Chapter 5.27

Mittitur ad eōs colloquendī causā C. Arpinēius, eques Rōmānus, familiāris Q. Titūrī, et Q. Iūnius ex Hispāniā quīdam, quī iam ante mīssū Caesaris ad Ambiorigem ventitāre cōnsuērat; apud quōs Ambiorix ad hunc modum locūtus est: sēsē prō Caesaris in sē beneficiīs plūrimum eī cōnfitērī dēbēre, quod ēius operā stīpendiō līberātus esset, quod Aduātucīs fīnitimīs suīs pendere cōnsuēsset, quodque eī et fīlius et frātris fīlius ab Caesare remīssī essent, quōs Aduātucī obsidum numerō mīssōs apud sē in servitūte et catēnīs tenuissent; neque id quod fēcerit dē oppūgnātiōne castrōrum aut iūdiciō aut voluntāte suā fēcisse sed coāctū cīvitātis, suaque esse ēiusmodī imperia ut nōn minus habēret iūris in sē multitūdō quam ipse in multitūdinem. Cīvitātī porrō hanc fuisse bellī causam, quod repentīnae Gallōrum coniūrātiōnī resistere nōn potuerit. Id sē facile ex humilitāte suā probāre posse, quod nōn adeō sit imperītus rērum ut suīs copiīs populum Rōmānum superārī posse cōnfīdat. Sed esse Galliae commūne cōnsilium: omnibus hībernīs Caesaris oppūgnandīs hunc esse dictum diem, nē quā legiō alterae legiōnī subsidiō venīre posset. Nōn facile Gallōs Gallīs negāre potuisse, praesertim cum dē recuperandā commūnī lībertāte cōnsilium initum vidērētur. Quibus quoniam prō pietāte satisfēcerit, habēre nunc sē ratiōnem officī prō beneficiīs Caesaris: monēre, ōrāre Titūrium prō hospitiō ut suae āc mīlitum salūtī cōnsulat. Māgnam manum Germānōrum conductam Rhēnum trānsīsse; hanc adfore bīduō. Ipsōrum esse cōnsilium, velintne priusquam fīnitimī sentiant ēdūctōs ex hībernīs mīlitēs aut ad Cicerōnem aut ad Labiēnum dēdūcere, quōrum alter mīlia passuum circiter quīnquāgintā, alter paulō amplius ab eīs absit. Illud sē pollicērī et iūre iūrandō cōnfīrmāre, tūtum iter per fīnēs datūrum. Quod cum faciat, et cīvitātī sēsē cōnsulere, quod hībernīs levētur, et Caesarī prō ēius meritīs grātiam referre. Hāc ōrātiōne habitā discēdit Ambiorīx.

    Representatives sent out to confer with them: Ambiorix advises Sabinus to transfer his troops to Cicero or Labienus.

    eques: a knight, a member of the equestrian order, the commercial aristocracy of Rome (Allen & Greenough).

    Q. Tituri: = Quinti Titurii Sabini, called simply Sabinus above, and Titurius at 5.29, below (Harkness).

    qui...consuerat: Evidently Ambiorix had made himself useful to Caesar as a political agent, and the acts of kindness for which he professed gratitude were presumably the reward which he received for his services (Rice Holmes).

    missu Caesaris: equivalent to mittente Caesare, 'being despatched for this purpose by Caesar' (Anthon).

    plurimum...debere: 'acknowledged he was under very great obligations to him' (Anthon). 'that he owed very much to him', i. e., to Caesar (Harkness).

    stipendio liberatus esset: 'he had been liberated from tribute', i. e., freed from the payment of it.

    Aduatuci: subject of tenuissent (Allen & Greenough)

    de oppugnatione castrorum: 'as regards the attack on our camp' (Anthon).

    suaque esse imperia...multitudinem: 'and that his authority was of such a nature, that the people at large had no less power over him than he had over them' (Anthon). imperia: 'sovereignty' (Allen & Judson). esse eiusmodi: 'was of such a nature' (Harkness). non minus iuris: 'no less authority' (Harkness)

    civitati porro: 'to the state in their turn' (Moberly).

    ex humilitate sua: ‘From his own abjectness' (that is, the fact that his attack was embarrassingly easy for the Romans to repel).

    sit...confidat: the present was used because the subjunctives were preceded by a present infinitive, posse (Rice Holmes) ( A&G 585).

