| [4] Ea res
est Helvetiis per
indicium enuntiata.
Moribus suis
Orgetoricem ex
vinculis causam
dicere coegerunt;
damnatum,
poenam sequi
oportebat, ut igni
cremaretur.
Die constituta
causae dictionis
Orgetorix ad iudicium
omnem suam familiam, ad
hominum milia decem, undique
coegit,
et omnes clientes
obaeratosque
suos, quorum magnum numerum habebat, eodem
conduxit;
per eos,
ne causam diceret,
se eripuit.
Cum civitas ob
eam rem incitata armis
ius suum exequi
conaretur
multitudinemque hominum ex
agris magistratus
cogerent,
Orgetorix mortuus
est; neque
abest suspicio,
ut Helvetii arbitrantur,
quin ipse
sibi mortem consciverit.
[5] Post eius mortem nihilo
minus Helvetii id quod constituerant
facere conantur,
ut e finibus suis exeant.
Ubi iam
se ad eam rem paratos esse arbitrati sunt, oppida sua omnia, numero
ad duodecim, vicos
ad quadringentos,
reliqua privata
aedificia incendunt;
frumentum
omne, praeter
quod secum
portaturi erant, comburunt,
ut domum reditionis
spe sublata paratiores
ad omnia pericula
subeunda essent; trium
mensium molita
cibaria sibi
quemque domo efferre iubent.
Persuadent Rauracis et Tulingis et Latobrigis finitimis,
uti eodem usi
consilio, oppidis
suis vicisque
exustis,
una cum iis
proficiscantur,
Boiosque, qui trans Rhenum incoluerant et in agrum Noricum transierant
Noreiamque oppugnabant,
receptos ad
se socios sibi adsciscunt.
|
[1.4] When this scheme was disclosed to the Helvetii
by informers, they, according to their custom, compelled Orgetorix to plead
his cause in chains; it was the law that the penalty of being burned by
fire should await him if condemned. On the day appointed for the pleading
of his cause, Orgetorix drew together from all quarters to the court, all
his vassals to the number of ten thousand persons; and led together to
the same place all his dependents and debtor-bondsmen, of whom he had a
great number; by means of those he rescued himself from [the necessity
of] pleading his cause. While the state, incensed at this act, was endeavoring
to assert its right by arms, and the magistrates were mustering a large
body of men from the country, Orgetorix died; and there is not wanting
a suspicion, as the Helvetii think, of his having committed suicide.
[1.5] After his death, the Helvetii nevertheless attempt to do that which they had resolved on, namely, to go forth from their territories. When they thought that they were at length prepared for this undertaking, they set fire to all their towns, in number about twelve-to their villages about four hundred-and to the private dwellings that remained; they burn up all the corn, except what they intend to carry with them; that after destroying the hope of a return home, they might be the more ready for undergoing all dangers. They order every one to carry forth from home for himself provisions for three months, ready ground. They persuade the Rauraci, and the Tulingi, and the Latobrigi, their neighbors, to adopt the same plan, and after burning down their towns and villages, to set out with them: and they admit to their party and unite to themselves as confederates the Boii, who had dwelt on the other side of the Rhine, and had crossed over into the Norican territory, and assaulted Noreia. |
"Ea res"
res, rei f. thing, matter
ea res: that matter
"est ... enuntiata"
nuntio, -are: to announce, report = was reported
"per indicium"
indicium, -ii n. : information, proof
lit. 'through information' = that matter was betrayed
"Moribus suis"
mos, moris m.: custom, habit, behavior = in accordance with their customs
"ex vinculis"
= in chains, lit. from (a condition of being bound in) chains
"causam dicere"
to plead one's cause
"coegerunt"
cogo, -ere, coegi, coactum: drive together, collect; compel,
force
"damnatum"
conditional circumstantial pariciple: if condemned
agrees with an implied 'eum' that is the object of 'sequi'
"poenam sequi oportebat,"
lit. it was necessary for the penalty to follow,
