In omnī Galliā eōrum hominum quī aliquō sunt numerō atque honōre genera sunt duo. Nam plēbēs paene servōrum habētur locō, quae nihil audet per sē, nūllō adhibētur cōnsiliō. Plērīque, cum aut aere aliēnō aut māgnitūdine tribūtōrum aut iniūriā potentiōrum premuntur, sēsē in servitūtem dicant nōbilibus, quibus in hōs eadem omnia sunt iūra quae dominīs in servōs. Sed dē hīs duōbus generibus alterum est druidum, alterum equitum. Illī rēbus dīvīnīs intersunt, sacrificia pūblica ac prīvāta prōcūrant, religiōnēs interpretantur: ad hōs māgnus adulēscentium numerus disciplīnae causā concurrit, māgnōque hī sunt apud eōs honōre. Nam ferē dē omnibus contrōversiīs pūblicīs prīvātīsque cōnstituunt et, sī quod est admīssum facinus, sī caedēs facta, sī dē hērēditāte, dē fīnibus contrōversia est, īdem dēcernunt, praemia poenāsque cōnstituunt; sī quī aut prīvātus aut populus eōrum dēcrētō nōn stetit, sacrificiīs interdīcunt. Haec poena apud eōs est gravissima. Quibus ita est interdictum, hī numerō impiōrum ac scelerātōrum habentur, hīs omnēs dēcēdunt, aditum sermōnemque dēfugiunt, nē quid ex contāgiōne incommodī accipiant, neque hīs petentibus iūs redditur, neque hōnōs ūllus commūnicātur. Hīs autem omnibus druidibus praeest ūnus, quī summam inter eōs habet auctōritātem. Hōc mortuō, aut sī quī ex reliquīs excellit dīgnitāte succēdit, aut, sī sunt plūrēs parēs, suffrāgiō druidum, nōn numquam etiam armīs dē prīncipātū contendunt. Hī certō annī tempore in fīnibus Carnūtum, quae regiō tōtīus Galliae media habētur, cōnsīdunt in locō cōnsecrātō. Hūc omnēs undique quī contrōversiās habent conveniunt eōrumque dēcrētīs iūdiciīsque pārent. Disciplīna in Britanniā reperta atque inde in Galliam trānslāta esse exīstimātur, et nunc quī dīligentius eam rem cōgnōscere volunt plērumque illō discendī causā profīcīscuntur.

    Druids and knights alone possess political power. Degradation of the masses. Religious and civil power of the Druids. Their doctrine imported from Britain.

    Qui aliquo sunt in numero atque honore: 'who are of any note and are held in any estimation' (Anthon).

    aliquo numero: ‘of any account’ (Walker); ‘in any consideration’ (Moberly).

    genera: 'classes'. Literally, 'kinds', or 'orders'. (Anthon)

    plebes: here a noun of the fifth declension, cf. plebs. (Allen & Greenough). Compare the Roman plebs

    cum…premuntur: a general condition expressing repeated action, cum meaning 'whenever' or 'as often as'. (A&G 542)

    aere alieno: 'by debt'. Aes alienum means literally, 'the money of another', i. e., due or owing to another. The first money coined by the Romans was of brass, and hence the use of aes in this sense (Anthon)

    nobilibus: Compare Roman nobles

    magnitudine tributorum: 'the weight of taxes' (Anthon).

    iniuria: 'the oppression'. More literally, 'the injurious', or 'insolent treatment' (Anthon).

    Sese dicant: 'give themselves up'. (Anthon)

    quae dominis: (dat. of poss.) 'as masters have' (Allen & Judson)(A&G 373)

    Druides: Compare Roman Priests

    equitum: here means 'knights', not 'cavalry'. The 'knights' mentioned in this passage were the Gallic aristocracy, and the 'men of rank' (nobilibus) mentioned in § 2 were the most distinguished of the knights (Rice Holmes). Compare Roman equites

    religiones: 'questions of religion' (Rice Holmes).

    si qui. . . populus: 'if any one, whether private individual or tribe' (Rice Holmes)

    decreto non stetit: ‘does not abide by the decision’ (Walker).

    his...decedunt: his is dative, de via being understood with decedunt, just as in English one might say 'Get out ', meaning 'Get out of the way' (Rice Holmes); 'make way for them in the street' (Allen & Greenough).

    incommodi: partitive genitive following quid (Allen & Greenough).

    Huc omnes...parent: In § 5 Caesar has said that the Druids 'are judges in nearly all disputes' (fere de omnibus controversiis . . . constituunt). Probably the suitors who appealed to them were equites (§ 3), who alone could afford the expense of the journey, and who, having, as Caesar says (§ 3), unlimited rights over their dependants, may have settled their petty disputes without having recourse to Druids. The Druids had not a monopoly of jurisdiction. The Aeduan Vergobret (i.16, § 5 and p. liv) had 'the power of life and death over his countrymen', just as fathers had over their wives and children (vi.19, § 3); and the chief magistrate of every tribe adjudicated on offences against the state (i.4; v.56, § 3; vii.4, § 1), though the punishment which he inflicted may have been sanctioned and superintended by Druids (Rice Holmes).

    ădhĭbĕo, -ēre: have present; consult; summon, invite

    trĭbūtum, -ī n.:  payment, tribute

    servĭtūs, -ūtis, f.:  slavery, servitude

    Drŭĭdes, -um m.: Gallic priests

    dīvīnus, -a, -um:  divine

    săcrĭfĭcĭum, -iī, n.:  sacrifice

    prōcūro, -āre: attend to

    rĕlĭgĭo, -ōnis, f.:  religious obligation, worship

    interpretor, -ārī:  explain, interpret

    ădŭlescens, -entis:  young; (subst.) young man

    concurrō, -currere, -currī, -cursum:  run together, assemble

    admittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missum:  let go, admit, commit

    hērēdĭtas, -ātis f.: inheritance

    dēcrētum, -i n.: decree, decision

    interdīco, -ĕre, -xi, -ctum: forbid, warn

    impĭus, -a, -um: wicked

    scelerō, -āre:  pollute, desecrate

    dēcēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessum:  depart, go away, withdraw

    ădĭtus, -ūs n.: approach, advance; approach; admittance; privilege claim

    dēfugiō, -ere, -fūgī:   run off, flee

    contāgĭo, -ōnis f.: contact, association

    incommŏdum, -ī, n.:  trouble, detriment, misfortune 

    hŏnos, -ōris m.: honor, distinction

    commūnicō, -āre:  share, communicate, divide with

    praesum, -esse, -fūi: be at the head of; be in charge of

    excello, -ĕre, -cellŭi, -celsum: be eminent

    succēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessum:  follow after, succeed, take the place of

    suffrāgĭum, -i n.: vote, suffrage

    prīncipātus, -ūs, m.:  first place, leadership, supremacy

    contendō, -ere, -dī, -tus:  strain, strive for

    consīdo, -ĕre, -sēdi, -sessum: settle, take position; hold a session

    cōnsecrō, -āre:  dedicate, consecrate

    rĕpĕrĭo, -īre, repperi, rĕpertum: find; originate

    trānsferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātum:  bring through, carry over

    dīligēns, -entis:  diligent, scrupulous, attentive

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    Christopher Francese, Caesar: Selections from the Gallic War. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2011, revised and enlarged 2018. ISBN: 978-1-947822-02-3. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/caesar/book-6/chapter-6-13