Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §6.20.1-6.20.3

Gallic Control of Rumors and Discussion of State Affairs

Passage 234 of 404 · Latin

Summary

The system of information control in the more orderly Gallic states is described, highlighting the obligation to report rumors to magistrates and the prohibition of discussing state affairs outside the assembly.

§6.20.1Quae civitates commodius suam rem publicam administrare existimantur, habent legibus sanctum, si quis quid de re publica a finitimis rumore aut fama acceperit, uti ad magistratum deferat neve cum quo alio communicet, §6.20.2quod saepe homines temerarios atque imperitos falsis rumoribus terreri et ad facinus impelli et de summis rebus consilium capere cognitum est.
Those states which are considered to administer their commonwealth more efficiently have it ordained by law that, if anyone should receive any news concerning the commonwealth from their neighbors by rumor or report, he must report it to a magistrate and not communicate it to anyone else, because it is known that rash and inexperienced men are often terrified by false rumors, driven to crime, and make decisions on the most important matters.
§6.20.3Magistratus quae visa sunt occultant quaeque esse ex usu iudicaverunt multitudini produnt.
The magistrates conceal what they think best to keep secret, and disclose to the multitude what they judge to be of practical use.
De re publica nisi per concilium loqui non conceditur.
Speaking about the commonwealth is not permitted except through an assembly.

Notes

  1. 6.20.1Quae civitates ... habent — The relative adjective `quae` attracts its antecedent `civitates` into the relative clause, while the demonstrative `eae` (which would act as the subject of the main verb `habent`) is omitted. The structure is equivalent to `Eae civitates, quae... existimantur, habent...`.
  2. 6.20.1habent legibus sanctum ... uti ... — A construction of `habere` + object + objective complement (the neuter adjective `sanctum`). The noun clause introduced by the conjunction `uti` (an archaic form of `ut`), namely `uti ... deferat neve ...`, serves as the object of `habent`.
  3. 6.20.2quod ... cognitum est — The conjunction `quod` is causal ('because'). `cognitum est` is used impersonally ('it is known/established'), taking the accusative and infinitive clause `homines ... terreri et ... impelli et ... capere` as its logical subject.
  4. 6.20.3quae visa sunt — The perfect tense of the verb `videri` ('to seem'). Here it means 'what seems appropriate [to keep secret]' or 'what has been decided [to conceal]', forming a relative clause `quae...` (with the antecedent `ea` omitted) that acts as the object of `occultant`.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §6.20.1-6.20.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:6.20.1-6.20.3

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