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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §1.19.1-1.19.5

Dumnorix's Treason and the Conference with Diviciacus

Passage 19 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Caesar discovers concrete evidence of Dumnorix's offenses and considers punishing him, but fearing he might offend the loyal Diviciacus, he summons him and speaks with him through a trusted interpreter.

§1.19.1Quibus rebus cognitis, cum ad has suspiciones certissimae res accederent, quod per fines Sequanorum Helvetios traduxisset, quod obsides inter eos dandos curasset, quod ea omnia non modo iniussu suo et civitatis sed etiam inscientibus ipsis fecisset, quod a magistratu Haeduorum accusaretur, satis esse causae arbitrabatur quare in eum aut ipse animadverteret aut civitatem animadvertere iuberet.
When these things were known, since to these suspicions the most certain facts were added—namely, that he had led the Helvetii through the territories of the Sequani, that he had taken care that hostages should be mutually given between them, that he had done all these things not only without his own order and that of the state, but even without their knowledge, and that he was accused by the magistrate of the Haedui—he thought that there was sufficient reason why he should either himself punish him, or order the state to punish him.
§1.19.2His omnibus rebus unum repugnabat, quod Diviciaci fratris summum in populum Romanum studium, summum in se voluntatem, egregiam fidem, iustitiam, temperantiam cognoverat; nam ne eius supplicio Diviciaci animum offenderet verebatur.
To all these things one consideration was opposed, namely, that he had known the utmost devotion of his brother Diviciacus toward the Roman people, his utmost goodwill toward himself, his eminent fidelity, justice, and temperance; for he feared lest by the punishment of Dumnorix he should offend the feelings of Diviciacus.
§1.19.3Itaque prius quam quicquam conaretur, Diviciacum ad se vocari iubet et, cotidianis interpretibus remotis, per C. Valerium Troucillum, principem Galliae provinciae, familiarem suum, cui summam omnium rerum fidem habebat, cum eo conloquitur;
Therefore, before he attempted anything, he orders Diviciacus to be summoned to him, and, having removed the everyday interpreters, he converses with him through Gaius Valerius Troucillus, a leading man of the Gallic province, his own intimate friend, in whom he reposed the greatest confidence in all matters.
§1.19.4simul commonefacit quae ipso praesente in concilio [Gallorum] de Dumnorige sint dicta, et ostendit quae separatim quisque de eo apud se dixerit.
At the same time, he reminds him of what had been said about Dumnorix in the council [of the Gauls] in his own presence, and shows what each person had said to him privately about him.
§1.19.5Petit atque hortatur ut sine eius offensione animi vel ipse de eo causa cognita statuat vel civitatem statuere iubeat.
He begs and exhorts him that, without any offense to his feelings, he may either himself, after investigating the case, pass judgment on him, or order the state to do so.

Notes

  1. §1.19.1quod per fines Sequanorum Helvetios traduxisset — The series of quod clauses beginning here (quod ... traduxisset, quod ... curasset, quod ... fecisset, quod ... accusaretur) are appositive clauses (conjunction quod + subjunctive) explaining the specific facts (certissimae res) that were added to "these suspicions" (has suspiciones).
  2. §1.19.1satis esse causae — The subject of the accusative and infinitive construction dependent on arbitrabatur. satis acts as a subject noun ('sufficient amount/thing'), and causae is a partitive genitive qualifying it.
  3. §1.19.2quod Diviciaci fratris — This quod clause is an appositive clause explaining the specific content of the subject unum ('one consideration/thing') in the main clause.
  4. §1.19.3cui summam omnium rerum fidem habebat — cui is the dative of the relative pronoun referring to the antecedent C. Valerium Troucillum. The dative is used because the expression fidem habere ('to have confidence/trust') governs the dative case.
  5. §1.19.5sine eius offensione animi — eius is the genitive pronoun referring to Diviciacus, showing a subjective or objective relation to offensione animi ('wounding of the mind/feeling'). The entire phrase means 'without hurting his feelings.'

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §1.19.1-1.19.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.19.1-1.19.5

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