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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §1.9.1-1.9.4

Mediation of Dumnorix and Agreement with the Sequani

Passage 9 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Unable to negotiate passage on their own, the Helvetii employ the mediation of Dumnorix the Haeduan to obtain the Sequani's permission to cross their land, resulting in a mutual exchange of hostages to guarantee safety.

§1.9.1Relinquebatur una per Sequanos via, qua Sequanis invitis propter angustias ire non poterant.
Only one route was left through the Sequani, by which they could not march, if the Sequani were unwilling, on account of the narrowness.
§1.9.2His cum sua sponte persuadere non possent, legatos ad Dumnorigem Haeduum mittunt, ut eo deprecatore a Sequanis impetrarent.
Since they could not persuade them by their own influence, they sent envoys to Dumnorix the Haeduan, so that, through his intercession, they might obtain their request from the Sequani.
§1.9.3Dumnorix gratia et largitione apud Sequanos plurimum poterat et Helvetiis erat amicus, quod ex ea civitate Orgetorigis filiam in matrimonium duxerat, et cupiditate regni adductus novis rebus studebat et quam plurimas civitates suo beneficio habere obstrictas volebat.
Dumnorix, by his popularity and liberality, had very great influence among the Sequani, and was a friend to the Helvetii, because he had married the daughter of Orgetorix from that state; and, driven by a desire for royal power, he was anxious for a revolution, and wished to keep as many states as possible bound to him by his favors.
§1.9.4Itaque rem suscipit et a Sequanis impetrat ut per fines suos Helvetios ire patiantur, obsidesque uti inter sese dent perficit: Sequani, ne itinere Helvetios prohibeant, Helvetii, ut sine maleficio et iniuria transeant.
Therefore, he undertook the business and obtained from the Sequani their permission for the Helvetii to pass through their territory, and brought it about that they should exchange hostages: the Sequani, not to obstruct the Helvetii in their march; the Helvetii, to pass through without mischief and injury.

Notes

  1. 1.9.1Sequanis invitis — An ablative absolute consisting of a noun and an adjective. The adjective invitus (unwilling, against one's will) is used in place of a present participle, conveying a conditional force here: "if the Sequani were unwilling."
  2. 1.9.2eo deprecatore — An ablative absolute consisting of a pronoun and a noun ("he being the interceder"). It expresses means or agency, best translated as "through his intercession" or "by his mediation."
  3. 1.9.3novis rebus — Dative case governed by the verb studere (to be eager for, strive for). The phrase res novae (literally "new things") is a standard Latin idiom for "political change," "revolution," or "new regime."
  4. 1.9.4perficit: Sequani, ne... Helvetii, ut... — The verb perficit (brings it about, accomplishes) takes uti inter sese dent as its object clause. The clauses after the colon, Sequani, ne... and Helvetii, ut..., explain the purposes or terms of the hostage exchange in a balanced, elliptical construction where a verb or participle (such as "giving hostages") is understood for each party.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §1.9.1-1.9.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.9.1-1.9.4

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