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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §5.12.1-5.12.6

Inhabitants, Customs, and Resources of Britain

Passage 168 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Caesar describes the different origins of the inhabitants of Britain's interior and coast, their population, dwellings, currency system, and natural resources like metals and timber. He also mentions religious taboos regarding certain animals and the country's climate, which is milder than that of Gaul.

§5.12.1Britanniae pars interior ab eis incolitur quos natos in insula ipsi memoria proditum dicunt, §5.12.2maritima pars ab eis, qui praedae ac belli inferendi causa ex Belgio transierunt (qui omnes fere eis nominibus civitatum appellantur, quibus orti ex civitatibus eo pervenerunt) et bello illato ibi permanserunt atque agros colere coeperunt.
The interior part of Britain is inhabited by those who, they themselves say it has been handed down by tradition, were born on the island; the maritime part by those who crossed over from Belgium for the sake of plunder and making war (almost all of whom are called by the names of those states from which they sprang when they arrived there) and, after war was waged, remained there and began to cultivate the fields.
§5.12.3Hominum est infinita multitudo creberrimaque aedificia fere Gallicis consimilia, pecorum magnus numerus.
The multitude of people is countless, and the buildings are very numerous, almost entirely similar to those of the Gauls; there is a great number of cattle.
§5.12.4Vtuntur aut aere aut nummo aureo aut taleis ferreis ad certum pondus examinatis pro nummo.
They use either bronze, or gold coins, or iron bars tested to a certain weight, as money.
§5.12.5Nascitur ibi plumbum album in mediterraneis regionibus, in maritimis ferrum, sed eius exigua est copia; aere utuntur importato.
Tin is produced there in the inland regions, and iron in the maritime areas, but the supply of it is small; they use imported bronze.
Materia cuiusque generis ut in Gallia est, praeter fagum atque abietem.
Timber of every kind is found there as in Gaul, except the beech and the fir.
§5.12.6Leporem et gallinam et anserem gustare fas non putant; haec tamen alunt animi voluptatisque causa.
They do not think it lawful to taste hare, fowl, or goose; however, they breed them for the sake of amusement and pleasure.
Loca sunt temperatiora quam in Gallia, remissioribus frigoribus.
The climate is more temperate than in Gaul, the colds being more moderate.

Notes

  1. §5.12.1quos natos in insula ipsi memoria proditum dicunt — quos is the subject of the infinitive phrase quos natos [esse] in insula. memoria proditum [esse] ('it has been handed down by tradition') functions as an impersonal infinitive phrase (or with quos natos [esse] as its subject) depending on dicunt. The structure means 'by those whom they themselves say it has been handed down by tradition that they were born in the island.'
  2. §5.12.2ab eis, qui... et bello illato ibi permanserunt — In the phrase maritima pars ab eis [incolitur], the verb incolitur is omitted. The antecedent of the relative pronoun qui is eis, and the relative clause starts with transierunt and continues to permanserunt and coeperunt, framing the parenthetical relative clause (qui omnes...).
  3. §5.12.5Materia cuiusque generis ut in Gallia est, praeter fagum atque abietem — Meaning 'timber of every kind is found there as in Gaul, except the beech and the fir.' The syntax is straightforward with the preposition praeter ('except') governing the accusatives fagum and abietem.
  4. §5.12.6remissioribus frigoribus — An ablative absolute with the comparative adjective remissior ('milder, less severe'). It literally means 'with the colds being more moderate,' conveying that the winters are less severe than in Gaul.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §5.12.1-5.12.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:5.12.1-5.12.6

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