De Bello Gallico 1.34

1.34.1Quam ob rem placuit eī ut ad Ariovistum lēgātōs mitteret, quī ab eō postulārent utī aliquem locum medium utrīsque conloquiō dēligeret: velle sēsē dē rē pūblicā et summīs utrīusque rēbus cum eō agere.

So he decided to send envoys to Ariovistus to ask him to choose some place halfway between them for a conference: he wanted to discuss with him matters of state of the highest importance to both.

Note. Quam ob rem: 'for this reason'. utrīsque: 'for both sides'.

1.34.2Eī lēgātiōnī Ariovistus respondit: sī quid ipsī ā Caesare opus esset, sēsē ad eum ventūrum fuisse;

To this embassy Ariovistus replied that if he himself had needed anything from Caesar, he would have come to him;

Note. sī quid ipsī ā Caesare opus esset: 'if he himself had needed anything from Caesar'; opus est takes the dative of the person.

1.34.2sī quid ille sē velit, illum ad sē venīre oportēre.

if Caesar wanted anything from him, Caesar ought to come to him.

1.34.3Praetereā sē neque sine exercitū in eās partēs Galliae venīre audēre quās Caesar possidēret, neque exercitum sine magnō commeātū atque mōlīmentō in ūnum locum contrahere posse.

Besides, he did not dare come without an army into those parts of Gaul that Caesar held, and he could not bring an army together in one place without great supplies and effort.

1.34.4Sibi autem mīrum vidērī quid in suā Galliā, quam bellō vīcisset, aut Caesarī aut omnīnō populō Rōmānō negōtiī esset.

And it seemed strange to him what business Caesar, or the Roman people at all, had in his Gaul, which he had conquered in war.