Chapter 5.27

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).