De Bello Gallico 8.6

8.6.1Caesar tempore annī difficillimō, cum satis habēret convenientēs manūs dissipāre, nē quod initium bellī nāscerētur, quantumque in ratiōne esset, explōrātum habēret sub tempus aestīvōrum nūllum summum bellum posse cōnflārī, Gāium Trebōnium cum duābus legiōnibus, quās sēcum habēbat, in hībernīs Cēnabī collocāvit;

Caesar, in the most difficult season of the year, since he thought it enough to scatter the bands that were gathering so that no beginning of war should arise, and, as far as reasoning could tell, had made sure that no major war could be stirred up before the summer campaign, stationed Gaius Trebonius in winter quarters at Cenabum with the two legions he had with him;

Note. satis habēret: 'thought it enough'. nē quod initium: quod after nē is the indefinite, 'any'. quantumque in ratiōne esset: 'and as far as could be worked out by reasoning'. explōrātum habēret: 'had made certain'. Cēnabī: locative, 'at Cenabum'.

8.6.2ipse, cum crēbrīs lēgātiōnibus Rēmōrum certior fieret Bellovacōs, quī bellī glōriā Gallōs omnēs Belgāsque praestābant, fīnitimāsque hīs cīvitātēs duce Correō Bellovacō et Commiō Atrebāte exercitūs comparāre atque in ūnum locum cōgere, ut omnī multitūdine in fīnēs Suessiōnum, quī Rēmīs erant attribūtī, facerent impressiōnem, pertinēre autem nōn tantum ad dignitātem sed etiam ad salūtem suam iūdicāret nūllam calamitātem sociōs optimē dē rē pūblicā meritōs accipere, legiōnem ex hībernīs ēvocat rūrsus ūndecimam;

he himself, since he was informed by frequent embassies of the Remi that the Bellovaci, who surpassed all the Gauls and Belgae in fame in war, and the states neighbouring them were raising armies and gathering them in one place under the leadership of Correus the Bellovacan and Commius the Atrebatian, in order to make an attack in full force on the territory of the Suessiones, who had been placed under the Remi, and since he judged that it concerned not only his honour but also his safety that allies who had served the state very well should suffer no disaster, calls the eleventh legion out of winter quarters again;

Note. A long periodic sentence: two cum clauses (certior fieret … iūdicāret) come before the main verb ēvocat at the very end. Bellovacōs … exercitūs comparāre: indirect statement after certior fieret. ut … facerent impressiōnem: purpose clause. optimē dē rē pūblicā meritōs: 'who had deserved very well of the state'.

8.6.3litterās autem ad Gāium Fabium mittit, ut in fīnēs Suessiōnum legiōnēs duās quās habēbat addūceret, alteramque ex duābus ab Labiēnō arcessit.

and he sends a letter to Gaius Fabius to bring the two legions he had into the territory of the Suessiones, and summons one of the two from Labienus.

Note. alteram ex duābus: 'one of his two' (legions).

8.6.4Ita, quantum hībernōrum opportūnitās bellīque ratiō postulābat, perpetuō suō labōre in vicem legiōnibus expedītiōnum onus iniungēbat.

In this way, as far as the convenience of the winter quarters and the plan of the war required, he laid the burden of the expeditions on the legions in turn, with continuous toil of his own.

Note. in vicem: 'in turn'. Caesar rotated the hard winter expeditions among the legions, while himself never resting (perpetuō suō labōre).