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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §7.37.1-7.37.7

Convictolitavis and Litaviccus Plot a Revolt

Passage 295 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Convictolitavis of the Aedui is bribed by the Arverni and incites young men, including Litaviccus, to plan a revolt against Rome. They scheme to use the ten thousand troops bound for Caesar's army to trigger the rebellion.

§7.37.1Dum haec ad Gergoviam geruntur, Convictolitavis Aeduus, cui magistratum adiudicatum a Caesare demonstravimus, sollicitatus ab Arvernis pecunia cum quibusdam adulescentibus colloquitur; quorum erat princeps Litaviccus atque eius fratres, amplissima familia nati adulescentes.
While these things were being transacted at Gergovia, Convictolitavis, the Aeduan, to whom we have shown that the magistracy was adjudged by Caesar, having been tempted with money by the Arverni, confers with certain young men; of whom the chief was Litaviccus and his brothers, young men born of a most illustrious family.
§7.37.2Cum his praemium communicat hortaturque, ut se liberos et imperio natos meminerint.
He shares the bribe with them, and exhorts them to remember that they were free and born for dominion.
§7.37.3Vnam esse Aeduorum civitatem, quae certissimam Galliae victoriam detineat; eius auctoritate reliquas contineri; qua traducta locum consistendi Romanis in Gallia non fore.
He argues that the state of the Aeduans was the only one which held back the most certain victory of Gaul; that by its influence the remaining states were held in check; and that if it were won over, the Romans would have no foothold in Gaul.
§7.37.4Esse nonnullo se Caesaris beneficio adfectum, sic tamen, ut iustissimam apud eum causam obtinuerit; sed plus communi libertati tribuere.
He states that he had indeed been treated with some favor by Caesar, but only so far as to have gained a most just cause before him; but that he assigned more weight to the common liberty.
§7.37.5Cur enim potius Aedui de suo iure et de legibus ad Caesarem disceptatorem, quam Romani ad Aeduos veniant?
For why indeed should the Aeduans come to Caesar as an arbitrator regarding their own rights and laws, rather than the Romans to the Aeduans?
§7.37.6Celeriter adulescentibus et oratione magistratus et praemio deductis, cum se vel principes eius consili fore profiterentur, ratio perficiendi quaerebatur, quod civitatem temere ad suscipiendum bellum adduci posse non confidebant.
The young men being quickly won over both by the speech of the magistrate and by the bribe, since they declared that they would be even the leaders of that plan, a method of carrying it out was sought, because they were not confident that the state could be rashly induced to undertake the war.
§7.37.7Placuit ut Litaviccus decem illis milibus, quae Caesari ad bellum mitterentur, praeficeretur atque ea ducenda curaret, fratresque eius ad Caesarem praecurrerent.
It was resolved that Litaviccus should be placed in command of those ten thousand men who were being sent to Caesar for the war, and should take charge of leading them, and that his brothers should run ahead to Caesar.
Reliqua qua ratione agi placeat constituunt.
They determine in what manner they wish the rest of the plans to be conducted.

Notes

  1. §7.37.1demonstravimus — Authorial plural ("pluralis auctoris") referring to Caesar himself, pointing back to his narrative of settling the dispute between Convictolitavis and Cotus in Chapters 32-33.
  2. §7.37.2imperio natos — The dative "imperio" expresses purpose or destination ("born for dominion/rule"). Although "natus" usually takes "ad" + accusative, the dative is used in poetic and later prose contexts.
  3. §7.37.3detineat — The subjunctive is used because it is a subordinate (relative) clause in indirect speech. The verb "detineo" means "to delay, hold back, or hinder," indicating that the Aedui's alliance with Rome is the sole obstacle delaying the "most certain victory" of Gaul.
  4. §7.37.4sic tamen, ut iustissimam apud eum causam obtinuerit — A restrictive "ut" clause (clause of result/condition), translated as "only so far, however, as...". "obtinuerit" is in the perfect subjunctive, emphasizing the historical fact rather than being strictly subordinated to the secondary main verb "adfectum esse".
  5. §7.37.5Cur enim potius... veniant? — A rhetorical question in indirect speech. The deliberative subjunctive of the direct speech is retained as a present (or imperfect) subjunctive in the indirect speech.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §7.37.1-7.37.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:7.37.1-7.37.7

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