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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §1.4.1-1.4.4

The Trial and Mysterious Death of Orgetorix

Passage 4 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Orgetorix's conspiracy is revealed to the Helvetii; when summoned to trial, he escapes by gathering his followers, but dies soon after under suspicion of suicide.

§1.4.1Ea res est Helvetiis per indicium enuntiata.
This design was disclosed to the Helvetii through informers.
Moribus suis Orgetoricem ex vinculis causam dicere coegerunt; damnatum poenam sequi oportebat, ut igni cremaretur.
According to their customs, they compelled Orgetorix to plead his cause in chains; it was necessary that the punishment, namely, being burned with fire, should follow him if condemned.
§1.4.2Die constituta causae dictionis Orgetorix ad iudicium omnem suam familiam, ad hominum milia decem, undique coegit, et omnes clientes obaeratosque suos, quorum magnum numerum habebat, eodem conduxit; per eos ne causam diceret se eripuit.
On the day appointed for the pleading of his cause, Orgetorix assembled from all quarters to the court all his household, to the number of about ten thousand men, and led to the same place all his clients and debtors, of whom he had a great number; through them he rescued himself from having to plead his cause.
§1.4.3Cum civitas ob eam rem incitata armis ius suum exequi conaretur multitudinemque hominum ex agris magistratus cogerent, Orgetorix mortuus est; §1.4.4neque abest suspicio, ut Helvetii arbitrantur, quin ipse sibi mortem consciverit.
While the state, incensed on account of this circumstance, was attempting to enforce its law by arms, and the magistrates were assembling a multitude of men from the country, Orgetorix died; nor is suspicion wanting, as the Helvetii think, that he committed suicide.

Notes

  1. 1.4.1damnatum — The perfect participle `damnatum` modifies `Orgetoricem` (the omitted subject accusative of the infinitive `sequi` which depends on the impersonal verb `oportebat`) and functions as a conditional clause ("if condemned").
  2. 1.4.1ut igni cremaretur — A noun clause in apposition to `poenam`, explaining the specific nature of the punishment (namely, that he should be burned with fire).
  3. 1.4.2ne causam diceret — A clause with the imperfect subjunctive `diceret` introduced by `ne`, depending on `se eripuit` (rescued himself), expressing either purpose ("lest he should plead his cause") or preventing/escaping ("from pleading his cause").
  4. 1.4.4quin ipse sibi mortem consciverit — A `quin` clause with the perfect subjunctive `consciverit` following the negative expression of doubt `neque abest suspicio` (nor is suspicion absent, meaning 'there is a strong suspicion'), expressing the positive content of the suspicion ("that he committed suicide").

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §1.4.1-1.4.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.4.1-1.4.4

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