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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §1.20.1-1.20.5

Plea of Diviciacus and Pardon of Dumnorix

Passage 20 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Diviciacus tearfully pleads with Caesar on behalf of Dumnorix, and Caesar, out of respect for Diviciacus, pardons Dumnorix with a stern warning and places him under surveillance.

§1.20.1Diviciacus multis cum lacrimis Caesarem complexus obsecrare coepit ne quid gravius in fratrem statueret:
Diviciacus, embracing Caesar with many tears, began to beseech him not to pass any very severe judgment on his brother.
§1.20.2scire se illa esse vera, nec quemquam ex eo plus quam se doloris capere, propterea quod, cum ipse gratia plurimum domi atque in reliqua Gallia, ille minimum propter adulescentiam posset, per se crevisset; §1.20.3quibus opibus ac nervis non solum ad minuendam gratiam, sed paene ad perniciem suam uteretur.
He said that he knew those things were true, and that no one took more grief from that fact than he himself, because, while he himself had the greatest influence at home and in the rest of Gaul, and his brother had very little because of his youth, the latter had grown powerful through his assistance; and this wealth and strength he was using not only to diminish Diviciacus's influence, but almost to his ruin.
Sese tamen et amore fraterno et existimatione vulgi commoveri.
He himself, however, was moved both by brotherly love and by the opinion of the public.
§1.20.4Quod si quid ei a Caesare gravius accidisset, cum ipse eum locum amicitiae apud eum teneret, neminem existimaturum non sua voluntate factum; qua ex re futurum uti totius Galliae animi a se averterentur.
For if anything very severe should happen to his brother from Caesar, while he himself held such a place of friendship with him, no one would think that it had not been done with his consent; and from this circumstance it would happen that the minds of all Gaul would be alienated from him.
§1.20.5Haec cum pluribus verbis flens a Caesare peteret, Caesar eius dextram prendit; consolatus rogat finem orandi faciat; tanti eius apud se gratiam esse ostendit uti et rei publicae iniuriam et suum dolorem eius voluntati ac precibus condonet.
As he was begging these things of Caesar with many words and weeping, Caesar took his right hand; having comforted him, he requests him to make an end of entreating; he shows that his influence with him was so great that he would forgive both the injury to the state and his own pain for the sake of his wish and prayers.
Dumnorigem ad se vocat, fratrem adhibet; quae in eo reprehendat ostendit; quae ipse intellegat, quae civitas queratur proponit; monet ut in reliquum tempus omnes suspiciones vitet; praeterita se Diviciaco fratri condonare dicit.
He summons Dumnorix to him, and brings in his brother; he points out what he finds fault with in him; he lays before him what he himself understands and what the state complains of; he warns him to avoid all suspicion for the future; he says that he forgives the past for the sake of his brother Diviciacus.
Dumnorigi custodes ponit, ut quae agat, quibuscum loquatur scire possit.
He places guards over Dumnorix, so that he can know what he does and with whom he speaks.

Notes

  1. 1.20.2scire se illa esse vera — The beginning of indirect discourse (Oratio Obliqua) following the preceding 'obsecrare coepit', with a verb of saying like 'dicit' implied. 'se' is the subject accusative of the infinitive, referring to Diviciacus himself.
  2. 1.20.2nec quemquam ex eo plus quam se doloris capere — 'doloris' is a partitive genitive qualifying the accusative object 'plus'. 'se' is the accusative expressing the object of comparison. 'eo' in 'ex eo' refers to the facts mentioned previously (illa).
  3. 1.20.3quibus opibus ac nervis — Relative connection at the beginning of a clause, equivalent to 'et his opibus ac nervis'. 'opibus ac nervis' are ablatives governed by the deponent verb 'uteretur'.
  4. 1.20.4Quod si quid — 'Quod si' is a transitional formula meaning 'And if' or 'But if'. 'quid' is the indefinite pronoun 'aliquid' with the prefix 'ali-' omitted after the conjunction 'si'.
  5. 1.20.4neminem existimaturum non sua voluntate factum — 'esse' is omitted after both 'existimaturum' and 'factum'. The double negation 'neminem... non' produces a strong affirmative ('everyone would think'). 'sua' refers to Diviciacus, the logical subject.
  6. 1.20.5tanti eius apud se gratiam esse ostendit — 'tanti' is a genitive of value, meaning 'of such great value (influence)'. 'apud se' means 'with him (Caesar)'. 'eius' is the genitive referring to Diviciacus.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §1.20.1-1.20.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.20.1-1.20.5

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