Chapter 5.28 | Dickinson College Commentaries

Arpīnēius et Iūnius quae audiērunt ad lēgātōs dēferunt. Illī repentīnā rē perturbātī, etsī ab hoste ea dīcēbantur, tamen nōn neglegenda exīstimābant māximēque hāc rē permovēbantur, quod cīvitātem īgnōbilem atque humilem Ebūrōnum suā sponte populō Rōmānō bellum facere ausam vix erat crēdendum. Itaque ad cōnsilium rem dēferunt māgnaque inter eōs exsistit contrōversia. L. Aurunculēius complūrēsque tribūnī mīlitum et prīmōrum ōrdinum centuriōnēs nihil temerē agendum neque ex hībernīs iniūssū Caesaris discēdendum exīstimābant; quantāsvis magnās etiam cōpiās Germānōrum sustinērī posse mūnītīs hībernīs docēbant: rem esse testimōniō, quod prīmum hostium impetum multīs ūltrō vulneribus inlātīs fortissimē sustinuerint; rē frūmentāriā nōn premī; intereā et ex proximīs hībernīs et ā Caesare conventūra subsidia; postrēmō quid esse levius aut turpius quam auctōre hoste dē summīs rēbus capere cōnsilium?

notes

The advice considered in a council of war.

sua sponte: 'of their own accord,' 'spontaneously'; a common idiom (Gaisser).

ausam [esse]: with civitatem (Allen & Greenough).

ad consilium rem deferunt: 'they lay the matter before a council of war' (Anthon). consilium: as the two legates had one and one-half legions under their command, the council of war contained, besides the legates, nine military tribunes, and either nine or six centurions, according as the half legion did or did not include the first cohort. Thus there were in the council either twenty or seventeen persons (Allen & Greenough).

Existit: 'arises' (Anthon).

L. Aurunculeius: Lucius Aurunculeius Cotta, one of Caesar’s legati in Gaul. Caesar refers to him by his praenomen and nomen here. Elsewhere he uses his cognomen, Cotta (Gaisser).

primorum ordinum centuriones: 'centurions of the first ranks': the most senior non-commissioned officers, probably the 6 centurions of the first cohort (Gaisser).

agendum: Supply esse. Infinitive in indirect statement (Gaisser)( A&G 580).

iniussu: 'without the orders [of]' (Gaisser).

Rem esse testimonio: 'that the fact spoke for itself' (Anthon). Dative of purpose: '[for a] proof' (Gaisser)( A&G 382).

quod . . . sustinuerint: in apposition with rem.

multis ultro...sustinuerint: 'many wounds having been inflicted upon the latter, without any being received in return.' Compare the explanation of Lemaire: nam Romani intulerant hostibus vulnera; ipsi vero non acceperant. (Anthon).

re frumentaria non premi: 'that they were not distressed for corn [i.e. grain]' (Anthon). re frumentaria: 'the matter pertaining to grain,' i.e., 'grain supply,' 'food' (Gaisser).

levius aut turpius: ‘weaker or more cowardly’ (Anthon).

auctore hoste...consilium.: ‘To deliberate concerning matters of the utmost importance when an enemy was the author of the step’ (Anthon); auctore hoste: 'on the advice of the enemy' (Allen & Greenough); auctore hoste: ablative absolute, 'with the enemy as the advisor' (Gaisser) ( A&G 419).

vocabulary

rěpentīnus, -a, -um: sudden, hasty, unexpected

perturbo, -āre: throw into confusion; in pass.: loose one’s self-control; become disconcerted

etsi: though, although, albeit

neglĕgo, -ĕre, -exi, -ectum: neglect; treat lightly, ignore

premǒvěo, -mǒvěre, -mōvi, -mōtum: to move or stir up thoroughly

ignōbǐlis, e: unknown

hŭmĭlis, -e: of no rank, inferior, obscure

sponte: freely, willingly

exsisto, sistěre, stǐti, stǐtum: to step forth, to come forth

contrōversǐa, -ae: controversy, contention, dispute, quarrel

complūres: more than one, not a few

centǔrǐo, -ōnis: centurion, commander of a century

těměrē: rashly

iniūssū, adverbial ablative: without orders

quantusvīs, -ăvis, -umvis: of whatever size, extent

hǐbernus, -a, -um: referring to winter; hīberna, -ōrum n.: winter quarters

mūnǐo, -ire, īvi, -ītum: to build a wall around, to fortify

testǐmōnǐum, -i n.: witness, evidence, testimony

subsǐdǐum, ii n.: the troops stationed in reserve

postrēmo adv.: finally

media

Text Read Aloud

Language English

Chinese version