    Sed esse Gallia commune consilium: 'But that it was the common design of Gaul,' i. e., that it was a common and preconcerted plan on the part of the whole nation (Anthon).

    omnibus hībernīs Caesaris oppūgnandīs hunc esse dictum diem: oppugnandis is dative with esse dictum ('had been appointed'). hunc ... diem: 'this very day.' omnibus hibernis oppugnandis is a gerundive construction ( A&G 503)

    Non…potuisse: 'that the Gauls could not easily say ‘no’ to Gauls' (Allen & Greenough). ‘That it was no easy matter for Gauls to give a refusal to Gauls’ (Anthon).

    Quibus quoniam...Caesaris: 'that since he had satisfied them, as far as duty to his country was concerned, so now he had respect to the claims of duty, as regarded the favours bestowed upon him by Caesar,' i. e., as he had discharged his duty to his country, he would now discharge that which he owed to Caesar in return for his numerous kindnesses (Anthon).

    pietate: The term pietasamong the Roman writers has a very extensive meaning, denoting the duty which we owe to our parents, relations, friends, country, and the Deity. The reference in the present passage is to country merely (Anthon).

    habere...rationem: 'take account of.'

    pro hospitio: 'in consideration of the ties of hospitality' (Anthon) ( A&G 221.16).

    conductam Rhenum transisse: 'having been hired for the purpose, had crossed the Rhine' (Anthon).

    hanc: 'that this band' (Anthon).javascript:mctmp(0);

    ipsorum esse consilium: 'it was for them [the Roman generals] to decide' (Rice Holmes); 'that it belonged to them to consider' (Harkness) ( A&G 343.b).

    paulo: adv. abl.: a little ('by a little'). (Sihler) ( A&G 414b)

    quod cum faciat...referre: 'that in doing this, he was both consulting for the good of his own state, in its being freed from the burden of winter quarters, and was making a proper return to Caesar for his acts of kindness towards him’ (Anthon); quod cum faciat: 'in so doing' (Allen & Greenough); 'while he does this' (Harkness). quod levetur: because it would be relieved(Hodges).

    hibernis: i.e. the burden of providing grain for the soldiers (Allen & Greenough).

    collǒquor, -loqui, -locūtus: to talk together, converse

    fǎmǐlǐāris, -is m.: a member of the household, one of the same household

    missus, -ūs m.: sending, dispatch

    ventǐto, -āre, -āvi, -ātum: to come often, keep coming, resort

    consǔesco, -ěre, -suēvi, -suētum: to become accustomed 

    stīpendĭum, -i n.: tribute

    līběro, -āre, -āvi, -ātus: to free, liberate

    fīnĭtĭmus, -a, -um: neighboring; subst.: neighbors

    quisque, quaeque, quodque: each one

    rěmitto, mittěre, mīsi, missum: to send back, let go back, drive back 

    obses, obsǐdis m/f.: hostage

    servǐtūs, -ūtis f.: slavery, servitude, service

    cǎtēna, ae f.: fetter, shackle, chain

    oppugnatio, -ionis f.: storming, assault, attack

    vŏluntas, -ātis f.: will, wish, desire, inclination

    porro adv.: further

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

    coniūrātǐo, -ōnis f.: a swearing together; alliance, oath; conspiracy, plot

    resistō, -ĕre, -stitī: maintain one’s position, hold one’s ground, resist

    hǔmǐlǐtas, -ātis f.: lowness, meaness, baseness

    impĕrītus, -a, -um: inexperienced

    confīdo, -ĕre, fĭsus sum: rely, trust

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

    oppugnō, -āre, -āvi, -ātum: to fight against; to attack, assault

    subsǐdǐum, ii n.: troops stationed in reserve

    praesertim adv.: especially, particularly

    rĕcǔpĕrō, -āre, -āvi, -ātum: regain, recover

    lībertas, -ātis f.: liberty, freedom

    ǐněo, -īre, -ǐi, -ǐtum: to go into, to enter

    sătisfăcĭo, -ĕre, -fēci, -factum: make reparation

    hospĭtĭum, -ĭi n.: guest-friendship, hospitality

    consŭlo, -ĕre, -ŭi, -sultum: deliberate; to look out for

    condūco, dūcěre, dūxi, dūctum: to draw or bring together, assemble

    bīduum, -ī n.: a space of two days

    ēdūco, dūcěre, dūxi, dūctum: to draw out, lead out

    dēdūco, dūcěre, dūxi, dūctum: to lead or bring down

    quiquāginta: fifty

    pollĭcĕor, -ēri, -ĭtus: to hold forth, offer, promise

    confirmō, -āre, -āvi, -ātus: to make firm, establish, strengthen 

    lĕvo, -āre: free, relieve

    discēdo, -cēděre, -cessi, -cessum: to part, separate 

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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-5/chapter-5-27