| [10] Caesari renuntiatur Helvetiis esse
in animo per agrum Sequanorum et
Haeduorum iter in Santonum fines facere,
qui non longe a Tolosatium finibus absunt,
quae civitas est in provincia. Id si fieret, intellegebat
magno cum periculo provinciae futurum [esse],
ut [provincia] homines bellicosos, populi
Romani inimicos, locis patentibus
maximeque frumentariis
finitimos haberet. Ob
eas causas ei munitioni, quam fecerat, T. Labienum legatum
praeficit; ipse in Italiam magnis itineribus
contendit, duasque ibi
legiones conscribit , et tres, quae
circum Aquileiam hiemabant, ex hibernis
educit et, qua proximum iter
in ulteriorem Galliam per Alpes erat, cum his quinque
legionibus ire contendit. Ibi Ceutrones et Graioceli
et Caturiges, locis superioribus occupatis, itinere exercitum
prohibere conantur. Compluribus
his proeliis pulsis, ab Ocelo, quod est oppidum citerioris
provinciae extremum, in fines Vocontiorum ulterioris
provinciae die septimo pervenit;
inde in Allobrogum fines, ab Allobrogibus in Segusiavos
exercitum ducit. Hi sunt extra
provinciam trans Rhodanum primi.
[11] Helvetii iam per angustias et fines Sequanorum suas copias traduxerant et in Haeduorum fines pervenerant eorumque agros populabantur. Haedui, cum se suaque ab iis defendere non possent, legatos ad Caesarem mittunt rogatum auxilium: ita se omni tempore de populo Romano meritos esse, ut paene in conspectu exercitûs nostri agri vastari, liberi [eorum] in servitutem abduci, oppida expugnari non debuerint. Eodem tempore quo Haedui, Ambarri, necessarii et consanguinei Haeduorum, Caesarem certiorem faciunt, sese, depopulatis agris, non facile ab oppidis vim hostium prohibere. Item Allobroges, qui trans Rhodanum vicos possessionesque habebant, fuga se ad Caesarem recipiunt et demonstrant sibi praeter agri solum nihil esse reliqui. Quibus rebus adductus, Caesar non expectandum sibi statuit , dum, omnibus fortunis sociorum consumptis, in Santonos Helvetii pervenirent. |
[1.10] It is again told Caesar, that the Helvetii intended
to march through the country of the Sequani and the Aedui into the territories
of the Santones, which are not far distant from those boundaries of the
Tolosates, which [viz. Tolosa, Toulouse] is a state in the Province. If
this took place, he saw that it would be attended with great danger to
the Province to have warlike men, enemies of the Roman people, bordering
upon an open and very fertile tract of country. For these reasons he appointed
Titus Labienus, his lieutenant, to the command of the fortification which
he had made. He himself proceeds to Italy by forced marches, and there
levies two legions, and leads out from winter-quarters three which were
wintering around Aquileia, and with these five legions marches rapidly
by the nearest route across the Alps into Further Gaul. Here the Centrones
and the Graioceli and the Caturiges, having taken possession of the higher
parts, attempt to obstruct the army in their march. After having routed
these in several battles, he arrives in the territories of the Vocontii
in the Further Province on the seventh day from Ocelum, which is the most
remote town of the Hither Province; thence he leads his army into the country
of the Allobroges, and from the Allobroges to the Segusiani. These people
are the first beyond the Province on the opposite side of the Rhone.
[1.11] The Helvetii had by this time led their forces
over through the narrow defile and the territories of the Sequani, and
had arrived at the territories of the Aedui, and were ravaging their lands.
The Aedui, as they could not defend themselves and their possessions against
them, send embassadors to Caesar to ask assistance, [pleading] that they
had at all times so well deserved of the Roman people, that their fields
ought not to have been laid waste-their children carried off into slavery-their
towns stormed, almost within sight of our army. At the same time the Ambarri,
the friends and kinsmen of the Aedui, apprize Caesar, that it was not easy
for them, now that their fields had been devastated, to ward off the violence
of the enemy from their towns: the Allobroges likewise, who had villages
and possessions on the other side of the Rhone, betake themselves in flight
to Caesar, and assure him that they had nothing remaining, except the soil
of their land. Caesar, induced by these circumstances, decides, that he
ought not to wait until the Helvetii, after destroying all the property
of his allies, should arrive among the Santones.
|
"renuntiatur"
renuntio, renuntiari (1) to report
"Helvetiis esse in animo"
in animo esse to have in mind, intend
= that the Helvetians were intending
"iter in Santonum fines
facere"
iter, itineris n. way, march
iter facere = to march
"finibus"
fines (pur. m.) territory, region
"absunt"
abesse to be distant from
"fieret"
fio, fieri, factum to happen
(if that should happen...)
"intellegebat"
intellego, -ere, -lexi, -lectum to understand, know
"futurum [esse]"
future active participle
with esse understood = future active infinitive, going
to be
"ut [provincia understood]...
haberet"
that [the province] should have warlike people ...
