Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 8
De Bello Gallico 8.53
Marcellus' attack on Caesar
Hirtius, De Bello Gallico VIII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō8.53.1Magnum hoc testimōnium senātūs erat ūniversī conveniēnsque superiōrī factō.
This was strong evidence of the feeling of the whole senate, and consistent with its earlier action.
Note. Magnum hoc testimōnium: the senate's support for Curio's proposal showed its real feeling. superiōrī factō: the vote of the previous year, explained in the next sentence.
8.53.1Nam Mārcellus proximō annō, cum impugnāret Caesaris dignitātem, contrā lēgem Pompēī et Crassī rettulerat ante tempus ad senātum dē Caesaris prōvinciīs, sententiīsque dictīs discessiōnem faciente Mārcellō, quī sibi omnem dignitātem ex Caesaris invidiā quaerēbat, senātus frequēns in alia omnia trānsiit.
For in the previous year Marcellus, in his attack on Caesar's standing, had brought the question of Caesar's provinces before the senate ahead of time, against the law of Pompey and Crassus; and when the opinions had been given and Marcellus, who was seeking all his own standing from hostility to Caesar, called for a division, the senate in full attendance went over to vote against him.
Note. Mārcellus: M. Claudius Marcellus, consul in 51 BC, who tried to recall Caesar early. contrā lēgem Pompēī et Crassī: the law of 55 BC that extended Caesar's command. in alia omnia trānsiit: the formal phrase for voting against a motion, 'went over to all other (views)'.
8.53.2Quibus nōn frangēbantur animī inimīcōrum Caesaris, sed admonēbantur quō maiōrēs parārent necessitātēs, quibus cōgī posset senātus id probāre, quod ipsī cōnstituissent.
Caesar's enemies were not broken by this, but were spurred on to devise greater pressures by which the senate could be forced to approve what they themselves had decided.
Note. quō maiōrēs parārent necessitātēs: purpose clause with comparative. quibus cōgī posset: relative clause of purpose.
Vocabulary
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| testimōnium, -ī n. | evidence, proof |
| senātus, -ūs m. | senate |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| ūniversus, -a, -um | all together, whole, entire, all |
| conveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come together, assemble |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| superior, -ius, adj. | higher; former, previous, preceding |
| factum, -ī n. | deed, act |
| nam, conj. | for |
| proximus, -a, -um | nearest, next |
| annus, -ī, m. | year |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| impugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | attack |
| dignitās, -ātis f. | rank, standing, prestige |
| contrā, prep, with acc. | against, contrary to |
| lēx, lēgis f. | law |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| referō, referre, rettulī, relātus | bring or carry back, return; pedem referre, to draw back, retire, retreat; grātiam referre, see grātia |
| ante, prep, with acc. and adv. | before |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| prōvincia, -ae f. | province; here, the Roman Province in southern Gaul |
| sententia, -ae, f. | opinion; purpose |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| discessiō, -ōnis f. | a going apart; a division (a vote in the senate, taken by members moving to either side) |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| invidia, -ae f. | envy, jealousy, ill will |
| quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītus | seek; ask, inquire |
| frequēns, -entis | crowded, in great numbers; frequent |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| alius, -a, -ud | another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others |
| trānseō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go across or over, cross |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| frangō, frangere, frēgī, frāctus | break; dash to pieces, wreck |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| inimīcus, -a, -um | unfriendly, hostile |
| sed, conj. | but |
| admoneō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | remind, warn, advise |
| quō, adv. | to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long? |
| parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | make ready, prepare |
| necessitās, -ātis f. | necessity, compulsion |
| cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctus | drive together, collect; compel |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| probō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | prove, show; approve |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | set together or up; appoint; determine |