§1.43.1Planities erat magna et in ea tumulus terrenus satis grandis.
There was a large plain, and in it a mound of earth of considerable size.
Hic locus aequum fere spatium a castris Ariovisti et Caesaris aberat.
This place was at nearly an equal distance from the camps of Ariovistus and Caesar.
Eo, ut erat dictum, ad conloquium venerunt.
Thither, as had been agreed, they came for the conference.
§1.43.2Legionem Caesar, quam equis devexerat, passibus CC ab eo tumulo constituit.
Caesar posted the legion which he had brought on horses two hundred paces from that mound.
Item equites Ariovisti pari intervallo constiterunt.
Likewise, the cavalry of Ariovistus took their stand at an equal distance.
§1.43.3Ariovistus ex equis ut conloquerentur et praeter se denos ad conloquium adducerent postulavit.
Ariovistus demanded that they should conference on horseback, and that they should bring ten men each with them to the conference besides themselves.
§1.43.4Ubi eo ventum est, Caesar initio orationis sua senatusque in eum beneficia commemoravit, quod rex appellatus esset a senatu, quod amicus, quod munera amplissime missa; quam rem et paucis contigisse et pro magnis hominum officiis consuesse tribui docebat; §1.43.5illum, cum neque aditum neque causam postulandi iustam haberet, beneficio ac liberalitate sua ac senatus ea praemia consecutum.
When they had arrived there, Caesar, in the opening of his speech, recalled his own and the senate's favors toward him, in that he had been styled king by the senate, in that he had been styled friend, and that very handsome presents had been sent to him; which circumstance he pointed out had fallen to the lot of few, and was accustomed to be bestowed only in return for great services of men; and that he, though he had neither access nor any just cause for demanding it, had obtained those rewards through his own and the senate's favor and generosity.
§1.43.6Docebat etiam quam veteres quamque iustae causae necessitudinis ipsis cum Haeduis intercederent, §1.43.7quae senatus consulta quotiens quamque honorifica in eos facta essent, ut omni tempore totius Galliae principatum Haedui tenuissent, prius etiam quam nostram amicitiam adpetissent.
He also showed how ancient and how just were the causes of alliance that existed between themselves and the Haedui, what decrees of the senate, how frequent and how honorable, had been passed in their regard, and how the Haedui had always held the leadership of the whole of Gaul, even before they had sought our friendship.
§1.43.8Populi Romani hanc esse consuetudinem, ut socios atque amicos non modo sui nihil deperdere, sed gratia, dignitate, honore auctiores velit esse; quod vero ad amicitiam populi Romani attulissent, id iis eripi quis pati posset?
It was the custom of the Roman people to desire that their allies and friends should not only lose nothing of their own, but should even be advanced in influence, dignity, and honor; but who could endure that what they had brought to the friendship of the Roman people should be torn from them?
§1.43.9Postulavit deinde eadem quae legatis in mandatis dederat: ne aut Haeduis aut eorum sociis bellum inferret, obsides redderet, si nullam partem Germanorum domum remittere posset, at ne quos amplius Rhenum transire pateretur.
He then demanded the same things which he had given in instructions to his ambassadors: that he should not make war either on the Haedui or on their allies, that he should return the hostages, and if he could not send back home any part of the Germans, he should at least not suffer any more of them to cross the Rhine.