§1.47.1Biduo post Ariovistus ad Caesarem legatos misit: velle se de iis rebus quae inter eos egi coeptae neque perfectae essent agere cum eo: uti aut iterum conloquio diem constitueret aut, si id minus vellet, ex suis legatis aliquem ad se mitteret.
Two days after, Ariovistus sent ambassadors to Caesar, stating that he wished to treat with him about those matters which had been begun to be treated of between them but had not been completed; and requesting that he would either again appoint a day for a conference, or, if he was less inclined to do that, send one of his lieutenants to him.
§1.47.2Conloquendi Caesari causa visa non est, et eo magis quod pridie eius diei Germani retineri non potuerant quin tela in nostros coicerent.
There did not appear to Caesar any good reason for holding a conference, and the more so because on the day before, the Germans could not be restrained from casting weapons at our men.
§1.47.3Legatum ex suis sese magno cum periculo ad eum missurum et hominibus feris obiecturum existimabat.
He thought that he would send a lieutenant from among his own men at great risk and would expose him to savage men.
§1.47.4Commodissimum visum est C. Valerium Procillum, C. Valerii Caburi filium, summa virtute et humanitate adulescentem, cuius pater a C. Valerio Flacco civitate donatus erat, et propter fidem et propter linguae Gallicae scientiam, qua multa iam Ariovistus longinqua consuetudine utebatur, et quod in eo peccandi Germanis causa non esset, ad eum mittere, et una M. Metium, qui hospitio Ariovisti utebatur.
It seemed most convenient to send to him C. Valerius Procillus, the son of C. Valerius Caburus, a young man of the highest valor and refinement, whose father had been presented with citizenship by C. Valerius Flaccus, both on account of his fidelity and on account of his knowledge of the Gallic language, which Ariovistus now spoke much from long practice, and because the Germans would have no cause for harming him; and along with him M. Metius, who enjoyed the hospitality of Ariovistus.
§1.47.5His mandavit quae diceret Ariovistus cognoscerent et ad se referrent.
He commissioned them to learn what Ariovistus had to say and report it to him.
Quos cum apud se in castris Ariovistus conspexisset, exercitu suo praesente conclamavit: quid ad se venirent? an speculandi causa? Conantes dicere prohibuit et in catenas coniecit.
But when Ariovistus saw them in his camp, he cried out before his army: why had they come to him? was it for the purpose of spying? He prevented them from attempting to speak and threw them into chains.