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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §1.37.1-1.37.4

New Germanic Invasions and Caesar's Advance

Passage 37 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Upon receiving embassies from the Haedui and the Treveri reporting the invasion and threat of new German tribes, Caesar quickly secures grain supplies and marches toward Ariovistus to prevent the enemy forces from uniting.

§1.37.1Haec eodem tempore Caesari mandata referebantur et legati ab Haeduis et a Treveris veniebant:
At the same time these messages were being reported to Caesar, and ambassadors were arriving from the Haedui and the Treveri.
§1.37.2Haedui questum quod Harudes, qui nuper in Galliam transportati essent, fines eorum popularentur: sese ne obsidibus quidem datis pacem Ariovisti redimere potuisse;
The Haedui came to complain that the Harudes, who had recently been transported into Gaul, were devastating their territories, and that they had not been able to purchase peace from Ariovistus even by giving hostages.
§1.37.3Treveri autem, pagos centum Sueborum ad ripas Rheni consedisse, qui Rhenum transire conarentur; his praeesse Nasuam et Cimberium fratres.
The Treveri, on the other hand, reported that a hundred cantons of the Suebi had settled on the banks of the Rhine, and were attempting to cross the Rhine, and that the brothers Nasua and Cimberius commanded them.
Quibus rebus Caesar vehementer commotus maturandum sibi existimavit, ne, si nova manus Sueborum cum veteribus copiis Ariovisti sese coniunxisset, minus facile resisti posset.
Caesar, deeply disturbed by these matters, thought that he must hasten, lest, if a new force of Suebi should join with the old troops of Ariovistus, resistance might be less easily made.
§1.37.4Itaque re frumentaria quam celerrime potuit comparata magnis itineribus ad Ariovistum contendit.
Therefore, having provided grain supplies as quickly as he could, he hastened toward Ariovistus by forced marches.

Notes

  1. §1.37.2questum — The accusative supine of the verb questum (to complain), depending on the verb veniebant (were coming) in the preceding clause, expressing purpose after a verb of motion.
  2. §1.37.3Treveri autem — The verb of motion and the expression of complaint (such as veniebant questum from the previous section) are omitted, which introduces the subsequent accusative and infinitive construction (consedisse).
  3. §1.37.3maturandum sibi — Consists of the impersonal use of the gerundive maturandum [esse] and the dative of agent sibi. Literally "it must be hastened by him," meaning "he had to hasten."
  4. §1.37.3resisti posset — The passive voice of the intransitive verb resistere (to resist). Since intransitive verbs can only be used impersonally in the passive, the passive infinitive resisti and the imperfect subjunctive posset form an impersonal construction meaning "resistance could be made."

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §1.37.1-1.37.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.37.1-1.37.4

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