Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 8
De Bello Gallico 8.22
Caesar's reply
Hirtius, De Bello Gallico VIII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō8.22.1Haec ōrantibus lēgātīs commemorat Caesar: Eōdem tempore superiōre annō Bellovacōs cēterāsque Galliae cīvitātēs suscēpisse bellum: pertinācissimē hōs ex omnibus in sententiā permānsisse neque ad sānitātem reliquōrum dēditiōne esse perductōs.
To the envoys making these pleas Caesar recalls that in the previous year, at the same time, the Bellovaci and the other states of Gaul had taken up war; that of them all these had held most stubbornly to their purpose and had not been brought to their senses by the surrender of the rest.
Note. Caesar's answer, also in indirect speech. superiōre annō: 52 BC, the great revolt under Vercingetorix. pertinācissimē: superlative of the adverb pertināciter. ad sānitātem … perductōs: 'brought to their senses'.
8.22.2Scīre atque intellegere sē causam peccātī facillimē mortuīs dēlēgārī.
He knew and understood that the blame for wrongdoing was very easily put on the dead.
Note. Scīre … sē: Caesar 'knew' (indirect statement). mortuīs: 'on the dead'; the Bellovaci blame the dead Correus.
8.22.2Nēminem vērō tantum pollēre, ut invītīs prīncipibus, resistente senātū, omnibus bonīs repugnantibus īnfirmā manū plēbis bellum concitāre et gerere posset.
But no one was so powerful that he could stir up and wage a war with the weak band of the common people, against the will of the leading men, with the senate resisting and all good men opposed.
Note. Nēminem … tantum pollēre, ut …: 'no one was so powerful that…'. invītīs prīncipibus, resistente senātū, omnibus bonīs repugnantibus: three ablatives absolute in a row.
8.22.2Sed tamen sē contentum fore eā poenā quam sibi ipsī contrāxissent.
But still he would be content with the punishment which they had brought on themselves.
Note. contentum fore: fore = futūrum esse. quam sibi ipsī contrāxissent: 'which they had brought on themselves'.
Vocabulary
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| ōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | speak; beg, pray |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | ambassador |
| commemorō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | mention, recount |
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| superior, -ius, adj. | higher; former, previous, preceding |
| annus, -ī, m. | year |
| cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj. | the other, the remaining, the rest of |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| cīvitās, -tātis, f. | state |
| suscipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | undertake |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| pertināciter (adv.) | stubbornly, persistently |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| sententia, -ae, f. | opinion; purpose |
| permaneō, -manēre, -mānsi, -mānsus | remain |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| sānitās, -tātis, f. | soundness; right reason, sanity |
| reliquus, -a, -um | left, the remaining, the other, the rest of |
| dēditiō, -ōnis f. | surrender |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| perdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead or bring through, lead, bring |
| sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | know |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctus | perceive, understand |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| peccātum, -ī n. | fault, sin |
| facile, adv. | easily |
| mortuus, -a, -um | dead |
| dēlēgō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | assign, entrust; lay (blame) on, attribute to |
| nēmō, nēminis, m. and f. | no one, nobody |
| vērō, adv. | in truth, indeed; however |
| tantum, adv. | so much or far, only |
| polleō, -ēre | be strong, be powerful |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| invītus, -a, -um | unwilling |
| prīnceps, -ipis | first, chief; as noun: leader |
| resistō, -sistere, -stitī | stand back, resist |
| senātus, -ūs m. | senate |
| bonus, -a, -um | good |
| repugnō, -pugnāre, -pugnāvī, -pugnātus | fight against, struggle, resist |
| īnfirmus, -a, -um | weak |
| manus, -ūs, f. | hand |
| plēbs, plēbis f. | the common people |
| concitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | stir up, rouse |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus | carry, wear; carry on, do |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| sed, conj. | but |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| contentus, -a, -um | content, satisfied (+ abl.) |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| poena, -ae, f. | penalty, punishment |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| contrahō, -ere, -trāxī, -trāctum | draw together, collect |