De Bello Gallico 7.14

7.14.1Vercingetorīx tot continuīs incommodīs Vellaunodūnī, Cēnabī, Noviodūnī acceptīs suōs ad concilium convocat.

Vercingetorix, having suffered so many defeats in a row at Vellaunodunum, Cenabum and Noviodunum, calls his men to a council.

7.14.2Docet longē aliā ratiōne esse bellum gerendum atque anteā gestum sit.

He shows that the war must be waged in a very different way from how it had been waged before.

7.14.2Omnibus modīs huic reī studendum, ut pābulātiōne et commeātū Rōmānī prohibeantur: id esse facile, quod equitātū ipsī abundent et quod annī tempore subleventur;

By every means they must aim at this, that the Romans be kept from foraging and supplies: this was easy, because they themselves were rich in cavalry and were helped by the season of the year;

Note. Vercingetorix's speech is in reported speech throughout: infinitives for statements, subjunctives in subordinate clauses. studendum: impersonal gerundive with esse understood.

7.14.4pābulum secārī nōn posse;

fodder could not be cut;

7.14.4necessāriō dispersōs hostēs ex aedificiīs petere: hōs omnēs cōtīdiē ab equitibus dēligī posse.

the enemy would have to scatter and look for it from the farm buildings: all these could be cut off every day by the cavalry.

7.14.5Praetereā salūtis causā reī familiāris commoda neglegenda: vīcōs atque aedificia incendī oportēre hōc spatiō ab viā quōqueversus, quō pābulandī causā adīre posse videantur.

Besides, for the sake of their safety, the interests of private property must be disregarded: the villages and buildings must be burned in every direction from the road, as far as the enemy seemed able to go for fodder.

Note. quōqueversus: see 7.4; here 'in every direction from the road'. hōc spatiō … quō: 'over the distance to which'.

7.14.5Hārum ipsīs rērum cōpiam suppetere, quod, quōrum in fīnibus bellum gerātur, eōrum opibus subleventur: Rōmānōs aut inopiam nōn lātūrōs aut magnō perīculō longius ab castrīs prōcessūrōs;

They themselves had plenty of these things, because they were supported by the resources of those in whose territory the war was being waged: the Romans would either not endure the shortage or would advance farther from the camp at great risk;

7.14.8neque interesse, ipsōsne interficiant, impedīmentīsne exuant, quibus āmissīs bellum gerī nōn possit.

and it made no difference whether they killed them or stripped them of their baggage, since without it the war could not be carried on.

Note. ipsōsne … impedīmentīsne: a double question with -ne on each part, 'whether … or'.

7.14.9Praetereā oppida incendī oportēre, quae nōn mūnītiōne et locī nātūrā ab omnī sint perīculō tūta, neu suīs sint ad dētractandam mīlitiam receptācula neu Rōmānīs prōposita ad cōpiam commeātūs praedamque tollendam.

Besides, the towns must be burned that were not safe from every danger by fortification and the nature of the place, so that they might not be refuges for their own men to avoid military service, nor be there for the Romans to carry off a store of supplies and booty.

7.14.10haec sī gravia aut acerba videantur, multō illa gravius aestimāre, līberōs, coniugēs in servitūtem abstrahī, ipsōs interficī;

If these things seemed hard or bitter, they should think it much harder that their children and wives should be dragged into slavery and they themselves killed;

7.14.10quae sit necesse accidere victīs.

which must happen to the conquered.

Note. quae sit necesse accidere victīs: 'which must befall the conquered'; necesse sit with an infinitive.