Book 1
Lines 1-80
Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram; multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem, 5 inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum, Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae. Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso, quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casus insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores 10 impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?
I sing of arms and the man, who first, exiled by fate, came from the shores of Troy to Italy and the Lavinian shores, that man, having been much buffeted both on the lands and on the deep sea by the force of the gods above, on account of the unforgetting wrath of cruel Juno: and also having suffered many things in war until he founded a city and carried his gods to Latium from where is the Latin race and the Alban fathers and the walls of lofty Rome. Muse, recount to me the reasons, with what divine power having been offended or grieving over what did the queen of the gods force a man distinguished by loyalty to undergo so many misfortunes, to encounter so many labors. Are there such great angers to divine minds?
iactatus - perf. pass. ptc, nom. sg. masc. refers to virum arma - metonymy for deeds of arms/wars referring to the wars in which Aeneas engaged/ allusion to the Illiad virum - Aeneas/ allusion to the odyssey/Homer Lavinium - the city in Italy that Aeneas is destined to found; named after Lavinia, the name of the Italian princess whom Aeneas eventually married terris, alto - abl. of place where superum - archaic form of the gen. pl. saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram - synchesis et - connective joining iactatus and passus musa - Calliope numine laeso - ablative absolute animis - dat. of possession pietas - a sense of duty/responsibility to the gods family country Characteristics of Aeneas: insignem pietate - loyal profugus fato - driven by fate passus + iactatus - forced to suffer Characteristics of Juno: memorem - mindful/vindictive saevae - cruel iram - full of anger dolens - grieving laeso - offended
Urbs antiqua fuit, Tyrii tenuere coloni, Karthago, Italiam contra Tiberinaque longe ostia, dives opum studiisque asperrima belli; quam Iuno fertur terris magis omnibus unam 15 posthabita coluisse Samo; hic illius arma, hic currus fuit; hoc regnum dea gentibus esse, si qua fata sinant, iam tum tenditque fovetque. Progeniem sed enim Troiano a sanguine duci audierat, Tyrias olim quae verteret arces; 20 hinc populum late regem belloque superbum venturum excidio Libyae: sic volvere Parcas.
There was an ancient city (Tyrian colonists held it), Carthage, facing Italy and the mouths of the Tiber at a distance, rich in resources and very fierce in pursuits of war, which alone Juno is said to have honored more than all lands, with Samos having been esteemed less. Here were the weapons of that woman, here was her chariot; even then the goddess both strove and cherished for this to be a ruling power for nations if in any way the Fates should allow it. But indeed she had heard that offspring from Trojan blood was being derived which someday would overturn the Tyrian citadels; that from here a people ruling widely and proud in war would come for the destruction of Libya; that thus the Fates unrolled.
tenuere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl. + syncope coluisse - perf. act. inf. tendit - pres. act. ind., 3rd sg. fovet - pres. act. ind., 3rd sg. sinant - pres. act. subj., 3rd pl. duci - pres. pass. inf. verteret - impf. act. subj., 3rd sg. venturum (esse) - fut. act. inf. Italiam contra - anastrophe asperrima - superlative adj. progeniem...arces - ind. stmt.
Id metuens, veterisque memor Saturnia belli, prima quod ad Troiam pro caris gesserat Argis— necdum etiam causae irarum saevique dolores 25 exciderant animo: manet alta mente repostum iudicium Paridis spretaeque iniuria formae, et genus invisum, et rapti Ganymedis honores. His accensa super, iactatos aequore toto Troas, reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli, 30 arcebat longe Latio, multosque per annos errabant, acti fatis, maria omnia circum. Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem!
The daughter of Saturn, fearing this and mindful of the old war, which she first had waged at Troy for her dear Argives--not even yet had the causes of her angers and her cruel griefs fallen from her mind; the judgment of Paris having been stored up in her deep mind and the insult of her spurned beauty and the hated race and the stolen honors of Ganymede remain; having been enraged by these things she also kept far from Latium the Trojans, the remnants of the Danaans and of fierce Achilles, having been tossed on the entire sea, and through many years they wandered having been driven by the Fates around all the seas. Of such great difficulty was it to found the Roman nation.
