De Bello Gallico 7.20

7.20.1Vercingetorīx, cum ad suōs redīsset, prōditiōnis īnsimulātus, quod castra propius Rōmānōs mōvisset, quod cum omnī equitātū discessisset, quod sine imperiō tantās cōpiās relīquisset, quod eius discessū Rōmānī tantā opportūnitāte et celeritāte vēnissent: nōn haec omnia fortuītō aut sine cōnsiliō accidere potuisse;

Vercingetorix, when he had returned to his men, was accused of treachery, because he had moved his camp nearer the Romans, because he had gone off with all the cavalry, because he had left such great forces without a commander, because on his departure the Romans had arrived so opportunely and so quickly: all this could not have happened by chance or without a plan;

Note. The four quod clauses give the charges against Vercingetorix: 'because he had moved …, because he had gone off …'. They are subjunctive because they report the accusers' reasons. From nōn haec omnia the sentence slips into indirect speech: the accusers' conclusion, 'all this could not have happened by chance'.

7.20.2regnum illum Galliae mālle Caesaris concessū quam ipsōrum habēre beneficiō—: tālī modō accūsātus ad haec respondit: Quod castra mōvisset, factum inopiā pābulī etiam ipsīs hortantibus;

he would rather hold the kingship of Gaul by Caesar's grant than by their own favour. Accused in this way, he replied as follows: as to his having moved the camp, it had been done because of the lack of fodder, and at their own urging;

Note. Quod castra mōvisset, factum …: 'as to his having moved the camp, (that) had been done …'. A quod clause at the head of a sentence often means 'as for the fact that'. Supply esse with factum; the whole reply is indirect speech.

7.20.3quod propius Rōmānōs accessisset, persuāsum locī opportūnitāte, quī sē ipsum mūnītiōne dēfenderet: equitum vērō operam neque in locō palūstrī dēsīderārī dēbuisse et illīc fuisse ūtilem, quō sint profectī.

as to his having gone nearer the Romans, he had been persuaded by the advantage of the position, which would defend itself by its own strength; and the help of the cavalry ought not to have been needed in marshy ground, and had been useful in the place where they had gone.

7.20.5Summam imperī sē cōnsultō nūllī discēdentem trādidisse, nē is multitūdinis studiō ad dīmicandum impellerētur;

He had deliberately handed over the supreme command to no one when he left, so that he might not be driven to fight by the eagerness of the crowd;

Note. cōnsultō: 'on purpose'. nē is … impellerētur: a purpose clause; is is the man who would have held the command.

7.20.5cui reī propter animī mollitiem studēre omnēs vidēret, quod diūtius labōrem ferre nōn possent.

he saw that they were all bent on that, because of their softness of spirit, since they could not bear hardship any longer.

7.20.6Rōmānī sī cāsū intervēnerint, fortūnae, sī alicuius indiciō vocātī, huic habendam grātiam, quod et paucitātem eōrum ex locō superiōre cognōscere et virtūtem dēspicere potuerint, quī dīmicāre nōn ausī turpiter sē in castra recēperint.

If the Romans had arrived by chance, they should thank fortune; if they had been summoned by someone's information, they should thank him, because they had been able to see from the higher ground how few the Romans were and to despise the courage of men who had not dared to fight and had retreated shamefully into their camp.

Note. huic habendam grātiam: supply esse, 'thanks should be given to him', a passive periphrastic with the dative of the person thanked. quī … nōn ausī … recēperint: a relative clause giving the reason, 'since they had not dared …'.

7.20.7Imperium sē ab Caesare per prōditiōnem nūllum dēsīderāre, quod habēre victōriā posset, quae iam esset sibi atque omnibus Gallīs explōrāta: quīn etiam ipsīs remittere, sī sibi magis honōrem tribuere, quam ab sē salūtem accipere videantur.

He had no wish for power from Caesar through treachery, since he could have it by victory, which was now assured for himself and for all the Gauls: indeed, he would hand it back to them, if they thought they were doing him an honour rather than receiving their safety from him.

7.20.8"Haec ut intellegātis," inquit, "ā mē sincērē prōnūntiārī, audīte Rōmānōs mīlitēs." Prōdūcit servōs, quōs in pābulātiōne paucīs ante diēbus excēperat et fame vinculīsque excruciāverat.

"So that you may understand," he said, "that I am telling you this truthfully, listen to Roman soldiers." He brings forward slaves whom he had captured on a foraging party a few days before and had tortured with hunger and chains.

Note. Here Caesar changes from indirect to direct speech for Vercingetorix's dramatic display of the 'Roman soldiers', who are in fact slaves.

7.20.9Hī iam ante ēdoctī quae interrogātī prōnūntiārent, mīlitēs sē esse legiōnāriōs dīcunt;

These men, coached beforehand in what to say when they were questioned, say that they are legionary soldiers;

7.20.10fame et inopiā adductōs clam ex castrīs exīsse, sī quid frūmentī aut pecoris in agrīs reperīre possent: similī omnem exercitum inopiā premī, nec iam vīrēs sufficere cuiusquam nec ferre operis labōrem posse: itaque statuisse imperātōrem, sī nihil in oppugnātiōne oppidī prōfēcissent, trīduō exercitum dēdūcere.

that, driven by hunger and want, they had gone out of the camp secretly, to see whether they could find any grain or cattle in the fields; that the whole army was pressed by the same want, and no one's strength was holding out any longer, nor could they bear the toil of the work; and so the commander had decided, if they made no progress in the siege of the town, to withdraw the army in three days.

Note. sī quid frūmentī … reperīre possent: 'to see if they could find any grain'. After sī, quid means 'anything'. frūmentī and pecoris are partitive genitives depending on quid.

7.20.11"Haec," inquit, "ā mē," Vercingetorīx, "beneficia habētis, quem prōditiōnis īnsimulātis;

"These are the services you have from me," says Vercingetorix, "whom you accuse of treachery;

7.20.12cuius operā sine vestrō sanguine tantum exercitum victōrem fame cōnsūmptum vidētis;

through whose efforts you see so great and victorious an army wasted by hunger without the shedding of your blood;

7.20.12quem turpiter sē ex fugā recipientem nē qua cīvitās suīs fīnibus recipiat ā mē prōvīsum est."

and I have seen to it that, when it retreats shamefully in flight, no state will receive it within its borders."

Note. nē qua cīvitās … recipiat ā mē prōvīsum est: 'I have seen to it that no state will receive it'. The object of recipiat is quem (the army) at the start of the clause. qua is the feminine of the indefinite quī after nē.