De Bello Gallico 4.27

4.27.1Hostēs proeliō superātī, simul atque sē ex fugā recēpērunt, statim ad Caesarem lēgātōs dē pāce mīsērunt;

The enemy, beaten in battle, as soon as they had recovered from their flight, at once sent envoys to Caesar to ask for peace;

4.27.1obsidēs sēsē datūrōs quaeque imperāsset factūrōs pollicitī sunt.

they promised to give hostages and do what he ordered.

4.27.2Ūnā cum hīs lēgātīs Commius Atrebās vēnit, quem suprā dēmōnstrāveram ā Caesare in Britanniam praemissum.

With these envoys came Commius the Atrebatian, who, as I showed above, had been sent ahead into Britain by Caesar.

Note. quem suprā dēmōnstrāveram … praemissum: Caesar refers to himself in the first person as author. Atrebās: 'the Atrebatian', a singular of Atrebatēs.

4.27.3Hunc illī ē nāvī ēgressum, cum ad eōs ōrātōris modō Caesaris mandāta dēferret, comprehenderant atque in vincula coniēcerant;

When he had left his ship and was delivering Caesar's instructions to them as an envoy, they had seized him and thrown him into chains;

4.27.4tum proeliō factō remīsērunt et in petendā pāce eius reī culpam in multitūdinem contulērunt et propter imprūdentiam ut ignōscerētur petīvērunt.

now, after the battle, they sent him back, and in asking for peace they laid the blame for that act on the common people and asked to be pardoned on account of their ignorance.

4.27.5Caesar questus quod, cum ultrō in continentem lēgātīs missīs pācem ab sē petīssent, bellum sine causā intulissent, ignōscere sē imprūdentiae dīxit obsidēsque imperāvit;

Caesar complained that, after sending envoys to the mainland of their own accord to ask him for peace, they had made war on him without cause; but he said he would pardon their ignorance, and ordered hostages;

Note. questus quod … intulissent: the subjunctive gives the Britons' conduct as Caesar's complaint. ultrō: 'of their own accord'.

4.27.6quōrum illī partem statim dedērunt, partem ex longinquiōribus locīs arcessītam paucīs diēbus sēsē datūrōs dīxērunt.

part of these they gave at once, and said they would give the rest, which had to be sent for from farther away, within a few days.

4.27.7Intereā suōs in agrōs remigrāre iussērunt, prīncipēsque undique convenīre et sē cīvitātēsque suās Caesarī commendāre coepērunt.

Meanwhile they ordered their people to go back to the fields, and the leading men began to gather from every side and to entrust themselves and their states to Caesar.