Contrā ea Titūrius sērō factūrōs clāmitābat, cum māiōrēs manūs hostium adiūnctīs Germānīs convēnissent aut cum aliquid calamitātis in proximīs hībernīs esset acceptum. Brevem cōnsulendī esse occāsiōnem. Caesarem arbitrārī profectum in Ītaliam; neque aliter Carnūtēs interficiendī Tasgētī cōnsilium fuisse captūrōs, neque Ebūrōnēs, sī ille adesset, tantā contemptiōne nostrī ad castra ventūrōs esse. Nōn hostem auctōrem, sed rem spectāre: subesse Rhēnum; māgnō esse Germānīs dolōrī Ariovistī mortem et superiōrēs nostrās vīctōriās; ārdēre Galliam tot contumēliīs acceptīs sub populī Rōmānī imperium redāctam, superiōre glōriā reī mīlitāris exstinctā. Postrēmō quis hōc sibi persuādēret, sine certā rē Ambiorīgem ad ēiusmodī cōnsilium dēscendisse? Suam sententiam in utramque partem esse tūtam: sī nihil esset dūrius, nūllō cum perīculō ad proximam legiōnem perventūrōs: sī Gallia omnis cum Germānīs cōnsentīret, ūnam esse in celeritāte positam salūtem. Cottae quidem atque eōrum quī dissentīrent, cōnsilium quem habēre exitum, in quō sī praesēns perīculum nōn, at certē longīnquā obsidiōne famēs esset timenda?

    The advice considered in a council of war.

    Titurius: Quintus Titurius Sabinus, one of Caesar’s legati in Gaul. Caesar refers to him by his nomen here. Elsewhere he uses his cognomen, Sabinus (Gaisser).

    sero facturos, cum: 'that they would act too late, when', i. e., that it would be too late to act, when (Harkness); facturos [esse]: Supply se as subject. The indirect statement governed by clamitabat continues through the whole paragraph (Gaisser).

    proximis: 'close at hand' (Allen & Judson); 'nearest'. This camp was farthest off from the main body, and hence if the nearest camps should be taken, the forces could not easily withdraw in safety. (Allen & Greenough)

    Caesarem: subject of profectum [esse]. This indirect statement depends on se arbitrari (Gaisser).

    neque…fuisse capturos: 'that otherwise the Carnutes would not have adopted' (Harkness). The direct discourse would have cepissent, and for venturos esse, venirent (Allen & Judson). Apodosis of a condition contrary to fact (unreal), the protasis of which is contained in the adverb aliter. (Hodges) ( A&G 589.b)

    Carnutes: a Celtic tribe living between the Loire and the Seine. They began the revolt by killing their king, Tasgetius, a client of Caesar’s (Gaisser).

    interficiendi Tasgeti: 'of killing Tasgetius' ( A&G 504.c).

    ille: i.e., Caesar. ille is often used to refer to the most important person in a situation (Gaisser)( A&G 297.b).

    nostri: objective genitive with contemptione: 'of us' (Gaisser). ( A&G 348)

    neque Eburones venturos esse: ‘nor would the Eburones have come.’ (Moberly)

    venturos esse: for venirent in direct discourse, the apodosis of a pres. condition contrary to fact. We should expect venturos fuisse. ( A&G 517)

    Non…spectare: ‘It was not to the enemy that he looked for guidance, but to facts.’ (Holmes)

    magno ... dolori: predicate dative '[for] a great sorrow' (Gaisser)( A&G 382).

    Ariovisti: leader of a German tribe that had invaded Gaul in 71. Caesar drove him out of Gaul in 58 and he died or was killed soon afterwards (Gaisser).

    superiores: here, 'earlier' (Gaisser).

    ardere: 'is in a blaze' (Allen & Judson); 'was ablaze'. (Hodges)

    tot contumeliis acceptis redactam: 'because it had been reduced after such a series of disasters, and after losing all their former military reputation' (Moberly); contumeliis acceptis: ablative absolute (Gaisser) ( A&G 419).

    hoc: object of persuaderet. We would say, 'who would persuade himself of this?' (Gaisser)

    in utramque partem: 'on each side' (Harkness); 'in either event' (Gaisser).

    perventuros: The subject (the Romans) is not expressed (Gaisser).

    si nihil esset durius: ‘If no greater difficulty came in their way,’ i.e. if no attack were made by the Gauls. (Anthon)

    sērus, -a, -um: late  

    clāmĭto, -āre: scream, shout

    adiungō, -ěre, -ūnxī, -ūnctus: to fasten on, join to, harness

    călămĭtas, -ātis f.: disaster

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

    occāsĭo, -ōnis f.: opportunity, stroke of arms, rapid feat

    contemptĭo, -ōnis f.: disregard, contempt, scorn

    contŭmēlĭa, -ae f.: disgrace, insult; buffeting, hard usage

    rĕdĭgo, -ĕre, redēgi, redactum: reduce, bring down; render

    exstinguo, -stinguere, -stinxi, -stinctum: to put out, extinguish

    postrēmo: at last, finally

    persuāděo, -děre, -āsi, -āsum: to convince, persuade

    ēiusmǒdi: of this kind, such

    consentǐo, -sentire, -sensi, -sensum: to share in feeling

    dissentīo, -sentire, -sensi, -sensum: to dissent, disagree

    longinquus, -a, -um: distant, remote; lasting, long, protracted

    obsĭdĭo, -ōnis f.: blockade, siege

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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-5-29