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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §7.29.1-7.29.7

Vercingetorix's Speech of Encouragement and Plan to Unite Gaul

Passage 287 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Vercingetorix calls a council the next day to calm the panic over the fall of Avaricum, asserting that the Romans won through siege technology rather than valor. He promises to unite all of Gaul and demands that they fortify their camp for immediate defense.

§7.29.1Postero die concilio convocato consolatus cohortatusque est ne se admodum animo demitterent, ne perturbarentur incommodo; §7.29.2non virtute neque in acie vicisse Romanos, sed artificio quodam et scientia oppugnationis, cuius rei fuerint ipsi imperiti; §7.29.3errare, si qui in bello omnes secundos rerum proventus exspectent.
On the following day, having called a council, he consoled and encouraged them, urging them not to be excessively cast down in spirit, nor to be troubled by the disaster; that the Romans had not conquered by valor or in a pitched battle, but by a certain art and knowledge of siege operations, of which they themselves had been inexperienced; that those erred who expected all events in war to turn out favorably.
§7.29.4Sibi numquam placuisse Avaricum defendi, cuius rei testes ipsos haberet; sed factum imprudentia Biturigum et nimia obsequentia reliquorum uti hoc incommodum acciperetur; §7.29.5id tamen se celeriter maioribus commodis sanaturum.
That it had never pleased him that Avaricum should be defended, of which fact he had them themselves as witnesses; but it had happened through the imprudence of the Bituriges and the excessive compliance of the rest that this setback was received; that he would, however, speedily remedy this by greater advantages.
§7.29.6Nam quae ab reliquis Gallis civitates dissentirent, has sua diligentia adiuncturum atque unum consilium totius Galliae effecturum, cuius consensui ne orbis quidem terrarum possit obsistere; idque se prope iam effectum habere.
For, by his own diligence, he would bring over those states which differed from the rest of the Gauls, and would establish one policy for the whole of Gaul, to whose consensus not even the entire world could offer resistance; and that he already had this almost accomplished.
§7.29.7Interea aequum esse ab eis communis salutis causa impetrari ut castra munire instituerent, quo facilius repentinos hostium impetus sustinerent.
Meanwhile, it was reasonable that it should be obtained from them, for the sake of their common safety, that they should begin to fortify the camp, so that they might more easily withstand sudden attacks of the enemy.

Notes

  1. 7.29.2vicisse Romanos — Main clause in indirect discourse (oratio obliqua). The accusative Romanos is the subject, and the perfect infinitive vicisse is the predicate. The sense of speaking is carried over from the verbs consolatus cohortatusque est in the preceding sentence.
  2. 7.29.3errare, si qui — The subject of the infinitive errare (such as eos) is omitted. The conditional clause si qui (meaning 'if any expect...') points to the implied subject, expressing 'if there are any who expect..., they are mistaken' within the indirect discourse.
  3. 7.29.4Sibi numquam placuisse Avaricum defendi — The perfect infinitive placuisse representing the impersonal verb placet in indirect discourse. The logical subject is the passive infinitive phrase Avaricum defendi (that Avaricum should be defended). Sibi is the dative of agent referring to Vercingetorix.
  4. 7.29.7ab eis communis salutis causa impetrari ut castra munire instituerent — A passive infinitive clause serving as the subject of the impersonal expression aequum esse (it is fair). Impetrari is the present passive infinitive of impetrare (to obtain/secure), and ab eis means 'from them' (the Gallic soldiers). The ut-clause is a noun clause representing the object of impetrare.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §7.29.1-7.29.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:7.29.1-7.29.7

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