Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 6
De Bello Gallico 6.11
Factions in Gaul
Caesar, De Bello Gallico VI. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō6.11.1Quoniam ad hunc locum perventum est, nōn aliēnum esse vidētur dē Galliae Germāniaeque mōribus et quō differant hae nātiōnēs inter sēsē prōpōnere.
Since we have reached this point, it seems not out of place to describe the customs of Gaul and Germany and how these nations differ from each other.
Note. Here Caesar begins his account of the customs of the Gauls and Germans (chapters 11–28).
6.11.2In Galliā nōn sōlum in omnibus cīvitātibus atque in omnibus pāgīs partibusque, sed paene etiam in singulīs domibus factiōnēs sunt, eārumque factiōnum prīncipēs sunt quī summam auctōritātem eōrum iūdiciō habēre exīstimantur, quōrum ad arbitrium iūdiciumque summa omnium rērum cōnsiliōrumque redeat.
In Gaul there are factions not only in all the states and in all the cantons and districts, but almost in each household as well, and the leaders of these factions are those who are thought, in their people's judgment, to have the greatest influence, to whose decision and judgment the final word on all matters and plans is referred.
Note. summa omnium rērum: 'the final decision on all matters'; summa is a noun here.
6.11.4Itaque eius reī causā antīquitus īnstitūtum vidētur, nē quis ex plēbe contrā potentiōrem auxilī egēret: suōs enim quisque opprimī et circumvenīrī nōn patitur, neque, aliter sī faciat, ūllam inter suōs habet auctōritātem.
This seems to have been established long ago for this reason, that no man of the common people should lack help against someone more powerful: for each leader does not allow his own people to be oppressed and cheated, and if he does otherwise, he has no influence among them.
Note. eius reī causā … nē: 'for this reason, that no one …'. suōs: 'his own people'.
6.11.5Haec eadem ratiō est in summā tōtīus Galliae: namque omnēs cīvitātēs in partēs dīvīsae sunt duās.
The same principle holds for Gaul as a whole: for all the states are divided into two parties.
Vocabulary
| quoniam, conj. | since now, since |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come through, come, arrive, reach |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| aliēnus, -a, -um | belonging to another, out of place |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| mōs, mōris, m. | way, manner, habit, custom |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| quō, adv. | to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long? |
| differō, differre, distulī, dīlātum | differ; scatter, put off |
| nātiō, -ōnis f. | people, nation; birth |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| prōpōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | put or set before, offer, propose; set forth, say |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| sōlum (adv.); solum, -ī n. | only (nōn sōlum … sed etiam: not only … but also); ground, soil |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| cīvitās, -tātis, f. | state |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| pāgus, -ī m. | district, canton |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| sed, conj. | but |
| paene, adv. | almost, nearly |
| etiam, adv. | and now, also, too, even |
| singulī, -ae, -a | one at a time, single |
| domus, -ūs, f. | house, home |
| factiō, -ōnis f. | party, faction |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| prīnceps, -ipis | first, chief; as noun: leader |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| summus, -a, -um | uppermost, highest, greatest |
| auctōritās, -tātis f. | influence, authority, prestige |
| iūdicium, -ī n. | trial, court; judgment |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, believe, think |
| arbitrium, -ī n. | judgment, will, pleasure |
| summa, -ae f. | total, sum; supreme command |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| cōnsilium, -ī, n. | advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence |
| redeō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go back, return |
| itaque, adv. | and so, accordingly, therefore |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| antīquitus (adv.) | long ago, from ancient times |
| īnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | decide upon, determine |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| quis, qua, quid, indef. pron. | any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| plēbs, plēbis f. | the common people |
| contrā, prep, with acc. | against, contrary to |
| potēns, -entis | powerful |
| auxilium, -ī, n. | help, aid |
| egeō, -ēre, eguī (+ abl. or gen.) | need, lack, be in want of |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| enim, conj. | for |
| quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron. | each |
| opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressus | press against, overpower, crush |
| circumveniō, -īre, -vēnī, -ventum | surround |
| patior, patī, passus, bear | suffer, allow |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| aliter, adv. | in another way, otherwise, differently |
| sī, conj. | if |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| ūllus, -a, -um | any |
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| ratiō, -ōnis, f. | plan, means, method, manner; reason; account |
| tōtus, -a, -um | all the, the whole or entire |
| namque, conj. | for |
| dīvidō, -videre, -vīsī, -vīsus | divide, separate |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |