De Bello Gallico 7.43

7.43.1Interim nūntiō allātō omnēs eōrum mīlitēs in potestāte Caesaris tenērī, concurrunt ad Aristium, nihil pūblicō factum cōnsiliō dēmōnstrant;

Meanwhile, when the news was brought that all their soldiers were held in Caesar's power, they run to Aristius and declare that nothing had been done by public decision;

7.43.1quaestiōnem dē bonīs dīreptīs dēcernunt, Litaviccī frātrumque bona pūblicant, lēgātōs ad Caesarem suī pūrgandī grātiā mittunt.

they order an inquiry into the plundered property, confiscate the property of Litaviccus and his brothers, and send envoys to Caesar to clear themselves.

Note. suī pūrgandī grātiā: 'for the sake of clearing themselves'. With the genitive suī the gerundive keeps the masculine singular form pūrgandī even though the subject is plural.

7.43.3Haec faciunt reciperandōrum suōrum causā;

They do this to get their own men back;

7.43.3sed contāminātī facinore et captī compendiō ex dīreptīs bonīs, quod ea rēs ad multōs pertinēbat, timōre poenae exterritī cōnsilia clam dē bellō inīre incipiunt cīvitātēsque reliquās lēgātiōnibus sollicitant.

but stained by the crime and caught by the profit from the plundered goods, because that affair touched many people, and terrified by fear of punishment, they begin to form plans of war in secret and stir up the other states with embassies.

7.43.4Quae tametsī Caesar intellegēbat, tamen quam mītissimē potest lēgātōs appellat: nihil sē propter īnscientiam levitātemque vulgī gravius dē cīvitāte iūdicāre neque dē suā in Aeduōs benevolentiā dēminuere.

Although Caesar understood this, he nevertheless addresses the envoys as gently as he can: he says that because of the ignorance and fickleness of the common people he is not judging the state more harshly, nor lessening his goodwill toward the Aedui at all.

Note. quam mītissimē potest: quam with a superlative, 'as gently as he can'. nihil … gravius … iūdicāre: 'that he was forming no harsher judgment'; nihil is the object and gravius an adverb.

7.43.5Ipse maiōrem Galliae mōtum exspectāns, nē ab omnibus cīvitātibus circumsisterētur, cōnsilia inībat quemadmodum ab Gergoviā discēderet ac rūrsus omnem exercitum contraheret, nē profectiō nāta ab timōre dēfectiōnis similis fugae vidērētur.

He himself, expecting a greater rising in Gaul, so as not to be surrounded by all the states, was making plans for how he might leave Gergovia and gather his whole army together again, without his departure, arising from fear of revolt, looking like flight.

Note. nē … similis fugae vidērētur: a negative purpose clause, 'so that it should not look like flight'. Caesar now wants a decent excuse to leave Gergovia.