Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 1
De Bello Gallico 1.9
Dumnorix opens the way
Caesar, De Bello Gallico I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
Tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and track your reading.
Read in Lectitō1.9.1Relinquēbātur ūna per Sēquanōs via, quā Sēquanīs invītīs propter angustiās īre nōn poterant.
There remained only the route through the Sequani, by which they could not go against the Sequani's will because of the narrow pass.
Note. Sēquanīs invītīs is an ablative absolute: 'against the will of the Sequani'.
1.9.2Hīs cum suā sponte persuādēre nōn possent, lēgātōs ad Dumnorīgem Haeduum mittunt, ut eō dēprecātōre ā Sēquanīs impetrārent.
Since they could not persuade them on their own, they send envoys to Dumnorix the Haeduan, so that with him as intercessor they might win this from the Sequani.
Note. eō dēprecātōre: an ablative absolute with no participle, 'with him as intercessor'.
1.9.3Dumnorīx grātiā et largītiōne apud Sēquanōs plūrimum poterat et Helvētiīs erat amīcus, quod ex eā cīvitāte Orgetorīgis fīliam in mātrimōnium dūxerat, et cupiditāte regnī adductus novīs rēbus studēbat et quam plūrimās cīvitātēs suō beneficiō habēre obstrictās volēbat.
Dumnorix, through his popularity and lavish gifts, had great influence among the Sequani and was a friend to the Helvetii, because he had married the daughter of Orgetorix from that state; driven by desire for kingship he was eager for revolution and wanted to hold as many states as possible bound to himself by his favours.
Note. novīs rēbus studēbat: rēs novae means 'revolution', and studeō takes the dative.
1.9.4Itaque rem suscipit et ā Sēquanīs impetrat ut per fīnēs suōs Helvētiōs īre patiantur, obsidēsque utī inter sēsē dent perficit: Sēquanī, nē itinere Helvētiōs prohibeant, Helvētiī, ut sine maleficiō et iniūriā trānseant.
So he takes the matter on and wins from the Sequani that they allow the Helvetii to go through their territory, and he arranges that they give hostages to each other: the Sequani, not to block the Helvetii on their march; the Helvetii, to pass through without harm or wrongdoing.
Vocabulary
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| per, prep, with ace. | through, by means of |
| via, -ae, f. | road, way |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| invītus, -a, -um | unwilling |
| propter, prep. with acc. | on account of, because of |
| angustiae, -ārum f. pl. | narrow pass, defile |
| eō, īre, iī, itus | go |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| sponte, f. abl. sing., modified by meā, tuā, suā | of one's own accord, voluntarily |
| persuādeō, -suādēre, -suāsi, -suāsus | persuade, prevail upon, induce |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | ambassador |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| dēprecātor, -ōris m. | intercessor, go-between |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| impetrō, -petrāre, -petrāvī, -petrātus | gain one's end, obtain (a request) |
| grātia, -ae, f. | favor; gratitude, thanks; plur., thanks; grātiās agere, to give thanks, thank; grātiam referre, to return a favor, show gratitude, requite |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| largītiō, -ōnis f. | lavish giving, bribery |
| apud, prep, with acc. | among, with |
| plūrimum (adv.) | most, very much (plūrimum posse: be most powerful) |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| amīcus, -ī, m. | friend |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| cīvitās, -tātis, f. | state |
| fīlia, -ae, f. | daughter |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| mātrimōnium, -ī, n. | marriage; in mātrimōnium dūcere, marry |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus | lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry |
| cupiditās, -tātis, f. | desire, longing, eagerness |
| regnum, -ī, n. | royal power, rule, throne; kingdom, realm |
| addūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead to, bring, take; induce, influence |
| novus, -a, -um | new; novissimus, last |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| studeō, -ēre, -uī | be eager, give attention, apply oneself |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| beneficium, -ī, n. | well-doing, kindness, service, benefit |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| obstringō, -ere, -strīnxī, -strictum | bind, put under obligation |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| itaque, adv. | and so, accordingly, therefore |
| suscipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | undertake |
| fīnis, -is, m. | end, boundary; plur., borders, territory, country |
| patior, patī, passus, bear | suffer, allow |
| obses, obsidis m./f. | hostage |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| perficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | do or make through, accomplish |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| iter, itineris, n. | a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march |
| prohibeō, -hibēre, -hibuī, -hibitus | hold back, prevent, hinder |
| sine, prep. with abl. | without |
| maleficium, -ī n. | harm, wrongdoing |
| iniūria, -ae, f. | injury, wrong, hurt, harm |
| trānseō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go across or over, cross |