"bellicosos"
bellicosus, -a, um warlike
"inimicos"
inimicus, -a, -um hostile
inimicus, -i m. (personal) enemy
"patentibus"
patens, patentis open (to attack), exposed (without
natural barrieres)
"maximeque"
maxime superlative adv. of magnus very greatly
"frumentariis"
frumentarius, -a, um productive (of grain)
"finitimos"
finitimus, -a, -um bordering, adjoining
finitimi, -orum m. pl. neighbors, neighboring people
"haberet"
would have verb of the ut-clause that
[the province] would have
in English translation = to have
"Ob"
ob (with acc.)
prep. on account of, because of
"legatum"
legatus, -i m. envoy
(as army rank: lieutenant, lieutenant-general)
"praeficit"
praeficio, -ere, feci to place in charge of
(lit. to put before)
"ei munitioni"
munitio, ionis f. fortification
= [he placed in charge] of that (is, ea, id) fortification
(Latin uses the dative with praeficio)
"contendit"
contendo, -endere, tendit to hasten
"ibi"
there
"magnis itineribus"
with, by, long marches
"conscribit "
conscribo, -ere,-ipse to enroll, levy, enlist
"circum"
prep. with acc. around, in the vicinity
of
"hiemabant"
himeo, -himeare, himeavi to spend the wenter,
be in winter quarters
"hibernis"
hiberna, hibernorum n. pl. winter quarters
"quâ [viâ]"
where, lit by which way
the whole clause literally: and where (qua) the route
was closest to farther Gaul through the Alpes
"proximum"
proximus, -a, um closest
"iter"
iter, itineris n. way, march, route
"ire"
eo, ire, ivi to go, march
"ulteriorem Galliam"
ulterior Gallia farther Gaul
"locis superioribus occupatis"
abl. absolute: the higher positions having been seized
"prohibere"
prohibeo, prohibêre, -ui to hinder, prevent from
"conantur"
conor, conari, conatum to attempt, try
"Compluribus his proeliis pulsis"
abl. abs. these having been repelled in several engagements
complures, ium several
"oppidum citerioris
provinciae extremum"
extremus, -a, -um farthest
= the most distant town of the nearer province
"citerior"
citerior, ius on this side, nearer
"ulterioris provinciae"
ulterior, -ius farthest, latest, greatest
"die septimo"
abl. of time on the seventh day
dies, diei m. day
"pervenit"
pervenio, -ire, -veni pass through to, arrive
"Hi"
pl. nom. of hic, haec, hoc these [tribes]
"extra"
prep. with acc. beyond outside of
"trans"
prep. with acc. across
"sunt extra
provinciam trans Rhodanum primi"
"angustias"
angustiae, -arum [viae]
the narrow passages
"copias"
copiae, -arum f. troops
"traduxerant"
traduco, -ere,-duxi to lead across
"populabantur"
populor, -ari, -atum deponens to devestate,
ravage
"se suaque"
reflex. pron themselves and their own things
(possessions)
"possent"
subj. dependent on the preceeding cum
"rogatum auxilium"
rogo, rogare (1) to ask
rogatum here: supine (acc.) , used with verbs of motion to express
purpose
= asking for help
"conspectu"
conspectus, conspectûs m. sight
"vastari"
pass. inf. of vasto, -are (1) to lay waste, devastate
"liberi"
liberi, -orum m. pl. children
" ut paene in conspectu
exercitûs nostri agri vastari "
that almost within sight of our army the fields [should not have
been] devestated
"servitutem"
servitus, -tutis slavery
"abduci"
pass. inf. abduco, -ere, -xi,-tum to lead away
"expugnari"
pass. infinitive expugno, -are (1)
assault, storm, conquer pass.: to be taken by
assault
"debuerint"
debeo, -êre, debui, debitum ought
this is the verb of the ut-clause
"necessarii"
necessarii, -orum pl. m. friends
"consanguinei"
consanguineus, -ei m.& f. kinsman
"Eodem tempore quo"
abl. of time: at the same tame at which
"sese"
subject acc. of indirect speech (reflex. pron.):
themselves
"depopulatis"
depopulo, -are 1 to devestate
"certiorem faciunt"
quemquam certiorem facere lit. to make someone
more certain, = to inform someone
"prohibere"
prohibeo, -êre, -ui, -itum
to prevent, keep from
"possessionesque"
possession -onis f. possession
"demonstrant"
demonstro, -are 1 to explain, mention, demonstrate
"sibi"
dative of reflex. pron.
"praeter"
prep. with acc. except, besides
"agri solum"
ager, agri m. field, land
solum, -i n. soil
= [except/praeter] the soil of their land
"fuga se ad Caesarem recipiunt"
se fugâ recipere (recipere, recipio, recepi, receptum)
= to flee ( lit. to take themselves back by flight)
"nihil (subj. acc. of indirect speech)
esse [sibi] reliqui"
= [they explained] that nothing had been left to them,
that they had nothing left
reliquo, -ere, reliqui, relictum passive: . to be left, remain
"Quibus rebus adductus"
adduco, -ere induce, influence
= influenced by these things
"Caesar non expectandum
[esse] sibi statuit"
fut. passive periphrastic conjug. (gerundive with forms of esse)
expressing necessity, obligation
= Caesar decided that he ought not to wait statuo, -ere, ui,
-utum decide
"dum omnibus fortunis sociorum consumptis"
= until everything that the allies had should have been destroyed
fortuna, ae f. here: property
socius, -ii m. associate, companion; ally
consumo, -ere, -sumpsi, -sumptum use up, destroy