Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §2.13.1-2.13.3

Advance to Bellovaci Territory and Submission at Bratuspantium

Passage 67 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Caesar accepts the surrender of the Suessiones and marches against the Bellovaci. As he approaches their town of Bratuspantium, the elders and the women and children stretch out their hands to beg for peace and surrender.

§2.13.1Caesar, obsidibus acceptis primis civitatis atque ipsius Galbae regis duobus filiis armisque omnibus ex oppido traditis, in deditionem Suessiones accipit exercitumque in Bellovacos ducit.
Caesar, having received as hostages the chief men of the state and the two sons of King Galba himself, and all the arms from the town having been delivered up, accepted the surrender of the Suessiones and led his army against the Bellovaci.
§2.13.2Qui cum se suaque omnia in oppidum Bratuspantium contulissent atque ab eo oppido Caesar cum exercitu circiter milia passuum V abesset, omnes maiores natu ex oppido egressi manus ad Caesarem tendere et voce significare coeperunt sese in eius fidem ac potestatem venire neque contra populum Romanum armis contendere.
When they had conveyed themselves and all their possessions into the town of Bratuspantium, and Caesar with his army was about five miles distant from that town, all the elders, having gone out of the town, began to stretch out their hands to Caesar and to declare by their voice that they came into his protection and power, and were not contending in arms against the Roman people.
§2.13.3Item, cum ad oppidum accessisset castraque ibi poneret, pueri mulieresque ex muro passis manibus suo more pacem ab Romanis petierunt.
Likewise, when he had approached the town and was pitching his camp there, the children and women, with outstretched hands from the wall, after their custom, begged peace from the Romans.

Notes

  1. §2.13.1obsidibus acceptis primis civitatis — The noun 'obsidibus' and the perfect passive participle 'acceptis' are in apposition with 'primis civitatis atque ipsius Galbae regis duobus filiis', forming an ablative absolute construction where 'obsidibus' acts as a predicate ('having received as hostages the chief men...').
  2. §2.13.2Qui cum — The relative pronoun 'Qui' is used as a relative connection at the beginning of the sentence, referring back to 'Bellovacos' in the preceding sentence.
  3. §2.13.3passis manibus — 'passis' is the perfect passive participle of 'pando' (to stretch out, spread). 'passis manibus' functions as an ablative absolute or an ablative of manner, meaning 'with outstretched hands'.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §2.13.1-2.13.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:2.13.1-2.13.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.