Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 8
De Bello Gallico 8.55
The legions kept in Italy
Hirtius, De Bello Gallico VIII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō8.55.1Quō cum vēnisset, cognōscit per C. Mārcellum cōnsulem legiōnēs duās ab sē remissās, quae ex senātūs cōnsultō dēbērent ad Parthicum bellum dūcī, Cn. Pompēiō trāditās atque in Ītaliā retentās esse.
When he arrived there, he learned through the consul Gaius Marcellus that the two legions he had sent back, which by decree of the senate were to be led to the Parthian war, had been handed over to Gnaeus Pompeius and kept in Italy.
Note. Quō cum vēnisset: connecting relative, 'when he had arrived there'. per C. Mārcellum cōnsulem: C. Claudius Marcellus, consul in 50 BC. The two legions meant for Parthia stayed in Italy under Pompey, a sign that war was coming.
8.55.2Hōc factō quamquam nūllī erat dubium, quidnam contrā Caesarem parārētur, tamen Caesar omnia patienda esse statuit, quoad sibi spēs aliqua relinquerētur iūre potius disceptandī quam bellī gerendī.
After this, although no one was in any doubt what was being prepared against Caesar, Caesar still decided to put up with everything, as long as any hope remained of settling the dispute by law rather than by war.
Note. nūllī erat dubium: 'no one doubted'. quidnam … parārētur: indirect question. omnia patienda esse: gerundive of obligation, 'everything must be endured'. iūre potius disceptandī quam bellī gerendī: 'of settling the dispute by law rather than by war'.
8.55.2Contendit
He hastened ... (the text breaks off here).
Note. The book breaks off here in the manuscripts: Contendit, 'He hastened …'. Caesar's own Civil War continues the story from January 49 BC.
Vocabulary
| quō, adv. | to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long? |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitus | find out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know |
| per, prep, with ace. | through, by means of |
| cōnsul, -ulis m. | consul (one of Rome's two chief magistrates) |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| remittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missum | send back; give up, remit |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| senātus, -ūs m. | senate |
| cōnsultum, -ī n. | decree (senātūs cōnsultum: a decree of the Senate) |
| dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | owe; with infin., ought |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| Parthicus, -a, -um | Parthian, against the Parthians |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus | lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry |
| trādō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | give across, over, or up, deliver; hand down, relate, report |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| retineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or keep back, keep, restrain; hold fast |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| quamquam, conj. | however much, although |
| nūllus, -a, -um | not any, none, no |
| dubius, -a, -um | doubtful, uncertain |
| quisnam, quaenam, quidnam, interrog. pron. | who, which, or what, pray? who? which? what? |
| contrā, prep, with acc. | against, contrary to |
| parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | make ready, prepare |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| patior, patī, passus, bear | suffer, allow |
| statuō, statuere, statuī, statūtus | cause to stand; decide, resolve |
| quoad (conj.) | as long as; until |
| spēs, speī, f. | hope |
| aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj. | some, any |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| iūs, iūris, n. | right, justice, law; iūs dīcere, to pronounce judgment; iūs iūrandum, iūris iūrandī, oath |
| potius (adv.) | rather |
| disceptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | debate, dispute; settle a dispute |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus | carry, wear; carry on, do |
| contendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch, hasten |