De Bello Gallico 7.37

7.37.1Dum haec ad Gergoviam geruntur, Convictolitāvis Aeduus, cui magistrātum adiūdicātum ā Caesare dēmōnstrāvimus, sollicitātus ab Arvernīs pecūniā cum quibusdam adulēscentibus colloquitur;

While these things were going on at Gergovia, Convictolitavis the Aeduan, to whom, as we have shown, the magistracy had been awarded by Caesar, was bribed by the Arverni and held talks with certain young men;

Note. cui magistrātum adiūdicātum … dēmōnstrāvimus: 'to whom, as we have shown, the magistracy had been awarded', an indirect statement inside a relative clause; Caesar refers back to chapter 33. pecūniā: ablative of means, 'with money', i.e. bribed.

7.37.1quōrum erat prīnceps Litaviccus atque eius frātrēs, amplissimā familiā nātī adulēscentēs.

the leader of these was Litaviccus, together with his brothers, young men born of a very distinguished family.

7.37.2Cum hīs praemium commūnicat hortāturque, ut sē līberōs et imperiō nātōs meminerint.

He shares the bribe with them and urges them to remember that they were born free and born to rule.

Note. sē līberōs et imperiō nātōs: indirect statement after meminerint, 'that they were free and born to rule'; imperiō is dative of purpose with nātōs.

7.37.3Ūnam esse Aeduōrum cīvitātem, quae certissimam Galliae victōriam dētineat;

The state of the Aedui, he says, is the only one that is holding back the surest victory of Gaul;

Note. From here to sentence 8 Convictolitavis's words are reported in indirect speech: statements go into the accusative and infinitive (ūnam esse … cīvitātem), and clauses inside them into the subjunctive (quae … dētineat).

7.37.3eius auctōritāte reliquās continērī;

by its authority the rest are kept in check;

7.37.3quā trāductā locum cōnsistendī Rōmānīs in Galliā nōn fore.

if it were won over, the Romans would have no place to stand in Gaul.

Note. quā trāductā: ablative absolute, 'if it were brought over'; the participle stands in for a condition. fore = futūrum esse.

7.37.4Esse nōnnūllō sē Caesaris beneficiō adfectum, sīc tamen, ut iūstissimam apud eum causam obtinuerit;

He himself has received some favour from Caesar, but only in this way, that he won a perfectly just case before him;

7.37.4sed plūs commūnī lībertātī tribuere.

but he gives more weight to the common freedom.

7.37.5Cūr enim potius Aeduī dē suō iūre et dē lēgibus ad Caesarem disceptātōrem, quam Rōmānī ad Aeduōs veniant?

For why should the Aedui come to Caesar as judge about their own rights and laws, rather than the Romans to the Aedui?

Note. Cūr … veniant: a question in indirect speech goes into the subjunctive. The comparison turns on ad Caesarem disceptātōrem: why should the Aedui go to Caesar as judge, rather than the Romans come to the Aedui?

7.37.6Celeriter adulēscentibus et ōrātiōne magistrātūs et praemiō dēductīs, cum sē vel prīncipēs eius cōnsilī fore profitērentur, ratiō perficiendī quaerēbātur, quod cīvitātem temerē ad suscipiendum bellum addūcī posse nōn cōnfīdēbant.

The young men were quickly won over both by the magistrate's speech and by the bribe, and they declared that they would even be the leaders of the plan; so a way of carrying it out was sought, because they were not confident that the state could be led into undertaking war rashly.

Note. ratiō perficiendī: 'a way of carrying it out'; perficiendī is a gerund in the genitive. ad suscipiendum bellum: gerundive phrase of purpose.

7.37.7Placuit ut Litaviccus decem illīs mīlibus, quae Caesarī ad bellum mitterentur, praeficerētur atque ea dūcenda cūrāret, frātrēsque eius ad Caesarem praecurrerent.

It was decided that Litaviccus should be put in command of the ten thousand men who were being sent to Caesar for the war, and should see to leading them, and that his brothers should hurry ahead to Caesar.

Note. decem illīs mīlibus: dative with praeficerētur, 'put in command of those ten thousand'. ea dūcenda cūrāret: cūrō with a gerundive, 'see to it that they were led'.

7.37.7Reliqua quā ratiōne agī placeat cōnstituunt.

They settle in what way they wish the rest to be done.