Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 2
De Bello Gallico 2.31
The Atuatuci ask for terms
Caesar, De Bello Gallico II. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō2.31.1Ubi vērō movērī et adpropinquāre mūrīs vīdērunt, novā atque inūsitātā speciē commōtī lēgātōs ad Caesarem dē pāce mīsērunt, quī ad hunc modum locūtī, nōn sē exīstimāre Rōmānōs sine ope dīvīnā bellum gerere, quī tantae altitūdinis māchinātiōnēs tantā celeritāte prōmovēre possent, sē suaque omnia eōrum potestātī permittere dīxērunt.
But when they saw it moving and coming close to the walls, alarmed by the strange and unfamiliar sight, they sent envoys to Caesar about peace; these spoke as follows: they did not think the Romans waged war without the help of the gods, since they could move forward machines of such height with such speed; they put themselves and all their possessions in the Romans' power.
Note. nōn sē exīstimāre … : indirect statement after dīxērunt at the end of the sentence.
2.31.4Ūnum petere ac dēprecārī: sī forte prō suā clēmentiā ac mānsuētūdine, quam ipsī ab aliīs audīrent, statuisset Atuatucōs esse cōnservandōs, nē sē armīs dēspoliāret.
They asked and begged one thing: if by any chance, in his mercy and gentleness, of which they heard from others, he decided that the Atuatuci should be spared, he should not strip them of their arms.
Note. Ūnum petere: 'they asked one thing'. nē … dēspoliāret: what they asked, 'that he should not strip them'.
2.31.5Sibi omnēs ferē fīnitimōs esse inimīcōs ac suae virtūtī invidēre;
Almost all their neighbours were hostile to them and envied their courage;
2.31.5ā quibus sē dēfendere trāditīs armīs nōn possent.
if they handed over their arms, they could not defend themselves against them.
2.31.6Sibi praestāre, sī in eum cāsum dēdūcerentur, quamvīs fortūnam ā populō Rōmānō patī quam ab hīs per cruciātum interficī inter quōs dominārī cōnsuēssent.
If they were brought to that point, they would rather suffer any fortune whatever at the hands of the Roman people than be tortured to death by those over whom they had been accustomed to rule.
Note. Sibi praestāre: 'it was better for them'. quamvīs fortūnam: 'any fortune you like'.
Vocabulary
| ubi, adv. | where; conj., when |
| vērō, adv. | in truth, indeed; however |
| moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtus | move |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| appropinquō, -propinquāre, -propinquāvī, -propinquātus | approach to, approach |
| mūrus, -ī, m. | wall |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| novus, -a, -um | new; novissimus, last |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| inūsitātus, -a, -um | unusual, extraordinary |
| speciēs, -ēī, f. | sight, appearance, shape |
| commoveō, -movēre, -mōvī, -mōtus | move, rouse; disturb |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | ambassador |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| pāx, pācis f. | peace |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| modus, -ī, m. | way, manner |
| loquor, loquī, locūtus | speak |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, believe, think |
| Rōmānus, -a, -um | Roman |
| sine, prep. with abl. | without |
| ops, opis f.; pl. opēs, -um | help; (pl.) resources, wealth, power |
| dīvīnus, -a, -um | divine, of the gods |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus | carry, wear; carry on, do |
| tantus, -a, -um | so great or much |
| altitūdō, -inis f. | height; depth |
| māchinātiō, -ōnis f. | machine, device |
| celeritās, -tātis, f. | swiftness, quickness, speed |
| prōmoveō, -ēre, -mōvī, -mōtum | move forward |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| potestās, -ātis f. | power, authority |
| permittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missum | allow, permit; entrust |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus | seek, ask; attack |
| dēprecor, -ārī, -ātus sum | beg to be spared, plead |
| sī, conj. | if |
| forte, adv. | by chance, accidentally |
| prō, prep. with abl. | before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for |
| clēmentia, -ae, f. | mercy, kindness |
| mānsuētūdō, -inis f. | gentleness, mercy |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| alius, -a, -ud | another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others |
| audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | hear; listen or attend to |
| statuō, statuere, statuī, statūtus | cause to stand; decide, resolve |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| cōnservō, -servāre, -servāvī, -servātus | preserve, keep |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| arma, -ōrum, n. plur. | arms, weapons |
| dēspoliō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | strip, rob |
| ferē, adv. | nearly, about, almost, for the most part |
| fīnitimus, -a, -um | neighboring, adjoining |
| inimīcus, -a, -um | unfriendly, hostile |
| virtūs, -tūtis, f. | manliness, courage, bravery |
| invideō, -ēre, invīdī, invīsum (+ dat.) | envy, be jealous of |
| dēfendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsus | ward off; defend |
| trādō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | give across, over, or up, deliver; hand down, relate, report |
| praestō, -stāre, -stitī, -stitus | stand in front; show |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| cāsus, -ūs, m. | fall; chance, accident |
| dēdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead down or away, bring; nāvem dēdūcere, to draw down or launch a ship |
| quīvīs, quaevīs, quodvīs | any you like, any whatever |
| fortūna, -ae, f. | fortune |
| populus, -ī m. | people, nation |
| patior, patī, passus, bear | suffer, allow |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| per, prep, with ace. | through, by means of |
| cruciātus, -ūs, m. | torture |
| interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | put out of the way, kill |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| dominor, -ārī, -ātus sum | be master, rule |
| cōnsuēscō, -suēscere, -suēvī, -suētus | become accustomed; in tenses of completed action, have become accustomed, be accustomed or wont |