metuens - pres. act. ptc., nom. sg. masc. gesserat - plpf. act. ind., 3rd sg. exciderant - plpf. act ind., 3rd pl. acti - perf. pass ptc., nom. pl. masc. Saturnia - patronymic belli - the Trojan war Ganymedis - Ganymede was a royal Trojan youth, brother of Priam, who was snatched up by an eagle into heaven, where he was beloved by Jupiter, who made him his cupbearer (also his catamite), instead of givng the task to Juno’s daughter Hebe aequore - abl. of place where Danaum - archaic gen. pl. maria omnia circum - anastrophe Juno’s Angers: Judgment of Paris Kidnapping of Ganymede Destined destruction of Carthage by Rome
Vix e conspectu Siculae telluris in altum vela dabant laeti, et spumas salis aere ruebant, 35 cum Iuno, aeternum servans sub pectore volnus, haec secum: 'Mene incepto desistere victam, nec posse Italia Teucrorum avertere regem? Quippe vetor fatis. Pallasne exurere classem Argivom atque ipsos potuit submergere ponto, 40 unius ob noxam et furias Aiacis Oilei? Ipsa, Iovis rapidum iaculata e nubibus ignem, disiecitque rates evertitque aequora ventis, illum expirantem transfixo pectore flammas turbine corripuit scopuloque infixit acuto. 45 Ast ego, quae divum incedo regina, Iovisque et soror et coniunx, una cum gente tot annos bella gero! Et quisquam numen Iunonis adoret praeterea, aut supplex aris imponet honorem?'
Scarely out of sight of the Sicilian land, they were happily giving the sails on the deep sea and they were plowing the foams of salt with bronze, when Juno, preserving the eternal wound deep in her heart, said these things to herself, “Am I, having been conquered, to desist from my undertaking nor to be able to avert the king of the Teucrians from Italy? I am indeed prevented by the Fates. Was Pallas able to burn up the Argive fleet and to sink the men themselves in the sea on account of the crime and madness of one man, Ajax son of Oileus? She herself, having hurled the swift fire of Jupiter from the clouds, both scattered the ships and overturned the seas with winds, she snatched up with a whirlwind that man breathing flames from his pierced chest and she impaled him on a sharp rock; but I, who stride as queen of the gods and both sister and spouse of Jupiter, wage wars for so many years with one nation. And who honors the divine power of Juno hereafter or will place an honor on my altars as a suppliant?”
salis, aere - metonymy haec - acc. pl. neut. incepto - abl. of separation Teucrorum - the Trojans are often referred to as the Teucrians, a name derived from Teucer, one of the founders of the Trojan people regem - Aeneas Aiacis Oilei - Ajax, son of Oileus, had desecrated the temple of Minerva during the sack of Troy, when before the very altar of the sanctuary he had seized Cassandra, daughter of Priam and priestess of Minerva. Enraged at such rash irreverence, Minerva later sank the ship of Ajax and destroyed him with lightning. divum - archaic gen. pl.
Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans 50 nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus austris, Aeoliam venit. Hic vasto rex Aeolus antro luctantes ventos tempestatesque sonoras imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat. Illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis 55 circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras. Ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras. Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris, 60 hoc metuens, molemque et montis insuper altos imposuit, regemque dedit, qui foedere certo et premere et laxas sciret dare iussus habenas. Ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est:
The goddess, pondering such things with herself in her inflamed heart, comes into the fatherland of the clouds, places teeming with raging winds, Aeolia. Here in his vast cave king Aeolus contols the struggling winds and roaring storms with his power and restrains them with chains and a prison. Those things, being angry, roar around the barriers of the mountain with a great rumble; in his lofty citadel Aeolus sits holding a scepter and he soothes their spirits and calms their angers. If he should not do this, indeed they would swiftly carry of the seas and lands and vast sky with themselves and sweep through the breezes; but the almighty father, fearing this, hid them in dark caves and he placed a mass and lofty mountains on top, and he gave them a king who having been ordered by a certain agreement knew how to repress and to give loose reins. Then Juno, as a suppliant, used these voices to him:
venit - pres. act. ind., 3rd sg. premit - pres. act. ind., 3rd sg. frenat - pres. act. ind., 3rd sg. luctantes - pres. act. ptc., acc. pl. masc. faciat - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. ferant - pres. act. subj., 3rd pl. verrant - pres. act. subj., 3rd pl. usa est - pref. dep. ind., 3rd sg. ac - connective joining premit and frenat magno cum murmure montis - alliteration sceptra - poetic plural ni - equivalent to nisi; introduce a future less vivid construction pater omnipotens - Jupiter molemque et montes - hendiadys
'Aeole, namque tibi divom pater atque hominum rex 65 et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento, gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor, Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penates: incute vim ventis submersasque obrue puppes, aut age diversos et disiice corpora ponto. 70 Sunt mihi bis septem praestanti corpore nymphae, quarum quae forma pulcherrima Deiopea, conubio iungam stabili propriamque dicabo, omnis ut tecum meritis pro talibus annos exigat, et pulchra faciat te prole parentem.' 75 Aeolus haec contra: 'Tuus, O regina, quid optes explorare labor; mihi iussa capessere fas est. Tu mihi, quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Iovemque concilias, tu das epulis accumbere divom, nimborumque facis tempestatumque potentem.' 80
“Aeolus (for the father of gods and king of men has granted for you both to soothe the waves and to raise them with wind), a nation hostile to me is sailing the Tyrrhenian sea carrying Ilium and its conquered household gods into Italy: strike force into the winds and overwhelm the sunken ships or drive the scattered people and disperse their bodies on the sea. There are to me twice seven nymphs with an excellent body, of which the one who is the most beautiful is Deiopea, I will join her in stable marriage and I will call her your own, so that she may complete all her years with you for such rewards and may make you a parent with beautiful offspring.” Aeolus said these things in reply, “O queen, your task is to examine what you desire; it is right for my to undertake your orders. You win over for me whatever this is of a kingdom, you win over my scepters and Jupiter, you grant for me to recline at the banquets of the gods and you make me powerful over clouds and storms.”
