Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 7
De Bello Gallico 7.2
The Carnutes volunteer to start the war
Caesar, De Bello Gallico VII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō7.2.1Hīs rēbus agitātīs profitentur Carnutēs sē nūllum perīculum commūnis salūtis causā recūsāre prīncipēsque ex omnibus bellum factūrōs pollicentur et, quoniam in praesentiā obsidibus cavēre inter sē nōn possint nē rēs efferātur, ut iūreiūrandō ac fidē sanciātur, petunt, collātīs mīlitāribus signīs, quō mōre eōrum gravissima caerimōnia continētur, nē factō initiō bellī ab reliquīs dēserantur.
When these matters had been discussed, the Carnutes declare that they refuse no danger for the sake of the common safety, and promise that they will be the first of all to make war; and since for the present they cannot give each other security by hostages, so that the matter is not made known, they ask that it be confirmed by oath and pledge, with the military standards gathered together (the custom by which their most solemn ceremony is performed), that once the war has begun they will not be deserted by the rest.
Note. iūreiūrandō is one word: iūs iūrandum, 'oath', with both parts declined. collātīs mīlitāribus signīs: the standards are gathered together as part of the oath ceremony. nē … dēserantur depends on petunt.
7.2.3Tum collaudātīs Carnutibus, datō iūreiūrandō ab omnibus quī aderant, tempore eius reī cōnstitūtō ab conciliō discēditur.
Then the Carnutes were praised, an oath was given by all who were present, a time was fixed for the undertaking, and the council broke up.
Vocabulary
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| agitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | drive about; discuss, debate |
| profiteor, -ērī, -fessus sum | declare openly; offer oneself as |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| nūllus, -a, -um | not any, none, no |
| perīculum, -ī, n. | danger, peril, risk |
| commūnis, -e | common, shared, public |
| salūs, salūtis, f. | safety, deliverance, escape |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| recūsō, -cūsāre, -cūsāvī, -cūsātus | give a reason against, refuse |
| prīnceps, -ipis | first, chief; as noun: leader |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| polliceor, -licērī, -licitus | promise |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| quoniam, conj. | since now, since |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| praesentia, -ae, f. | the present |
| obses, obsidis m./f. | hostage |
| caveō, cavēre, cāvī, cautus | beware, take care; be on one's guard against, beware of |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| efferō, -ferre, extulī, ēlātum | carry out, bring out |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| iūsiūrandum, iūrisiūrandī n. | oath |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| fidēs, -eī f. | faith, trust; pledge |
| sanciō, -īre, sānxī, sānctum | make binding, ratify |
| petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus | seek, ask; attack |
| cōnferō, cōnferre, contulī, conlātus | bring together; grant, confer; sē cōnferre, to betake oneself, make one's way |
| mīlitāris, -e | military, warlike; rēs mīlitāris, art of war, warfare |
| signum, -ī, n. | sign, signal |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| mōs, mōris, m. | way, manner, habit, custom |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| gravis, -e | heavy; severe, grievous, serious |
| caerimōnia, -ae f. | sacred rite, ceremony |
| contineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold together, keep within, shut up in; bound |
| initium, -ī, n. | beginning |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| reliquus, -a, -um | left, the remaining, the other, the rest of |
| dēserō, -serere, -seruī, -sertus | desert |
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| collaudō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | praise warmly |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| adsum, adesse, adfuī | be present, be at hand |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | set together or up; appoint; determine |
| concilium, -ī n. | meeting, council |
| discēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessus | go apart, withdraw, depart |