De Bello Gallico 5.27

5.27.1Mittitur ad eōs colloquendī causā Gāius Arpinēius, eques Rōmānus, familiāris Quīntī Titūrī, et Quīntus Iūnius ex Hispāniā quīdam, quī iam ante missū Caesaris ad Ambiorīgem ventitāre cōnsuērat;

Gaius Arpineius, a Roman knight and a friend of Quintus Titurius, is sent to them to talk, together with a certain Quintus Junius from Spain, who had already often gone to Ambiorix before at Caesar's bidding;

5.27.1apud quōs Ambiorīx ad hunc modum locūtus est: sēsē prō Caesaris in sē beneficiīs plūrimum eī cōnfitērī dēbēre, quod eius operā stīpendiō līberātus esset, quod Aduatucīs, fīnitimīs suīs, pendere cōnsuēsset, quodque eī et fīlius et frātris fīlius ab Caesare remissī essent, quōs Aduatucī obsidum numerō missōs apud sē in servitūte et catēnīs tenuissent;

before them Ambiorix spoke in this way: he admitted that for Caesar's kindnesses to him he owed him a very great deal, because by his help he had been freed from the tribute which he used to pay to the Atuatuci, his neighbours, and because his son and his nephew had been sent back to him by Caesar, whom the Atuatuci, after they had been sent as hostages, had kept among them in slavery and chains;

Note. Ambiorix's speech is in indirect discourse from here to sentence 31: main verbs become infinitives, subordinate verbs subjunctive, and sē/suus refer to Ambiorix.

5.27.3neque id, quod fēcerit dē oppugnātiōne castrōrum, aut iūdiciō aut voluntāte suā fēcisse, sed coāctū cīvitātis, suaque esse eiusmodī imperia, ut nōn minus habēret iūris in sē multitūdō quam ipse in multitūdinem.

and what he had done in attacking the camp he had done neither by his own judgement nor by his own will, but under pressure from his state; and his power was of such a kind that the people had no less authority over him than he over the people.

Note. coāctū cīvitātis: 'under pressure from the state'; the noun is used only in the ablative.

5.27.4Cīvitātī porrō hanc fuisse bellī causam, quod repentīnae Gallōrum coniūrātiōnī resistere nōn potuerit.

Moreover, the state's reason for war had been this, that it could not resist the sudden conspiracy of the Gauls.

5.27.4Id sē facile ex humilitāte suā probāre posse, quod nōn adeō sit imperītus rērum ut suīs cōpiīs populum Rōmānum superārī posse cōnfīdat.

He could easily prove this from his own weakness, since he was not so ignorant of affairs as to believe that the Roman people could be overcome by his forces.

5.27.5Sed esse Galliae commūne cōnsilium: omnibus hībernīs Caesaris oppugnandīs hunc esse dictum diem, nē qua legiō alterae legiōnī subsidiō venīre posset;

But it was a common plan of Gaul: this day had been fixed for attacking all Caesar's winter camps, so that no legion could come to help another;

Note. omnibus hībernīs … oppugnandīs: dative of purpose with a gerundive, 'for attacking all the camps'. alterae is an old dative of alter; subsidiō is a dative of purpose.

5.27.6nōn facile Gallōs Gallīs negāre potuisse, praesertim cum dē recuperandā commūnī lībertāte cōnsilium initum vidērētur.

Gauls could not easily refuse Gauls, especially when the plan seemed to have been formed for recovering their common freedom.

5.27.7Quibus quoniam prō pietāte satisfēcerit, habēre nunc sē ratiōnem officī prō beneficiīs Caesaris: monēre, ōrāre Titūrium prō hospitiō, ut suae ac mīlitum salūtī cōnsulat.

Since he had done his duty to them in loyalty to his country, he now had regard for his obligation in return for Caesar's kindnesses: he warned Titurius, he begged him by the bond of hospitality, to look after his own safety and that of his soldiers.

Note. prō pietāte: 'as patriotism required'. ratiōnem officī habēre: 'to have regard for his obligation'.

5.27.8Magnam manum Germānōrum conductam Rhēnum trānsīsse;

A large force of Germans had been hired and had crossed the Rhine;

5.27.8hanc adfore bīduō.

it would be here in two days.

5.27.9Ipsōrum esse cōnsilium, velintne priusquam fīnitimī sentiant ēductōs ex hībernīs mīlitēs aut ad Cicerōnem aut ad Labiēnum dēdūcere, quōrum alter mīlia passuum circiter quīnquāgintā, alter paulō amplius ab eīs absit.

It was for them to decide whether they wished, before the neighbours noticed, to lead the soldiers out of winter quarters to either Cicero or Labienus, one of whom was about fifty miles away from them, the other a little more.

Note. Ipsōrum esse cōnsilium: 'it was for them to decide'. velintne introduces an indirect question; -ne asks 'whether'.

5.27.10Illud sē pollicērī et iūreiūrandō cōnfirmāre tūtum iter per fīnēs datūrum;

This much he promised and confirmed with an oath: he would give them safe passage through his territory;

5.27.11quod cum faciat, et cīvitātī sēsē cōnsulere, quod hībernīs levētur, et Caesarī prō eius meritīs grātiam referre.

in doing so he was looking after his state, because it would be relieved of the winter camps, and also repaying Caesar for his services.

5.27.11Hāc ōrātiōne habitā discēdit Ambiorīx.

After making this speech Ambiorix departs.