De Bello Gallico 7.77

7.77.1At eī, quī Alesiae obsidēbantur praeteritā diē, quā auxilia suōrum exspectāverant, cōnsūmptō omnī frūmentō, īnsciī quid in Aeduīs gererētur, conciliō coāctō dē exitū suārum fortūnārum cōnsultābant.

But those who were being besieged at Alesia, the day having passed on which they had expected help from their people, and all their grain used up, not knowing what was happening among the Aedui, called a council and began to discuss the outcome of their fortunes.

Note. praeteritā diē … cōnsūmptō omnī frūmentō: two ablative absolutes giving the background. Note diēs is feminine here, as often when it means a fixed day.

7.77.2Ac variīs dictīs sententiīs, quārum pars dēditiōnem, pars, dum vīrēs suppeterent, ēruptiōnem cēnsēbat, nōn praetereunda ōrātiō Critognātī vidētur propter eius singulārem et nefāriam crūdēlitātem.

And when various opinions had been spoken, some of which proposed surrender and others a sally while their strength lasted, the speech of Critognatus seems not to be passed over, because of its remarkable and wicked cruelty.

Note. nōn praetereunda … vidētur: 'seems not to be passed over', i.e. 'deserves mention'. The gerundive expresses what ought to be done.

7.77.3Hic summō in Arvernīs ortus locō et magnae habitus auctōritātis, "Nihil," inquit, "dē eōrum sententiā dictūrus sum, quī turpissimam servitūtem dēditiōnis nōmine appellant, neque hōs habendōs cīvium locō neque ad concilium adhibendōs cēnseō.

This man, born of the highest rank among the Arverni and regarded as of great authority, said: "I will say nothing about the opinion of those who call the most shameful slavery by the name of surrender, and I think they should neither be counted as citizens nor admitted to the council.

Note. summō … ortus locō: 'born of the highest rank'. magnae habitus auctōritātis: genitive of description, 'considered a man of great authority'. habendōs … adhibendōs: gerundives in indirect statement after cēnseō.

7.77.4Cum hīs mihi rēs sit, quī ēruptiōnem probant;

Let my business be with those who favor a sally;

7.77.4quōrum in cōnsiliō omnium vestrum cōnsēnsū prīstinae residēre virtūtis memoria vidētur.

in whose plan, by the agreement of you all, the memory of our old courage seems to remain.

7.77.4Animī est ista mollitia, nōn virtūs, paulisper inopiam ferre nōn posse.

That is softness of spirit, not courage, to be unable to bear want for a little while.

7.77.5Quī sē ultrō mortī offerant facilius reperiuntur quam quī dolōrem patienter ferant.

Men who offer themselves willingly to death are more easily found than men who endure pain patiently.

Note. Quī … offerant … quī … ferant: relative clauses of characteristic, 'men of the kind who offer … who endure'.

7.77.6Atque ego hanc sententiam probārem (tantum apud mē dignitās potest), sī nūllam praeterquam vītae nostrae iactūram fierī vidērem: sed in cōnsiliō capiendō omnem Galliam respiciāmus, quam ad nostrum auxilium concitāvimus.

And I would approve this opinion (so much weight does honor have with me) if I saw that no loss would be suffered except that of our own lives; but in making our decision let us consider all Gaul, which we have roused to come to our aid.

Note. probārem … sī … vidērem: a present contrary-to-fact condition, 'I would approve if I saw'. respiciāmus: hortatory subjunctive, 'let us consider'.

7.77.8Quid hominum mīlibus LXXX ūnō locō interfectīs propinquīs cōnsanguineīsque nostrīs animī fore exīstimātis, sī paene in ipsīs cadāveribus proeliō dēcertāre cōgentur?

What spirit do you think our kinsmen and relatives will have, if eighty thousand men are killed in one place and they are forced to fight almost on top of our corpses?

Note. Quid … animī: partitive genitive, 'what (of) spirit'. hominum mīlibus LXXX … interfectīs: an ablative absolute describing what will have happened if they all die in a sally.

7.77.9Nōlīte hōs vestrō auxiliō exspoliāre, quī vestrae salūtis causā suum perīculum neglēxērunt, nec stultitiā ac temeritāte vestrā aut animī imbēcillitāte omnem Galliam prōsternere et perpetuae servitūtī subicere.

Do not rob of your help these men who have disregarded their own danger for the sake of your safety, and do not, by your folly and rashness or by weakness of spirit, lay all Gaul low and subject it to everlasting slavery.

