De Bello Gallico 8.38

8.38.1Caesar interim M. Antōnium quaestōrem cum cohortibus XV in Bellovacīs relinquit, nē qua rūrsus novōrum cōnsiliōrum capiendōrum Belgīs facultās darētur.

Meanwhile Caesar left Mark Antony, his quaestor, with fifteen cohorts among the Bellovaci, so that the Belgae should have no chance of forming new plans again.

Note. Hirtius now turns back to Caesar himself. M. Antōnium: Mark Antony, here a young quaestor. nē qua … facultās darētur: purpose clause; qua (after nē) is the indefinite 'any'. novōrum cōnsiliōrum capiendōrum: gerundive construction in the genitive with facultās.

8.38.2Ipse reliquās cīvitātēs adit, obsidēs plūrēs imperat, timentēs omnium animōs cōnsōlātiōne sānat.

He himself went round the other states, demanded more hostages, and calmed everyone's fears with reassurance.

Note. timentēs omnium animōs: 'the fearful minds of all'. cōnsōlātiōne sānat: a medical metaphor, 'heals with comfort'.

8.38.3Cum in Carnutēs vēnisset, quōrum in cīvitāte superiōre commentāriō Caesar exposuit initium bellī esse ortum, quod praecipuē eōs propter cōnscientiam factī timēre animadvertēbat, quō celerius cīvitātem timōre līberāret, prīncipem sceleris illīus et concitātōrem bellī, Gutruātum, ad supplicium dēpoposcit.

When he came to the Carnutes, in whose state, as Caesar has related in the previous book, the war had begun, he noticed that they were especially afraid because of their guilty knowledge of what they had done; and to free the state from fear more quickly, he demanded for punishment Gutruatus, the leader of that crime and the man who had stirred up the war.

Note. superiōre commentāriō Caesar exposuit: Hirtius refers to Book VII (7.2–3), where the Carnutes began the great revolt of 52 BC by massacring Romans at Cenabum. quod … animadvertēbat: the causal clause explains Caesar's demand. quō celerius: quō introduces a purpose clause containing a comparative. Gutruātum: in apposition to prīncipem … et concitātōrem.

8.38.4Quī etsī nē cīvibus quidem suīs sē committēbat, tamen celeriter omnium cūrā quaesītus in castra perdūcitur.

Although he did not trust himself even to his own fellow citizens, he was quickly hunted down through everyone's efforts and brought into the camp.

Note. Quī: connecting relative, 'he'. nē … quidem: 'not even'. omnium cūrā quaesītus: 'searched for by everyone's efforts'.

8.38.5Cōgitur in eius supplicium Caesar contrā suam nātūram concursū maximō mīlitum, quī eī omnia perīcula et dētrīmenta bellī accepta referēbant, adeō ut verberibus exanimātum corpus secūrī ferīrētur.

Caesar was forced to punish him against his own nature by a huge crowd of soldiers, who laid at his door all the dangers and losses of the war, so that he was flogged to death and his body beheaded with an axe.

Note. Cōgitur … Caesar contrā suam nātūram: Hirtius stresses that the harsh punishment came from the soldiers' anger, not Caesar's character. accepta referēbant: an accounting phrase, 'put down to his account'. verberibus exanimātum corpus secūrī ferīrētur: the traditional Roman execution, flogging then beheading.