= the penalty would inevitable follow
what the penalty is follows in the 'ut' clause
"igni"
ignis, -is m. : fire = with fire
"cremaretur"
cremo, -are: to burn, cremate
"Die constituta"
abl. of time: on the appointed day
"causae dictionis"
dictio causae: pleading, defense
= on the appointed day of his defense
"iudicium"
the (place of) judgement, trial
" ad hominum milia decem,"
ad: here adverb modifying decem: about
= about 10 000 people
"coegit"
cogo, cogere, coegi, coactum: bring together, collect
"clientes"
cliens, -tis m. retainer, dependent
"obaeratosque"
obaeratus, -i m. debtor
"eodem"
to the same place (of judgement)
"conduxit"
conduco, ere, -xi, -ctum to lead together
"per eos"
through them, = with their help
"eripuit"
eripio, eripere, eripui , ereptuum snatch away, rescue
"ne causam diceret"
lit. he rescued himself, that he might not plead his case
= he evaded the pleading of his case
"ob eam rem incitata"
ob prep. with acc. on account of
incito, -are to arouse = aroused on account of this
"armis"
instr. ablative with their arms
"exsequi"
exsequor, -sequi, -secutus dep. to follow up,
maintain, enforce
"conaretur"
conor, conari,. conatum to try, attempt
"magistratus"
magistratus, -us m. the (office of) public officials
"cogerent"
cogo, cogere, coegi, coactum to force, compel
"ex agris" = from the country side
"mortuus"
morior, mori, mortuum dep. to die
"abesse"
to be missing, lacking
"suspicio"
suspicio, -ionis f. suspicion
"arbitrantur"
arbitror, arbitrari, arbitratus dep. to think
"quin"
that not; after words of suspicion: that
"consciverit"
= that he inflicted death upon himself
conscisco, consciscere, conscivi, conscitum 3 decree,
appoint; inflict, bring up
"nihilo minus"
lit., by nothing less = nevertheless
"constituerant"
constituo, -ere, -stitui, -stitutum
station, place; decide, decree
"conantur"
conor, conari dep. to try, attempt
"ut ... exeant"
purpose: to migrate (from their territory)
"Ubi iam"
as soon as (lit., when now)
" ad numero"
abl. of specification: in number about (ad = about)
"vicos"
vicus, -i m. village, street, row of houses
"incendunt"
incendo, -ere, -cendi, -censum 3 set on fire, burn
"reliqua privata aedificia"
reliquus, -a, -um remaining, left, the rest
"praeter"
praeter quod = praeter id (frumentum) quod besides the grain
"quod secum portaturi erant"
which they were about to carry with them (fut. act. ptc. + esse)
porto, -are to carry
"comburunt"
comburo, -burere, -bussi, -bustum to burn up
"domum reditionis spe sublata"
spe sublata is abl. abs.: lit., the hope of returning home
having been taken away
tollo, tollere, sustuli, sublatus 3 take away, remove
"paratiores"
comparative of paratus: more readily
"ad omnia pericula subeunda"
gerundive: for undergoing all dangers (lit., for all dangers
to be undergone)
"trium mensium"
for (lit., of) three months
mensis, mensis m. month
"molita cibaria"
molo, -ere, -ui, -itus 3, to grind
cibaria, -orum n. provisions, rations
"sibi quemque domo efferre"
(they order) that each one for himself (sibi) should carry
away
"iubent"
iubeo, -ere, iussi, iussum 2, to order, give orders
"finitimis"
finitimi, orum m. neighbors
"eodem usi consilio"
lit., having used the same plan (usi is ptc. of utor,
to use, which takes the abl.)
"vicisque"
vicus, i m. village
"exustis"
exuro, -urere, -ussi, -ustus 3, to burn up
"oppidis suis vicisque exustis"
lit., their cities and villages having been burned
"proficiscantur"
proficiscor, -i to depart, leave
"una cum iis"
una adverb: together (with them)
"transierant"
transeo, -ire, -ii (or -ivi), -itum go over, go across, pass
over
"oppugnabant"
oppugno, -are 1 atttac; besiege
"receptos ad se socios sibi adsciscunt"
ascisco, asciscere, ascivi, ascitum 3, admit (to association with
one's self), accept
recipio, -cipere, -cepi, -ceptus 3, take back, receive, admit
lit., having received them to themselves (receptos ad se)
they admit them to themselves as allies (socios sibi adsciscunt)