with difficult that here…’ (Harper & Tolman)
vado transitur: ‘is fordable,’ lit. ‘is crossed by a ford.’ (Kelsey)
Genava, -ae f.: Genava, a city of the Allobroges, now Geneva (Walker)
Allobrogibus sese vel persuasuros, quod nondum bono animo in populum Romanum viderentur, existimabant vel vi coacturos ut per suos finis eos ire paterentur.
Omnibus rebus ad profectionem comparatis, diem dicunt, qua die ad ripam Rhodani omnes conveniant. Is dies erat a. d. V. Kal. April., L. Pisone, A. Gabinio consulibus.
Is dies erat a. d. V Kal. Apr. L. Pisone, A. Gabinio consulibus: a. d. V. Kal. Apr.: ante diem quantum Kalendas Apriles, ‘the fifth day before the Calends of April,’ March 28 by our calendar. (Kelsey)
Kalendae, -arum f.: the Calends, the first day of the Roman month (Walker)
Piso, -onis m.: Lucius Calpurnius Piso, Caesar’s father-in-law, consul 58 B. C. (Walker)
Gabinius, -ni m.: Aulus Gabinius, consul with Lucius Piso, 58 B. C. (Walker)
Section 7
Caesari cum id nuntiatum esset…maturat: Note the position of Caesari. The cum clauses with the subjunctive denote nothing more than a part of a past series of events. Often an English expression can be found much more simple, and conveying the temporal idea much less awkwardly than a heavy sentence introduced by when; e.g. the sentence means, ‘Caesar, on receipt of the news that…hastened.’ (Harper & Tolman)
quam maximis potest itineribus: stronger than quam maximis itineribus; ‘with the utmost possible speed.’ (Kelsey); (by the greatest marches that he is able to make), ‘with all possible speed’…. We learn from Plutarch that he travelled 90 miles a day. (Towle & Jenks)
ulteriorem: ulteriorem = transalpinam, ‘beyond the Alps’ from Rome. (Walker)
Ubi de eius adventu Helvetii certiores facti sunt, legatos ad eum mittunt nobilissimos civitatis, cuius legationis Nammeius et Verucloetius principem locum obtinebant, qui dicerent sibi esse in animo sine ullo maleficio iter per provinciam facere, propterea quod aliud iter haberent nullum: rogare ut eius voluntate id sibi facere liceat.
certiores facti sunt: ‘were informed,’ lit. ‘were made more certain.’ ()
Princeps, -ipis adj.: taking the first place; chief, most prominent, first; as a noun, chief or principal person, leader, chief. ()
qui dicerent: ‘in order to say.’ (Kelsey)
Caesar, quod memoria tenebat L. Cassium consulem occisum exercitumque eius ab Helvetiis pulsum et sub iugum missum, concedendum non putabat; neque homines inimico animo, data facultate per provinciam itineris faciendi, temperaturos ab iniuria et maleficio existimabat.
concedendum: concedendum non putabat: ‘did not think that the request ought to be granted’ ; less freely, ‘that the concession ought to be made.’ (Kelsey)
data facultate: data facultate: = si facultas data esset, ‘if opportunity should have been granted.’ (Kelsey)
Tamen, ut spatium intercedere posset dum milites quos imperaverat convenirent, legatis respondit diem se ad deliberandum sumpturum: si quid vellent, ad Id. April. reverterentur.
si quid vellent: quid: ‘anything’ (Kelsey); vellent, reverterentur: ‘they want,’ ‘they should return’ (Kelsey)