Note. Nōlīte with the infinitive is the usual negative command: 'do not rob'.

7.77.10An, quod ad diem nōn vēnērunt, dē eōrum fidē cōnstantiāque dubitātis?

Or, because they have not come on the day, do you doubt their loyalty and steadfastness?

7.77.10Quid ergō?

What then?

7.77.10Rōmānōs in illīs ulteriōribus mūnītiōnibus animīne causā cōtīdiē exercērī putātis?

Do you think the Romans are working every day on those outer fortifications for amusement?

Note. animīne causā: animī + -ne, 'for amusement?'; causā with a genitive means 'for the sake of'.

7.77.11Sī illōrum nūntiīs cōnfirmārī nōn potestis omnī aditū praesaeptō, hīs ūtiminī testibus appropinquāre eōrum adventum;

If you cannot be reassured by messages from them, since every approach is blocked, use these men as witnesses that their arrival is drawing near;

Note. hīs ūtiminī testibus: imperative of ūtor with the ablative, 'use these as witnesses', i.e. the Roman works themselves.

7.77.11cuius reī timōre exterritī diem noctemque in opere versantur.

in fear of this, they are busy at the work day and night.

7.77.12quid ergō meī cōnsilī est?

What then is my advice?

7.77.12Facere, quod nostrī maiōrēs nēquāquam parī bellō Cimbrōrum Teutonumque fēcērunt;

To do what our ancestors did in the war of the Cimbri and Teutones, which was by no means equal to this;

Note. Facere: an infinitive answering the question, 'To do what our ancestors did'. The Cimbri and Teutones invaded Gaul and Italy about 113–101 BC.

7.77.12quī in oppida compulsī ac similī inopiā subāctī eōrum corporibus quī aetāte ad bellum inūtilēs vidēbantur vītam tolerāvērunt neque sē hostibus trādidērunt.

driven into their towns and pressed by a like want, they kept themselves alive on the bodies of those who seemed useless for war because of their age, and did not surrender to the enemy.

Note. eōrum corporibus … vītam tolerāvērunt: 'they sustained life on the bodies of those …' This is the 'wicked cruelty' Caesar mentioned.

7.77.13cuius reī sī exemplum nōn habērēmus, tamen lībertātis causā īnstituī et posterīs prōdī pulcherrimum iūdicārem.

And if we had no precedent for this, I would still judge it a very noble thing to set one for the sake of freedom and hand it down to those who come after us.

Note. cuius reī sī exemplum nōn habērēmus … iūdicārem: a contrary-to-fact condition. īnstituī et posterīs prōdī: 'that a precedent be set and handed down to posterity'.

7.77.14nam quid illī simile bellō fuit?

For what was there like this war?

7.77.14Dēpopulātā Galliā Cimbrī magnāque illātā calamitāte fīnibus quidem nostrīs aliquandō excessērunt atque aliās terrās petiērunt;

The Cimbri laid Gaul waste and brought great disaster on it, but at last they left our lands and went to other countries;

7.77.14iūra, lēgēs, agrōs, lībertātem nōbīs relīquērunt.

they left us our rights, laws, lands and freedom.

7.77.15Rōmānī vērō quid petunt aliud aut quid volunt, nisi invidiā adductī, quōs fāmā nōbilēs potentēsque bellō cognōvērunt, hōrum in agrīs cīvitātibusque cōnsīdere atque hīs aeternam iniungere servitūtem?

But what else do the Romans seek or want, except, driven by envy, to settle in the lands and states of those whom they have learned are famous by reputation and strong in war, and to fasten everlasting slavery on them?

Note. quōs fāmā nōbilēs … cognōvērunt: 'whom they have learned to be famous by reputation'. hōrum is the antecedent placed after the relative clause.

7.77.15Neque enim ūllā aliā condiciōne bella gessērunt.

For they have never waged wars on any other terms.

7.77.16Quod sī ea quae in longinquīs nātiōnibus geruntur ignōrātis, respicite fīnitimam Galliam, quae in prōvinciam redācta iūre et lēgibus commūtātīs secūribus subiecta perpetuā premitur servitūte."

And if you do not know what happens among distant nations, look at the neighboring part of Gaul, which has been made into a province, its rights and laws changed, and, made subject to the axes, is crushed by everlasting slavery."

Note. Quod sī: 'but if'. secūribus subiecta: the axes in the fasces carried before Roman magistrates stood for their power to punish.