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39.8. transisse, etc.: Direct —

Transii Rhenum （ego） non mea sponte, sed rogatus et arcessitus a Gallis; non sine magna spe … domum … rellqui; sedīs habeo in Gallia ab ipsis concessas, obsides ipsorum voluntate datos; stipendium capio iure belli quod victores victis imponere consuerunt. Non ego Gallis, sed Galli mihi bellum intulerunt; omnes Galliae civitates ad me oppugnandum venerunt ac contra me castra habuerunt; eae omnes copiae a me uno proelio pulsae ac superatae sunt. Si iterum experiri volunt, （ego） iterum paratus sum decertare; si pace uti volunt, iniquum est de stipendio recusare quod sua voluntate ad hoc tempus pependerunt.

Amicitiam populi Romani mihi ornamento et praesidio, non detrimento esse oportet, idque … hac spe petit. Si per populum Romanum stipendium remittetur et dediticii subtrahentur, non minus libenter … recusabo populi Romani amicitiam quam adpetii.

Quod multitudinem Gennanorum in Galliam traduco, id mei muniendi, non Galliae impugnandae causa facto: eius rei testimonium est quod nisi rogatus non veni, et quod bellum non intuli, sed defendi. Ego prius in Galliam veni quam populus Romanus. Numquam ante hoc tempus exercitus populi Romani … provinciae finibus egressus （est）. Quid tibi vis? Cur in meas possessiones venis? Provincia mea haec est Gallia, sicut illa vestra. Ut mihi concedi non oportet, si in vestros finīs impetum faciam, sic item vos estis iniqui quod in meo iure me interpellatis.

Quod fratres a senatu Haeduos appellatos dicis, non （ego） tam barbarus … sum … ut non sciam neque bello Allobrogum proximo Haeduos Romanis auxilium tulisse, neque ipsos, in his contentionibus quas Haedui mecum … habuerunt （habuerint）, auxilio populi Romani usos esse.

Debeo suspicari simulata te amicitia quem exercitum in Gallia habes mei opprimendi causa habere. Tu nisi decedes atque exercitum deduces … ego te non pro amico, sed pro hoste habebo. Quod si te interfecero, multis （ego） nobilibus … gratum … faciam; id （ego） ab ipsis … compertum habeo quorum omnium gratiam … tua morte redimere possum. Quod si discesseris et … possessionem Galliae mihi tradideris, magno ego te praemio remunerabo, et quaecumque bella geri voles sine ullo tuo labore … conficiam.

39.9.

rogatum et arcessitum: participles expressing cause. 39.10.

sine magna spe magnisque praemiis = sine magna spe magnorum praemiorum; hendiadys, cf. 28 25, and note. 39.11.

obsides: object of habere. Translate the participles concessas and datos by relative clauses. 39.14.

sibi, on him, referring to the main subject, Ariovistus. — ad se oppugnandum: gerundive expressing purpose; cf. 33 4, 33 10. 39.21.

oportere: impers.; its subject is amicitiam … esse. — id, not eam, because it refers to the idea, ut amicus populi Romani esset. — si remittatur: fut. cond. （§ 516, 589 (307, 337); B. 268. 7; G. 656; H. 573. 1, 646 (507.i, 527.i); H-B. 536, 579. a）; the pres. for imperf., contrary to regular sequence, for greater vividness. 39.22.

per, through the action of: 39.23.

subtrahantur, are got away （by underhand means）. 39.25.

quod … traducat, as for his bringing over; made subjv. by indir. disc. 39.26.

impugnandae: observe the gerundive. 40.4.

provinciam: emphatic; i.e. he had a right to govern it as the Romans did their provinces. — hanc Galliam, this part of Gaul. 40.5.

ut … sic, as … so. — ipsi: i.e. Ariovistus （used as an indirect reflexive）. See note on 35 3. 40.8.

quod = in that. 40.9.

imperitum rerum: i.e. unsophisticated; for construction, cf. 18 22. 40.10.

bello proximo: i.e. B.C. 62. 40.14.

debere se suspicari, etc., he had ground to suspect, that Caesar, in keeping an army in Gaul, kept it under the pretence of friendship, [but really] for the purpose of crushing him （Ariovistus）. 40.15.

sui opprimendi causa: gerund; see § 504. c (298. a); B. 339. 5; G. 428. R.; H. 626. 3 (542. i. N. 1).; cf. H-B. 614. 40.18.

nobilibus … gratum: Caesar was the recognized head of the party opposed to the senate and nobility. Many of the aristocracy would have been glad of any safe way to be rid of him. 40.20.

compertum habere has almost the force of comperisse; see § 497. b (292. c); B. 337. 7; G. 238; H. 431. 3 (388. 1. N).; H-B. 605. 5.

The three relatives qui （l.16）, quod （l. 17）, and quod （l. 21） illustrate the principle that the relative, serving to connect with the previous proposition, may represent various conjunctions: if then he should not withdraw （qui = is igitur）;and if he should kill him （quod, adv. acc.）; but if he should withdraw （quod = sed, etc.）.


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 (6 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (6):
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 497
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 504
    • A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, G. L. Kittredge, J. B. Greenough, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar, 516
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 238
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 428
    • Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, 656
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