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[6] Erant omnino itinera duo,
quibus itineribus domo exire possent:
mons autem altissimus impendebat, ut facile perpauci prohibere possent;
[7] Caesari cum id nuntiatum esset, eos per provincia nostram iter facere conari,
pontem, qui erat ad Genavam, iubet rescindi. Ubi de eius aventu Helvetii certiores facti sunt, legatos ad eum mittunt nobilissimos civitatis, cuius legationis Nammeius et Verucloetius principem locum obtinebant, qui dicerent
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[1.6] There were in all two routes, by which they could go forth from
their country one through the Sequani narrow and difficult, between Mount
Jura and the river Rhone (by which scarcely one wagon at a time could be
led; there was, moreover, a very high mountain overhanging, so that a very
few might easily intercept them; the other, through our Province, much
easier and freer from obstacles, because the Rhone flows between the boundaries
of the Helvetii and those of the Allobroges, who had lately been subdued,
and is in some places crossed by a ford. The furthest town of the Allobroges,
and the nearest to the territories of the Helvetii, is Geneva. From this
town a bridge extends to the Helvetii. They thought that they should either
persuade the Allobroges, because they did not seem as yet well-affected
toward the Roman people, or compel them by force to allow them to pass
through their territories. Having provided every thing for the expedition,
they appoint a day, on which they should all meet on the bank of the Rhone.
This day was the fifth before the kalends of April [i.e. the 28th of March],
in the consulship of Lucius Piso and Aulus Gabinius [B.C. 58.]
[1.7] When it was reported to Caesar that they were attempting to make their route through our Province he hastens to set out from the city, and, by as great marches as he can, proceeds to Further Gaul, and arrives at Geneva. He orders the whole Province [to furnish] as great a number of soldiers as possible, as there was in all only one legion in Further Gaul: he orders the bridge at Geneva to be broken down. When the Helvetii are apprized of his arrival they send to him, as embassadors, the most illustrious men of their state (in which embassy Numeius and Verudoctius held the chief place), to say "that it was their intention to march through the Province without doing any harm, because they had" [according to their own representations,] "no other route: that they requested, they might be allowed to do so with his consent." Caesar, inasmuch as he kept in remembrance that Lucius Cassius, the consul, had been slain, and his army routed and made to pass under the yoke by the Helvetii, did not think that [their request] ought to be granted: nor was he of opinion that men of hostile disposition, if an opportunity of marching through the Province were given them, would abstain from outrage and mischief. Yet, in order that a period might intervene, until the soldiers whom he had ordered [to be furnished] should assemble, he replied to the ambassadors, that he would take time to deliberate; if they wanted any thing, they might return on the day before the ides of April [on April 12th]. |
"itinera"
iter, itineris n. route, way, march
"domo"
ablative of domus, us f. home = from home
"possent"
potesse, possum, potui to be able here: potential
subj.: would be able
"quibus itineribus"
instru. ablative: by which routes
in translating ignore 'itineribus'
"angustum"
angustus, -a, um narrow
"difficile"
difficilis, -e difficult
"montem "
mons, montis m. mountain
mons Iura (gen. montis Iurae) the Jura Mountain
"Rhodanum"
flumen, -inis n. river
Rhodanus, i m. the riverRhone
"singuli"
singuli, -ae, -a single, one at a time
"carri"
carrus, -i m. cart, wagon
"ducerentur"
subj. could be drawn
"vix qua"
vix hardly
translate as if qua vix: by which (way) hardly
"altissimus"
superlative of altus, -a, um high, deep
"impendebat"
impendeo, ere, 2 hang over, overhang
"perpauci"
perpauci, -ae, -a very few
"prohibere [eos]"
prohibeo, -ere, -ui, itum 2 keep off, defend
"alterum"
alter, -era, -erum the other (of two), second
"expeditius"
comp. adv. of expeditus, -a, -um convenient, easy
"multo facilius"
comp. adv. with ablative of comparison: by much the easier
"isque"
is, ea, id the antecedent of 'is' is 'Rhodanus'
"pacati erant"
paco, -are, -avi, -atum 1 subdue, pacify
"non nullis locis"
in several places
locus, -i m.
"transitur"
transeo, -ire, -ii, -itum to cros
"Extremum oppidum"
the most remote town (lit. utmost), from the viewpoint of Rom
"proximumque Helvetiorum
finibus"
(Geneva is the remotest town of the Allobrogiens) and the closest
(town) to the land of the Helvetians
"pertinet"
pertineo, -ere, -ui 2 reach across
"Allobrogibus sese vel persuasuros ... existimabant"
literal: [the Helvetians] considered themselves to be either persuading
the Allobrogiens (persuadeo takes abl.)...
= the Helvetians believed that they would either persuade the Allobrogiens
...
