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9.11. iam, by this time. — angustias: i.e. the Pas-de-l'Ecluse before described; see Figs. 6, 7. The entire train of the Helvetii has been reckoned at 8500 four-horse wagons, extending some 50 miles （cf. note on 4 23）. The passage must have been extremely slow. They probably followed in the line of the modern railroad as far as Culoz, then to Amberieu and across the plateau des Dombes to the Saône between Lyons and Macon, a distance of nearly a hundred miles. It is calculated that Caesar must have been absent two months in Italy, and the march of the Helvetians probably took about the same time. This would make the time of these events about the latter part of June. 9.12.

Haeduorum: it does not appear that these occupied the left bank of the Saône. But predatory excursions may have been made across the river, and in ch. 12 the Helvetians were engaged in crossing. 9.13.

cum … possent, not being able, etc. 9.15.

rogatum: supine （§ 509 (302); B. 340; G. 435; H. 633 (546); H-B. 618）. — ita se, etc.: in English supply saying or some such word. In Latin, after the idea of speech or thought is suggested, as here by legatos and rogatum, no further expression of saying is necessary. In dir. disc: this would be, "Ita [nos] … meriti sumus, ut paene in conspectu exercitus vostri, … liberi nostri … non debuerint"; i.e. our services have been such, etc., that we did not deserve to have this happen （as it has）. Probably the account is somewhat exaggerated. 9.16.

meritos: "Alone among the Gauls," says Tacitus, "the Haedui claim the name of brotherhood with the Roman people" （Ann. xi. 25）. So, also, Cicero calls them fratres nostri. 9.17.

[eorum]: words thus inclosed in brackets are of doubtful authenticity. 9.18.

debuerint: if this were stated not as a result but independently, the form would be perf. indic., implying that the thing had happened contrary to what ought to be. According to the Latin idiom, the same tense is retained in such cases, contrary to the sequence of tenses. See § 485. c. N. 2 (287. c. N.); B. 268. 6; G. 513; H. 550 (495. VI); H-B. 478. The Eng. idiom is that our lands, etc., ought not to have been, etc., putting the past idea into the infin. （§ 486. a (288. a); B. 270. 2; H. 618. 2 (537. 1); H-B. 582. 3.a ftn. 2）. — Haedui Ambarri, the Haedui near the Arar （or Saône）, occupying the angle between that river and the Rhone. They were evidently closely akin to the Haedui and were their allies. 9.19.

necessarii, bound by necessitudo, or community of interests of any kind. — consanguinei, akin by blood. 9.20.

depopulatis agris … prohibere: i.e. their lands were already wasted, and it was with difficulty that they could keep off, etc. （see § 496. N. 1 (292. R.); B. 337. 2; G. 664. R. 1; H. 639 (549. 5); H-B. 421. 4）; depopulatis is pass., though from a dep. verb （see § 190. b (135. b); B. 112. b; G. 167. N. 2; H. 222. 2 (231. 2); H-B. 291. d）. 9.21.

Allobroges: from Culoz the Rhone flows almost south and then makes a very sharp turn to the northwest. It was probably in this angle that the Allobroges overlapped the river. 9.23.

sibi: § 373 (231); B. 190; G. 349; H. 430 (387); H-B. 374. — sŏlum is a noun. — nihil esse reliqui （part. gen., a common usage with neut. adjectives, § 346. a. 1 (216. a. 1); B. 201. 2;G. 369; H. 440. 5. N (397. 1); H-B. 346）: i.e. they had nothing left, etc.; the land was completely stripped. 9.24.

non exspectandum [esse]: impers., as this construction is always pass. Translate by the act., He must not,etc. （see § 374 (232); B. 189. 1; G. 355, 251. 1; H. 302. 7, 431 (301. 2, 388); H-B. 373. 1）. 9.25.

sociorum: the Helvetians would be sure to levy upon the allies of the Romans wherever they found them. 9.26.

Santonos: cf. 8 15. — pervenirent: see § 553 (328); B. 293. iii. 2; G. 572; H. 603. ii. 2 (519. ii. 2); H-B. 507. 5. The subjv. is used because of the idea, 'they should come,' technically called purpose.


Caesar's Gallic War. J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge and M. Grant Daniell. Boston. Ginn and Company. 1898.

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hide References (18 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (18):
    • Tacitus, Annales, 11.25
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 190
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 346
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 373
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 374
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 485
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 486
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 496
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 509
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 553
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 167
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 349
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 355
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 369
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 435
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 513
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 572
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 664
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