§2.4.1Cum ab iis quaereret quae civitates quantaeque in armis essent et quid in bello possent, sic reperiebat: plerosque Belgas esse ortos a Germanis Rhenumque antiquitus traductos propter loci fertilitatem ibi consedisse Gallosque qui ea loca incolerent expulisse, solosque esse qui, §2.4.2patrum nostrorum memoria omni Gallia vexata, Teutonos Cimbrosque intra suos fines ingredi prohibuerint; §2.4.3qua ex re fieri uti earum rerum memoria magnam sibi auctoritatem magnosque spiritus in re militari sumerent.
When he inquired of them what states and how large were in arms, and what they could do in war, he discovered the following: that most of the Belgae were descended from the Germans, and having been brought over the Rhine in ancient times, had settled there because of the fertility of the soil, and had driven out the Gauls who inhabited those districts; and that they were the only people who, in the memory of our fathers, when all Gaul was harassed, had prevented the Teutones and Cimbri from entering within their territories; from which circumstance it came about that, from the recollection of those events, they assumed to themselves great authority and great airs in military matters.
§2.4.4De numero eorum omnia se habere explorata Remi dicebant, propterea quod propinquitatibus adfinitatibusque coniuncti quantam quisque multitudinem in communi Belgarum concilio ad id bellum pollicitus sit cognoverint.
The Remi said that they had all information explored regarding their numbers, because, being joined by ties of relationship and affinity, they knew what size of multitude each state had promised for that war in the common council of the Belgae.
§2.4.5Plurimum inter eos Bellovacos et virtute et auctoritate et hominum numero valere: hos posse conficere armata milia centum, pollicitos ex eo numero electa milia LX totiusque belli imperium sibi postulare.
That the Bellovaci were the most influential among them, both in valor, authority, and number of men; that these could muster a hundred thousand armed men, and had promised sixty thousand picked men from that number, and demanded for themselves the command of the entire war.
§2.4.6Suessiones suos esse finitimos; fines latissimos feracissimosque agros possidere.
That the Suessiones were their neighbors, and possessed very extensive territories and most fertile fields.
§2.4.7Apud eos fuisse regem nostra etiam memoria Diviciacum, totius Galliae potentissimum, qui cum magnae partis harum regionum, tum etiam Britanniae imperium obtinuerit; nunc esse regem Galbam: ad hunc propter iustitiam prudentiamque summam totius belli omnium voluntate deferri; oppida habere numero XII, polliceri milia armata L; totidem Nervios, §2.4.8qui maxime feri inter ipsos habeantur longissimeque absint; §2.4.9XV milia Atrebates, Ambianos X milia, Morinos XXV milia, Menapios VII milia, Caletos X milia, Veliocasses et Viromanduos totidem, Atuatucos XVIIII milia; §2.4.10Condrusos, Eburones, Caerosos, Paemanos, qui uno nomine Germani appellantur, arbitrari ad XL milia.
That Diviciacus had been king among them even in our own memory, the most powerful man of all Gaul, who had held sovereignty not only over a great part of these regions, but also over Britain; that Galba was now king, and to him, on account of his supreme justice and prudence, the chief command of the whole war was deferred by the consent of all; that they had twelve towns in number, and promised fifty thousand armed men; and the Nervii as many, who were considered the most savage among themselves and were the furthest off; the Atrebates fifteen thousand, the Ambiani ten thousand, the Morini twenty-five thousand, the Menapii seven thousand, the Caleti ten thousand, the Veliocasses and Viromandui as many, the Atuatuci nineteen thousand; and the Condrusi, Eburones, Caerosi, and Paemani, who are called by the common name of Germans, were estimated at about forty thousand.