Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 8
De Bello Gallico 8.49
Caesar keeps Gaul at peace
Hirtius, De Bello Gallico VIII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō8.49.1Caesar in Belgiō cum hiemāret, ūnum illud prōpositum habēbat, continēre in amīcitiā cīvitātēs, nūllī spem aut causam dare armōrum.
While Caesar was wintering in Belgium, he had this one aim: to keep the states loyal, and to give no one any hope of war or any reason for it.
Note. in Belgiō: Caesar spent the winter of 51–50 BC in Belgic Gaul. ūnum illud propositum: 'this one aim', explained by the infinitives continēre … dare.
8.49.2Nihil enim minus volēbat quam sub dēcessū suō necessitātem sibi aliquam impōnī bellī gerendī, nē, cum exercitum dēductūrus esset, bellum aliquod relinquerētur quod omnis Gallia libenter sine praesentī perīculō susciperet.
For there was nothing he wanted less than to have some necessity of waging war forced on him on the eve of his departure, so that, when he was about to lead the army away, a war should be left behind which all Gaul would gladly take up without immediate danger.
Note. Nihil … minus volēbat quam: 'he wanted nothing less than'. sub dēcessū suō: 'just before his departure'. ne … bellum aliquod relinquerētur: purpose clause; the danger was a war left behind for his successor.
8.49.3Itaque honōrificē cīvitātēs appellandō, prīncipēs maximīs praemiīs adficiendō, nūlla onera iniungendō dēfessam tot adversīs proeliīs Galliam condiciōne pārendī meliōre facile in pāce continuit.
So by addressing the states with honour, by giving their chief men great rewards, and by imposing no new burdens, he easily kept Gaul at peace, worn out as it was by so many defeats, with better terms for obedience.
Note. honōrificē cīvitātēs appellandō, prīncipēs … adficiendō, nūlla onera iniungendō: three ablative gerunds of means, a pattern of careful balance. condiciōne pārendī meliōre: 'with better terms of obedience'.
Vocabulary
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| hiemō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | spend the winter |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| prōpositum, -ī n. | plan, purpose; the point being made, theme |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| contineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold together, keep within, shut up in; bound |
| amīcitia, -ae f. | friendship, alliance |
| cīvitās, -tātis, f. | state |
| nūllus, -a, -um | not any, none, no |
| spēs, speī, f. | hope |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| arma, -ōrum, n. plur. | arms, weapons |
| nihil, n., indecl. | nothing |
| enim, conj. | for |
| minus, comp. adv. | less |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| sub, prep. with acc. and abl. | under; sub vesperum, towards evening |
| dēcessus, -ūs m. | going out (of the tide), ebb |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| necessitās, -ātis f. | necessity, compulsion |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj. | some, any |
| impōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | place or lay upon, impose; embark |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus | carry, wear; carry on, do |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| exercitus, -ūs, m. | army |
| dēdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead down or away, bring; nāvem dēdūcere, to draw down or launch a ship |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| aliquis, -quid, indef. pron. | someone, any one, something, anything, some, any |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| libenter, adv. | willingly, gladly |
| sine, prep. with abl. | without |
| praesēns, -sentis, adj. | present, immediate, imminent |
| perīculum, -ī, n. | danger, peril, risk |
| suscipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | undertake |
| itaque, adv. | and so, accordingly, therefore |
| honōrificē (adv.) | with honour, respectfully |
| appellō, -pellāre, -pellāvī, -pellātus | call, name |
| prīnceps, -ipis | first, chief; as noun: leader |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| praemium, -ī, n. | reward |
| afficiō, -ere, -fēcī, -fectum | affect, afflict |
| onus, oneris n. | load, weight |
| iniungō, -ere, -iūnxī, -iūnctus | join to; impose, inflict |
| dēfessus, -a, -um | worn out, exhausted |
| tot (indecl.) | so many |
| adversus, -a, -um | facing; unfavourable, unsuccessful |
| proelium, -ī, n. | battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle |
| condiciō, -ōnis f. | terms; condition, status |
| pāreō, -ēre, -uī | obey |
| bonus, -a, -um | good |
| facile, adv. | easily |
| pāx, pācis f. | peace |