- 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-lat2:4.8.1-4.8.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Caesar refuses to establish friendship with the Germans if they remain in Gaul, but proposes that they may settle in the territory of the Ubii, who are seeking Roman protection against the Suebi.
Ad haec Caesar quae visum est1 respondit; sed exitus fuit orationis: sibi nullam cum iis amicitiam esse posse, si in Gallia remanerent;
To this Caesar replied as seemed appropriate; but the conclusion of his speech was: that there could be no friendship between him and them if they remained in Gaul;
neque verum esse, qui suos fines tueri non potuerint2 alienos occupare; neque ullos in Gallia vacare agros qui dari tantae praesertim multitudini sine iniuria possint;
nor was it right that those who had not been able to protect their own territories should seize those of others; nor were there any lands vacant in Gaul which could be given, especially to so great a multitude, without injustice;
sed licere, si velint, in Ubiorum finibus considere, quorum sint legati apud se et de Sueborum iniuriis querantur et a se auxilium petant: hoc se Ubiis imperaturum.3
but that they were permitted, if they wished, to settle in the territories of the Ubii, whose envoys were with him, complaining of the wrongs of the Suebi and seeking help from him: this he would command the Ubii to do.
- 4.8.1quae visum est
A combination of the relative pronoun quae (neuter plural accusative, serving as the direct object of respondit, with its antecedent omitted) and visum est used impersonally (meaning 'it seemed good/appropriate'). It translates as 'what seemed appropriate.'
- 4.8.2qui suos fines tueri non potuerint
A relative clause with the antecedent (such as eos) omitted, serving as the subject of the infinitive phrase occupare. The perfect subjunctive potuerint is due to the indirect discourse (subordinate clause).
- 4.8.3hoc se Ubiis imperaturum
A future infinitive imperaturum [esse] in indirect discourse. The subject is se (Caesar). hoc is a neuter singular accusative referring to the proposal of letting the Germans settle in the territory of the Ubii.