§2.1.1Cum esset Caesar in citeriore Gallia [in hibernis], ita uti supra demonstravimus, crebri ad eum rumores adferebantur litterisque item Labieni certior fiebat omnes Belgas, quam tertiam esse Galliae partem dixeramus, contra populum Romanum coniurare obsidesque inter se dare.
While Caesar was in Nearer Gaul [in winter quarters], as we have shown above, frequent rumors were brought to him, and he was likewise informed by letters from Labienus that all the Belgae, who, as we had said, constitute the third part of Gaul, were conspiring against the Roman people and giving hostages to one another.
§2.1.2Coniurandi has esse causas: primum quod vererentur ne, omni pacata Gallia, ad eos exercitus noster adduceretur; §2.1.3deinde quod ab non nullis Gallis sollicitarentur, partim qui, ut Germanos diutius in Gallia versari noluerant, ita populi Romani exercitum hiemare atque inveterascere in Gallia moleste ferebant, partim qui mobilitate et levitate animi novis imperiis studebant; §2.1.4ab non nullis etiam quod in Gallia a potentioribus atque iis qui ad conducendos homines facultates habebant vulgo regna occupabantur; qui minus facile eam rem imperio nostro consequi poterant.
The reasons for their conspiring were these: first, because they feared that, if all Gaul were pacified, our army would be led against them; secondly, because they were being stirred up by some of the Gauls, partly by those who, just as they had been unwilling for the Germans to remain longer in Gaul, so were annoyed that the army of the Roman people should winter and grow established in Gaul; partly by those who, from instability and levity of mind, were eager for a change of government; also by some others because in Gaul royal power was commonly seized by the more powerful and by those who had resources for hiring men, who could less easily achieve that object under our empire.