Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 6
De Bello Gallico 6.15
The knights
Caesar, De Bello Gallico VI. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō6.15.1Alterum genus est equitum.
The other class is that of the knights.
6.15.1Hī, cum est ūsus atque aliquod bellum incidit (quod ferē ante Caesaris adventum quotannīs accidere solēbat, utī aut ipsī iniūriās īnferrent aut illātās prōpulsārent), omnēs in bellō versantur, atque eōrum ut quisque est genere cōpiīsque amplissimus, ita plūrimōs circum sē ambactōs clientēsque habet.
These, when there is need and some war breaks out (which before Caesar's arrival used to happen almost every year, either that they made attacks themselves or fended off attacks made on them), are all engaged in war, and the greater each of them is in birth and wealth, the more vassals and dependents he has around him.
Note. ut quisque … ita: 'the more … the more', literally 'as each is greatest … so he has the most'. ambactōs: a Gallic word for sworn followers.
6.15.2Hanc ūnam grātiam potentiamque nōvērunt.
This is the only kind of influence and power they know.
Vocabulary
| alter, -era, -erum | one or the other (of two); another, second |
| genus, generis, n. | kind, nature |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| ūsus, -ūs, m. | use; experience |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj. | some, any |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| incidō, -cidere, -cidī | fall into or upon |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ferē, adv. | nearly, about, almost, for the most part |
| ante, prep, with acc. and adv. | before |
| adventus, -ūs, m. | approach, arrival |
| quotannīs, adv. | every year, yearly, annually |
| accidō, -cidere, -cidī | fall to or upon; befall, happen |
| soleō, -ēre, solitus sum | be accustomed, usually do |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| iniūria, -ae, f. | injury, wrong, hurt, harm |
| īnferō, īnferre, intulī, inlātus | bring in or against, wage against; inflict |
| prōpulsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | drive back |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| versor, -ārī, -ātus | keep turning, be busy or employed, be |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron. | each |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| amplus, -a, -um | large, great; distinguished |
| ita, adv. | in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| circum, prep. with acc. | around |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| ambactus, -ī m. | vassal, dependant (a Gallic word) |
| cliēns, -entis m. | client, dependent |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| grātia, -ae, f. | favor; gratitude, thanks; plur., thanks; grātiās agere, to give thanks, thank; grātiam referre, to return a favor, show gratitude, requite |
| potentia, -ae f. | power, influence |
| nōscō, -ere, nōvī, nōtum | get to know (perf. nōvī: know) |