De Bello Gallico 6.4

The Senones and Carnutes submit

In brief. Caught before they can gather in their towns, the Senones, whose plot was led by Acco, beg pardon through the Aedui. Caesar grants it and takes a hundred hostages; the Carnutes, pleading through the Remi, receive the same answer.

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6.4.1Cognitō eius adventū Accō, quī prīnceps eius cōnsilī fuerat, iubet in oppida multitūdinem convenīre.When his approach was learned, Acco, who had been the leader of that plot, ordered the people to gather into the towns. 6.4.1Cōnantibus, priusquam id efficī posset, adesse Rōmānōs nūntiātur.While they were trying to do this, before it could be done, word came that the Romans were there.Note. Cōnantibus: dative with nūntiātur, 'it was reported to them as they were trying'. 6.4.2Necessāriō sententiā dēsistunt lēgātōsque dēprecandī causā ad Caesarem mittunt: adeunt per Aeduōs, quōrum antīquitus erat in fidē cīvitās.Of necessity they gave up the plan and sent envoys to Caesar to beg for pardon; they approached him through the Aedui, under whose protection their state had been from of old. 6.4.3Libenter Caesar petentibus Aeduīs dat veniam excūsātiōnemque accipit, quod aestīvum tempus īnstantis bellī, nōn quaestiōnis esse arbitrābātur.At the request of the Aedui Caesar gladly granted pardon and accepted their excuse, because he thought the summer season was a time for the coming war, not for an inquiry.Note. īnstantis bellī … esse: genitive of characteristic, 'belonged to the coming war, not to an inquiry'. 6.4.4Obsidibus imperātīs centum hōs Aeduīs custōdiendōs trādit.He demanded a hundred hostages and handed them over to the Aedui to guard.

6.4.5Eōdem Carnutēs lēgātōs obsidēsque mittunt ūsī dēprecātōribus Rēmīs, quōrum erant in clientēlā: eadem ferunt respōnsa.The Carnutes sent envoys and hostages to the same place, using as their intercessors the Remi, whose clients they were; they received the same answer.Note. Eōdem: adverb, 'to the same place'. 6.4.6Peragit concilium Caesar equitēsque imperat cīvitātibus.Caesar finished the council and ordered the states to supply cavalry.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×2, gerunds and gerundives ×2, indirect statement ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (63 words)

cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitus	find out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
adventus, -ūs, m.	approach, arrival
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
prīnceps, -ipis	first, chief; as noun: leader
cōnsilium, -ī, n.	advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus	bid, order, command
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
oppidum, -ī, n.	town
multitūdō, -tūdinis, f.	multitude
conveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus	come together, assemble
cōnor, -ārī, -ātus	try, attempt
priusquam, conj.	before than, sooner than, before
efficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus	make or work out, accomplish, effect
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
adsum, adesse, adfuī	be present, be at hand
Rōmānus, -a, -um	Roman
nūntiō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	report, announce
necessāriō (adv.)	of necessity, unavoidably
sententia, -ae, f.	opinion; purpose
dēsistō, -sistere, -stitī, -stitus	set down; leave off, desist, cease, stop
lēgātus, -ī, m.	ambassador
que, enclitic conj.	and
dēprecor, -ārī, -ātus sum	beg to be spared, plead
causa, -ae, f.	cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus	send
adeō, -īre, -iī, -itus	go to, approach
per, prep, with ace.	through, by means of
antīquitus (adv.)	long ago, from ancient times
fidēs, -eī f.	faith, trust; pledge
cīvitās, -tātis, f.	state
libenter, adv.	willingly, gladly
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus	seek, ask; attack
dō, dare, dedī, datus	give
venia, -ae f.	pardon, forgiveness
excūsātiō, -ōnis f.	excuse, plea
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus	take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
aestīvus, -a, -um	of summer, summer-
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
īnstō, -āre, -stitī	press on; be at hand
bellum, -ī, n.	war
nōn, adv.	not
quaestiō, -ōnis f.	inquiry, examination
arbitror, -ārī, -ātus	consider, think, judge
obses, obsidis m./f.	hostage
imperō, -perāre, -perāvī, -perātus	command, order, enjoin
centum, indecl. adj.	one hundred
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
custōdiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	guard
trādō, -dere, -didī, -ditus	give across, over, or up, deliver; hand down, relate, report
eōdem	to the same place
ūtor, ūtī, ūsus	use
dēprecātor, -ōris m.	intercessor, go-between
clientēla, -ae f.	clientship, protection; pl. dependants, clients
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.	the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus	bear, bring
respōnsum, -ī, n.	reply, answer, response
peragō, -ere, -ēgī, -āctum	carry through, complete
concilium, -ī n.	meeting, council
eques, equitis m.	horseman; (pl.) cavalry

Caesar, De Bello Gallico VI. Latin text: T. Rice Holmes (Oxford, 1914), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. Vocabulary: F. Ritchie (1903, public domain) and entries written for this app. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.