- 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-lat2:5.20.1-5.20.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
The Trinobantes send envoys to Caesar to offer submission and request protection and reinstatement for Mandubracius, who was driven out by Cassivellaunus. Caesar demands hostages and grain, and restores Mandubracius.
Interim Trinobantes, prope firmissima earum regionum civitas, ex qua Mandubracius adulescens Caesaris fidem secutus1 ad eum in continentem Galliam venerat, cuius pater in ea civitate regnum obtinuerat interfectusque erat a Cassivellauno, ipse fuga mortem vitaverat, legatos ad Caesarem mittunt pollicenturque sese ei dedituros atque imperata facturos;
In the meantime, the Trinobantes, almost the strongest state of those regions, from which the young man Mandubracius, having followed the protection of Caesar, had come to him into continental Gaul (whose father had held the sovereignty in that state and had been killed by Cassivellaunus, while he himself had escaped death by flight), send ambassadors to Caesar, and promise that they will surrender themselves to him and perform his commands.
petunt ut Mandubracium ab iniuria Cassivellauni defendat atque in civitatem mittat, qui praesit imperiumque obtineat.2
They petition that he defend Mandubracius from the injustice of Cassivellaunus, and send him to their state to preside over it and possess the sovereignty.
His Caesar imperat obsides3 quadraginta frumentumque exercitui Mandubraciumque ad eos mittit.
Caesar demands of them forty hostages and corn for his army, and sends Mandubracius to them.
Illi imperata celeriter fecerunt, obsides ad numerum4 frumentumque miserunt.
They speedily performed his commands, and sent hostages to the required number, and the corn.
- 5.20.1Caesaris fidem secutus
The noun 'fides' here does not merely denote trust or loyalty, but rather refers to seeking Caesar's patronage or entering into a protective relationship (clientela).
- 5.20.2qui praesit imperiumque obtineat
This relative clause modifies 'Mandubracius'. The use of the subjunctive mood (praesit, obtineat) indicates purpose (as someone who should preside and hold sovereignty).
- 5.20.3His Caesar imperat obsides
The verb 'impero' is construed with a dative of the person ordered (His) and an accusative of the thing demanded (obsides, frumentumque), meaning 'Caesar demands hostages from them'.
- 5.20.4ad numerum
The preposition 'ad' with the accusative 'numerum' serves as an adverbial phrase meaning 'to the required number' or 'exactly to the specified count'.