Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §8.25.1-8.25.2

Dispatch of Labienus to the Treveri

Passage 374 of 404 · Latin

Summary

After thoroughly devastating the territory of Ambiorix, Caesar sends Labienus to the Treveri, a warlike and disobedient state due to its proximity to Germany.

§8.25.1Cum in omnes partes finium Ambiorigis aut legiones aut auxilia dimisisset atque omnia caedibus, incendiis, rapinis vastasset, magno numero hominum interfecto aut capto Labienum cum duabus legionibus in Treveros mittit, §8.25.2quorum civitas propter Germaniae vicinitatem cotidianis exercitata bellis cultu et feritate non multum a Germanis differebat neque imperata umquam nisi exercitu coacta faciebat.
When he had sent either legions or auxiliaries into all parts of the territory of Ambiorix and had devastated everything with slaughter, fire, and pillage, a great number of people having been killed or captured, he sends Labienus with two legions into the territory of the Treveri, whose state, trained by daily wars on account of its proximity to Germany, did not differ much from the Germans in civilization and fierceness, and never performed commands unless compelled by an army.

Notes

  1. §8.25.1magno numero hominum interfecto aut capto — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun numero and the participles interfecto aut capto. Chronologically, it denotes an event preceding the main verb mittit (or a resulting consequence of the actions in the cum-clause).
  2. §8.25.2coacta — The perfect participle coactus in the feminine nominative singular, agreeing with civitas, which is the subject of the relative clause introduced by quorum. It is understood as nisi [civitas] exercitu coacta ('unless the state was compelled by an army'). While grammatically possible to take it as neuter accusative plural agreeing with the object imperata ('unless the commands were enforced by an army'), it is more natural to interpret it as nominative, describing the state of the subject civitas.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §8.25.1-8.25.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:8.25.1-8.25.2

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