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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §6.2.1-6.2.3

Treveri Alliances and Preparations for War

Passage 216 of 404 · Latin

Summary

After the death of Indutiomarus, the Treveri attempt to form alliances with various German tribes and Ambiorix to prepare for war. Observing these widespread preparations for rebellion, Caesar decides that he must take swift action.

§6.2.1Interfecto Indutiomaro, ut docuimus, ad eius propinquos a Treveris imperium defertur.
Indutiomarus having been slain, as we have shown, the supreme power is conferred by the Treveri upon his relatives.
Illi finitimos Germanos sollicitare et pecuniam polliceri non desistunt.
They do not cease to solicit the neighboring Germans and to promise them money.
Cum ab proximis impetrare non possent, §6.2.2ulteriores temptant.
When they could not obtain their request from the nearest, they try those further off.
Inventis nonnullis civitatibus iureiurando inter se confirmant obsidibusque de pecunia cavent: Ambiorigem sibi societate et foedere adiungunt.
Having found some states, they bind themselves mutually by an oath and secure the money by hostages; they associate Ambiorix with themselves by an alliance and treaty.
§6.2.3Quibus rebus cognitis Caesar, cum undique bellum parari videret, Nervios, Aduatucos ac Menapios adiunctis Cisrhenanis omnibus Germanis esse in armis, Senones ad imperatum non venire et cum Carnutibus finitimisque civitatibus consilia communicare, a Treveris Germanos crebris legationibus sollicitari, maturius sibi de bello cogitandum putavit.
Caesar, these things being known, when he saw war being prepared on all sides, that the Nervii, Aduatuci, and Menapii, with all the Germans on this side of the Rhine having been joined to them, were in arms, that the Senones did not come at his command and were communicating plans with the Carnutes and the neighboring states, and that the Germans were being solicited by the Treveri with frequent embassies, thought that he must plan for the war earlier than usual.

Notes

  1. §6.2.2Inventis nonnullis civitatibus — "Having found some states." An ablative absolute construction.
  2. §6.2.3Nervios, Aduatucos ac Menapios... esse in armis, Senones... non venire... — Accusative with infinitive (AcI) clauses acting as the direct objects of videret (imperfect subjunctive). Here, three parallel clauses (Nervios... esse, Senones... non venire et... communicare, and Germanos... sollicitari) depend on videret.
  3. §6.2.3maturius sibi de bello cogitandum — An accusative with infinitive clause (with esse omitted) functioning as the object of putavit. cogitandum [esse] is an impersonal gerundive (passive periphrastic), and sibi is a dative of agent expressing "he must...". maturius, the comparative of the adverb mature, is used here as an absolute comparative ("earlier than usual").

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §6.2.1-6.2.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:6.2.1-6.2.3

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