"nondum"
not yet
"animo"
animus, -i m. mind
"viderentur"
passive of video, -ere 2 to seem
quod nondum bono animo in populum Romanum viderentur
= because they seemed not yet well disposed (lit. in a good mind)
toward the Roman People
"existimabant"
existimo, -are 1 to reckon, think, consider, suppose, believe
"vi coacturos"
cogo, -ere, coegi, coactum 3 to force, compel
vis, vim (acc.) f. force
= that they would compel by force (the acc. dependent on
existimabant see ... )
"ire"
eo, ire, ii/ivi to go, march
"paterentur"
patior, pati, passum to allow
"ripam"
ripa, -ae f. (river) bank
"Omnibus rebus
ad profectionem comparatis"
profectio, -onis f. departure
abl. abs. lit. all things having been prepared for the departure
"conveniant"
convenio, -ire, -veni, -ventum come together, gather
subjunctive: they should assemble
"a. d. V. Kal. Apr. "
ante diem quintum Kalendas Apriles the fifth day before the
Calends of April
(March 28 by our reckoning)
"cum"
when
"nuntiatum esset"
nuntio, -are 1 to report, announce
"iter facere"
= to march
iter, itineris n.
"conari"
conor, conari dep. 1 to try
"maturat"
maturo, -are 1 to hasten
"proficisci"
proficiscor, -i, -fectum to set out, depart
"quam maximis potest itineribus"
= with the utmost possible speed
lit. with the greatest possible marches he is able to
"contendit"
contendo, -ere, contendi 3 to hasten
"pervenit"
pervenio, -ire, -veni to arrive
"Galliam ulteriorem"
ulterior, -ius comp. farther, beyond, more distant
"quam maximum potest militum numerum imperat"
lit. [he levies] the greatest possible number of soldiers he can
"iubet"
iubeo, -ere, iussi, iussum to order
"rescindi"
rescindo, -ere, -cidi, -cissum to tear down
"aventu"
adventus, -us m. arrival
"certiores facti sunt"
= were informed (lit. made more certain)
"nobilissimos civitatis"
=the most distinguished men of the nation
"principem locum"
princeps, -ipis adj. chief ..., formost
"obtinebant"
obtineo, -ere , -ui, -tentum to hold
"maleficio"
maleficium, -ii n. wrong-doing
"sibi esse in animo"
= that it was in their mind, intention
"aliud"
alius, alia, aliud another, some other, different
"rogare"
[se] rogare = and that they requested (subj. acc. of indirect
speech)
"voluntate"
eius voluntate = with his consent (instrum. ablative)
"liceat"
ut ...liceat = that permission might be granted
licet, licere, licuit (licitum est) impersonal: it is allowed,
lawful, permitted
"id sibi facere"
= (that permission might be granted) for them (sibi) to do that
"occisum"
occisum [esse] subj. acc. = had been killed
occido, -ere, -idi, (ob + cado] to fall
"memoria tenebat"
memoria (abl.) tenere to keep in mind
"exercitumque"
and his army
exercitum, -i n. army
"pulsum"
pulsum [esse] = had been routed
pello, pellere, pepuli, pulsum 3 drive out, off; repulse, route
"concedendum"
concedo, -cere, -cessi, -cessurus 3 here: grant permission,
permit
"sub iugum missum [esse]"
sub iugum under the yoke
Made by setting two spears upright and placing a third on them horizontally,
as a crosspiece;
under this captured soldiers were made to pass, bending over, as a
token of complete submission and humiliation
"putabat"
concedendum non putabat = did not think that the request
ought to be granted
"inimico animo"
of hostile temper
"data facultate per provinciam
itineris faciundi"
data facultate = si facultas data esset, if opportunity should
have been granted (of making a march through the province)
faciundi,-ae, -i: gerund (verbal noun) (gen.,
no nominative) of facio, facere, making
"facultate"
facultas, facultatis f. ability, opportunity, chance
"temperaturos [esse]"
= would refrain
tempero, -are 1 control oneself, refrain
"iniuria"
inuria, -ae f. violence
"maleficio"
maleficium, -ii n. mischief, harm
"existimabat"
existimo, -are 1. reckon, think, suppose
"spatium"
space; translate as if tempus, time
"intercedere"
intercedo, -ere 3 intervene
"convenirent"
= should assemble
convenio, -ire 4 assemble
"respondit"
respondeo, -ere, -spondi to answer
"milites quos imperaverat"
the soldieres whom he had conscripted
"diem se ad deliberandum sumpturum"
subj. acc. dependent on respondit:
= lit. that he would take time for deliberating
sumo, sumere, sumpsi, sumpturus take, assume, spend
"ad Id. April."
Idus Apriles = April 13
"reverterentur "
reverto, -verti (only in tenses from perfect stem) &
revertor, -verti, -versurus to return