- 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-lat2:4.2.1-4.2.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The passage describes the Germans' minimal trade practices, their training of small native horses, and their rejection of saddles. It also highlights their prohibition on importing wine to prevent physical and mental effeminacy.
Mercatoribus est aditus magis eo ut quae bello ceperint quibus vendant habeant, quam quo1 ullam rem ad se importari desiderent.
Merchants are allowed access to them rather that they may have buyers for what they have taken in war, than because they desire any commodity to be imported to them.
Quin etiam iumentis, quibus maxime Galli delectantur quaeque impenso parant pretio, Germani importatis non utuntur, sed quae sunt apud eos nata, parva atque deformia, haec cotidiana exercitatione summi ut sint laboris efficiunt.2
Nay, even as to beasts of burden, in which the Gauls take the greatest pleasure and which they procure at a great price, the Germans do not import them, but those which are bred among themselves, small and ill-shaped though they are, they render capable of the greatest labor by daily exercise.
Equestribus proeliis saepe ex equis desiliunt ac pedibus proeliantur, equos eodem remanere vestigio3 adsuefecerunt, ad quos se celeriter, cum usus est, recipiunt:
In cavalry actions they frequently leap from their horses and fight on foot, and they accustom their horses to stand in the same spot, to which they quickly retreat when there is need;
neque eorum moribus turpius quicquam aut inertius habetur quam ephippiis uti.
nor in their estimation is anything regarded as more disgraceful or lazy than to use horse-cloths.
Itaque ad quemvis numerum ephippiatorum equitum quamvis pauci adire audent.
Therefore, however few they may be, they dare to advance against any number of cavalry using saddles.
Vinum omnino ad se importari non patiuntur, quod ea re ad laborem ferendum4 remollescere homines atque effeminari arbitrantur.
Wine they do not permit to be imported to them at all, because they think that by it men are made effeminate and rendered less able to endure labor.
- 4.2.1magis eo ut ... quam quo
Contrast between magis eo ut (more for the purpose that...) and quam quo (than because...). 'eo' is an ablative of cause/purpose taking the ut-clause, while 'quo' introduces the subjunctive 'desiderent' expressing a rejected reason.
- 4.2.2summi ut sint laboris efficiunt
In the construction 'efficiunt ut...' (they make it so that...), the genitive of quality 'summi laboris' (of the greatest labor, i.e., capable of enduring it) functions as the predicate within the ut-clause. Note the hyperbaton where the conjunction 'ut' is placed after the adjective 'summi'.
- 4.2.3eodem remanere vestigio
'eodem vestigio' (in the same spot) is an ablative of place where, with the preposition 'in' omitted. The infinitive 'remanere' depends on 'adsuefecerunt' with 'equos' as its subject accusative.
- 4.2.6ad laborem ferendum
The preposition 'ad' with the gerundive 'ferendum' agreeing with 'laborem' expresses purpose ('for the purpose of enduring labor').