De Bello Gallico 4.21

4.21.1Ad haec cognōscenda, prius quam perīculum faceret, idōneum esse arbitrātus C. Volusēnum cum nāvī longā praemittit.

To learn these things before he made the attempt, he sent Gaius Volusenus ahead with a warship, thinking him a suitable man.

Note. prius quam perīculum faceret: subjunctive because the action is anticipated, 'before he should make the attempt'. idōneum esse arbitrātus: understand eum (Volusēnus).

4.21.2Huic mandat ut explōrātīs omnibus rēbus ad sē quam prīmum revertātur.

He instructed him to explore everything and return to him as soon as possible.

4.21.3Ipse cum omnibus cōpiīs in Morinōs proficīscitur, quod inde erat brevissimus in Britanniam trāiectus.

He himself set out with all his forces into the country of the Morini, because from there the crossing to Britain was shortest.

4.21.4Hūc nāvēs undique ex fīnitimīs regiōnibus et quam superiōre aestāte ad Veneticum bellum fēcerat classem iubet convenīre.

He ordered ships to gather here from all the neighboring regions, together with the fleet he had built the summer before for the war with the Veneti.

4.21.5Interim, cōnsiliō eius cognitō et per mercātōrēs perlātō ad Britannōs, ā complūribus īnsulae cīvitātibus ad eum lēgātī veniunt, quī polliceantur obsidēs dare atque imperiō populī Rōmānī obtemperāre.

Meanwhile his plan became known and was carried to the Britons by traders, and envoys came to him from several states of the island to promise to give hostages and to obey the rule of the Roman people.

Note. quī polliceantur: relative clause of purpose, 'to promise'. The present tense follows the historic present veniunt.

4.21.6Quibus audītīs, līberāliter pollicitus hortātusque ut in eā sententiā permanērent, eōs domum remittit et cum iīs ūnā Commium, quem ipse Atrebatibus superātīs rēgem ibi cōnstituerat, cuius et virtūtem et cōnsilium probābat et quem sibi fidēlem esse arbitrābātur cuiusque auctōritās in hīs regiōnibus magnī habēbātur, mittit.

After hearing them, he made generous promises, urged them to stay of that mind, and sent them home; and with them he sent Commius, whom he himself had set up as king there after conquering the Atrebates, whose courage and judgment he approved, whom he believed to be loyal to him, and whose authority was highly regarded in these regions.

Note. A long run of relative clauses about Commius: quem … cōnstituerat, cuius … probābat, quem … arbitrābātur, cuiusque (= et cuius) auctōritās. magnī habēbātur: genitive of value, 'was highly regarded'.

4.21.8Huic imperat quās possit adeat cīvitātēs hortēturque ut populī Rōmānī fidem sequantur sēque celeriter eō ventūrum nūntiet.

He ordered him to visit what states he could, urge them to accept the protection of the Roman people, and announce that he himself would come there soon.

Note. imperat … adeat … hortēturque … nūntiet: indirect commands with ut left out. quās possit adeat cīvitātēs: 'visit what states he could'.

4.21.9Volusēnus perspectīs regiōnibus omnibus quantum eī facultātis darī potuit, quī nāvī ēgredī ac sē barbarīs committere nōn audēret, V diē ad Caesarem revertitur quaeque ibi perspexisset renūntiat.

Volusenus observed the whole region as far as he could, since he did not dare to leave his ship and trust himself to the natives, and on the fifth day he returned to Caesar and reported what he had observed there.

Note. quī … nōn audēret: causal relative clause, 'since he did not dare'. V diē = quīntō diē.