- Source
- Julius Caesar. Aulus Hirtius. C. Iuli Commentarii Rerum in Gallia Gestarum VII A. Hirti Commentarius VII. Holmes, T. Rice (Thomas Rice), editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1914.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.42.1-1.42.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-25
Ariovistus proposes a conference on the condition that both sides bring only cavalry, scheduled for five days later. For his safety, Caesar decides to mount his trusted Tenth Legion infantry on the horses of the Gallic cavalry to accompany him.
Cognito Caesaris adventu Ariovistus legatos ad eum mittit: quod antea de conloquio postulasset, id per se fieri licere,1 quoniam propius accessisset seque id sine periculo facere posse existimaret.
Upon learning of Caesar’s arrival, Ariovistus sent ambassadors to him, stating that what he had previously requested regarding a conference might now, as far as he was concerned, take place, since Caesar had approached nearer, and he considered that he could do it without danger.
Non respuit condicionem Caesar iamque eum ad sanitatem reverti arbitrabatur, cum id quod antea petenti denegasset ultro polliceretur,2 magnamque in spem veniebat pro suis tantis populique Romani in eum beneficiis cognitis suis postulatis fore uti pertinacia desisteret.3
Caesar did not reject the proposal, and he began to think that Ariovistus was now returning to his senses, since he was volunteering of his own accord what he had previously refused to him when requesting it; and he came to entertain a great hope that, in consideration of his own and the Roman people’s great favors toward him, Ariovistus would desist from his obstinacy once Caesar’s demands were made known.
Dies conloquio dictus est ex eo die quintus.
The fifth day from that day was appointed for the conference.
Interim saepe cum legati ultro citroque inter eos mitterentur, Ariovistus postulavit ne quem peditem ad conloquium Caesar adduceret: vereri se ne per insidias ab eo circumveniretur; uterque cum equitatu veniret: alia ratione sese non esse venturum.
Meanwhile, as ambassadors were frequently being sent back and forth between them, Ariovistus demanded that Caesar should not bring any infantry to the conference, saying that he feared he might be surrounded by him through treachery; let each come with cavalry; otherwise he would not come.
Caesar, quod neque conloquium interposita causa tolli volebat neque salutem suam Gallorum equitatui committere audebat, commodissimum esse statuit omnibus equis Gallis equitibus detractis eo legionarios milites legionis X., cui quam maxime confidebat, imponere, ut praesidium quam amicissimum, si quid opus facto esset,4 haberet.
Caesar, because he did not want the conference to be prevented by any pretext being interposed, and yet did not dare to entrust his safety to the Gallic cavalry, decided that the most convenient course was to take away all the horses from the Gallic cavalry and mount upon them the legionary soldiers of the Tenth Legion, in whom he had the greatest confidence, so that he might have a guard as trustworthy as possible in case there should be any need for action.
Quod cum fieret, non inridicule quidam ex militibus X. legionis dixit: plus quam pollicitus esset Caesarem facere; pollicitum se in cohortis praetoriae loco X. legionem habiturum ad equum rescribere.5
While this was being done, a soldier of the Tenth Legion remarked not without wit: that Caesar was doing more than he had promised; for though he had promised that he would keep the Tenth Legion in the place of his bodyguard, he was now enrolling them among the cavalry.
- 1.42.1quod antea de conloquio postulasset, id per se fieri licere
Indirect discourse. The main clause is the accusative and infinitive construction id... licere (that it was permitted to be done), and the quod clause is a relative clause qualifying the antecedent id. The verb of the relative clause, postulasset (pluperfect subjunctive), is in the subjunctive mood because it is a subordinate clause within indirect discourse. per se means "as far as he (Ariovistus) was concerned."
- 1.42.2cum id quod antea petenti denegasset ultro polliceretur
cum introduces a causal or circumstantial clause with polliceretur. The verb of the relative clause within it, denegasset (pluperfect subjunctive), is in the subjunctive because it is part of the subjective thought dependent on the main verb arbitrabatur. petenti is a dative present participle used substantively, meaning "to the one requesting (it)" (i.e., Caesar), serving as the indirect object of denegasset.
- 1.42.3fore uti pertinacia desisteret
A periphrasis for the future infinitive (desisturum esse), consisting of fore ut followed by the subjunctive (here desisteret). The imperfect subjunctive is used to conform to the historical tense of the main clause (veniebat). pertinacia is an ablative of separation.
- 1.42.6si quid opus facto esset
The impersonal construction opus est (there is need of), where the action needed is expressed by the perfect participle in the ablative facto (done). It means "if there should be any need of action." quid stands for aliquid after si.
- 1.42.7ad equum rescribere
In addition to the literal meaning of "re-enrolling onto horses," this contains a witty double entendre referring to "enrolling into the equestrian order (equites)" (i.e., promoting them from common soldiers to the wealthy knightly class).