- 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-lat2:6.23.1-6.23.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
Describes the Germanic customs of maintaining wilderness around them by expelling neighbors, their leadership structure in war and peace, their attitude toward raids and loyalty to leaders, and their sacred protection of guests.
Civitatibus maxima laus est quam latissime circum se vastatis finibus solitudines habere.
For states, it is the greatest glory to have wildernesses around them by laying waste their borders as widely as possible.
Hoc proprium virtutis existimant, expulsos agris finitimos cedere,1 neque quemquam prope audere consistere:
They consider this a proof of valor, that their neighbors, driven from their lands, retreat, and that no one dares to settle near them.
simul hoc se fore tutiores arbitrantur repentinae incursionis timore sublato.
At the same time, they think that they will be safer by this, the fear of sudden invasion being removed.
Cum bellum civitas aut inlatum defendit aut infert, magistratus, qui ei bello praesint, ut vitae necisque habeant potestatem, deliguntur.
When a state wards off a war waged against it or wages one itself, magistrates are chosen to preside over that war, so as to have power of life and death.
In pace nullus est communis magistratus, sed principes regionum atque pagorum inter suos ius dicunt controversiasque minuunt.
In peace there is no common magistrate, but the chiefs of the regions and cantons administer justice among their own people and settle disputes.
Latrocinia nullam habent infamiam, quae extra fines cuiusque civitatis fiunt, atque ea iuventutis exercendae ac desidiae minuendae causa fieri praedicant.
Robberies committed outside the boundaries of each state bring no disgrace, and they declare that these are done for the sake of training the youth and reducing idleness.
Atque ubi quis ex principibus in concilio dixit se ducem fore, qui sequi velint, profiteantur,2 consurgunt ei qui et causam et hominem probant suumque auxilium pollicentur atque ab multitudine collaudantur:
And when any of the chiefs has said in assembly that he will be the leader, and that those who wish to follow should declare themselves, those who approve both the cause and the man rise up, promise their assistance, and are applauded by the crowd.
qui ex his3 secuti non sunt, in desertorum ac proditorum numero ducuntur, omniumque his rerum postea fides derogatur.
Those of these who did not follow are considered in the number of deserters and traitors, and afterward trust in all matters is withdrawn from them.
Hospitem violare fas non putant; qui quacumque de causa ad eos venerunt, ab iniuria prohibent, sanctos habent, hisque omnium domus patent victusque communicatur.
They do not think it right to violate a guest; those who have come to them for whatever reason they protect from injury, hold sacred, and to them the houses of all are open and food is shared.
- 6.23.2expulsos agris finitimos cedere
An accusative with infinitive clause functioning in apposition to explain the preceding demonstrative pronoun hoc. finitimos is the subject accusative of the infinitive cedere, and is modified by the perfect participle expulsos (accompanied by the ablative of separation agris).
- 6.23.7profiteantur
Present subjunctive representing an indirect command in indirect discourse. Although one might expect the imperfect subjunctive (profiterentur) following the perfect main verb dixit according to the sequence of tenses, the present tense is retained to bring vividness to the narrative. In direct speech, this would correspond to the imperative profitemini ("declare yourselves").
- 6.23.8his
Dative of disadvantage (or dative of separation) used with the verb of taking away/withdrawing derogatur, indicating the persons from whom trust is withdrawn.