De Bello Gallico 7.32

7.32.1Caesar Avaricī complūrēs diēs commorātus summamque ibi cōpiam frūmentī et reliquī commeātūs nactus exercitum ex labōre atque inopiā refēcit.

Caesar stayed at Avaricum for several days and, finding there a very large supply of grain and other provisions, restored the army after its toil and hardship.

7.32.2Iam prope hieme cōnfectā cum ipsō annī tempore ad gerendum bellum vocārētur et ad hostem proficīscī cōnstituisset, sīve eum ex palūdibus silvīsque ēlicere sīve obsidiōne premere posset, lēgātī ad eum prīncipēs Aeduōrum veniunt ōrātum ut maximē necessāriō tempore cīvitātī subveniat: summō esse in perīculō rem, quod, cum singulī magistrātūs antīquitus creārī atque rēgiam potestātem annum obtinēre cōnsuēssent, duo magistrātum gerant et sē uterque eōrum lēgibus creātum esse dīcat.

Winter was now almost over, and he was being called by the very season of the year to carry on the war, and had decided to set out against the enemy, to see whether he could lure them out of the marshes and forests or press them by blockade, when envoys, the chief men of the Aedui, come to him to beg him to help their state at a most critical time: the situation was in the greatest danger, because, although from ancient times single magistrates had been elected and held royal power for a year, two men were holding the magistracy and each of them said that he had been elected according to law.

Note. sīve … sīve …: 'whether … or …'. ōrātum: a supine of purpose after a verb of motion, 'they come to beg'. The rest of the sentence is the envoys' message in indirect speech.

7.32.4Hōrum esse alterum Convictolitāvem, flōrentem et illūstrem adulēscentem, alterum Cotum, antīquissimā familiā nātum atque ipsum hominem summae potentiae et magnae cognātiōnis, cuius frāter Valetiacus proximō annō eundem magistrātum gesserit.

One of these was Convictolitavis, a successful and distinguished young man; the other Cotus, born of a very ancient family and himself a man of the greatest power and wide family connections, whose brother Valetiacus had held the same magistracy the year before.

7.32.5Cīvitātem esse omnem in armīs;

The whole state was in arms;

7.32.5dīvīsum senātum, dīvīsum populum, suās cuiusque eōrum clientēlās.

the senate was divided, the people divided, and each of the two had his own following of dependants.

7.32.5Quod sī diūtius alātur contrōversia, fore utī pars cum parte cīvitātis cōnflīgat.

But if the dispute were kept going any longer, part of the state would come to blows with part.

Note. fore utī …: 'that it would happen that …'. fore is the future infinitive of sum; utī is an older form of ut.

7.32.5Id nē accidat, positum in eius dīligentiā atque auctōritāte.

That this should not happen depended on his care and authority.