portans - pres. act. ptc., nom. sg. masc. victos - perf. pass. ptc., acc. pl. masc. iungam - fut. act. ind., 1st sg. optes - pres. act. subj., 2nd sg. fluctus - acc. pl. Ilium - Troy and the region surrounding it puppes - metonymy/synechdoche quid optes - indirect question Juno’s offer of a wife to Aeolus is an ironic parallel to Venus’s offer to Paris at the Judgment of Paris
Lines 81-179
Haec ubi dicta, cavum conversa cuspide montem impulit in latus: ac venti, velut agmine facto, qua data porta, ruunt et terras turbine perflant. Incubuere mari, totumque a sedibus imis una Eurusque Notusque ruunt creberque procellis 85 Africus, et vastos volvunt ad litora fluctus. Insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum. Eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque Teucrorum ex oculis; ponto nox incubat atra. Intonuere poli, et crebris micat ignibus aether, 90 praesentemque viris intentant omnia mortem. Extemplo Aeneae solvuntur frigore membra: ingemit, et duplicis tendens ad sidera palmas talia voce refert: 'O terque quaterque beati, quis ante ora patrum Troiae sub moenibus altis 95 contigit oppetere! O Danaum fortissime gentis Tydide!
When these things were said, he struck the hollow mountain on the side with his spear reversed; and the winds rush out just as with a battle line having been made, where an opening has been given, and they blow over the lands with a whirlwind. The Eurus and the Notus and the Africus, crowded with storms, brooded over the sea together and overturned all of it from its lowest places, and they roll vast waves to the shores. Both a clamor of men and the creaking of ropes followed; suddenly the clouds snatch away both the sky and the day from the eyes of the Teucrians: a dark night broods over the sea: the heavens thundered and the air flashes with frequent fires and all things threaten instant death for the men. Immediately the limbs of Aeneas are loosened with cold; he groans and stretching both palms towards the stars he relates such things with his voice: “O both three and four times blessed ones, to whom it befell to meet death before the faces of your fathers under the high walls of Troy! O son of Tydeus, the bravest of the race of the Danaans!
incubere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl. (syncope = incubuerunt) ruunt - pres. act. ind., 3rd pl. intonuere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl. (syncope = intonuerunt) agmine facto - abl. abs. creber - modifies Africus Eurusque...creberque - polysyndeton virum - archaic gen. pl. ignibus - lightning beati - apostrophe, addressed to those who died at Troy quis - archaic dat. pl. Tydide - patronymic; Aeneas engaged in a disastrous duel in the Iliad with Diomedes and barely escaped with his life, being rescued by his mother, the goddess Venus
Mene Iliacis occumbere campis non potuisse, tuaque animam hanc effundere dextra, saevus ubi Aeacidae telo iacet Hector, ubi ingens Sarpedon, ubi tot Simois correpta sub undis 100 scuta virum galeasque et fortia corpora volvit?' Talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella velum adversa ferit, fluctusque ad sidera tollit. Franguntur remi; tum prora avertit, et undis dat latus; insequitur cumulo praeruptus aquae mons. 105 Hi summo in flucta pendent; his unda dehiscens terram inter fluctus aperit; furit aestus harenis. Tris Notus abreptas in saxa latentia torquet— saxa vocant Itali mediis quae in fluctibus aras— dorsum immane mari summo; tris Eurus ab alto 110 in brevia et Syrtis urguet, miserabile visu, inliditque vadis atque aggere cingit harenae.
Was I not able to die in the fields of Ilium and to pour out this spirit with your right hand, where cruel Hector lies dead by the spear of the descendant of Aeacus, where enormous Sarpedon (lies dead), where the Simois rolled so many shields of men having been snatched under the waves and their helmets and brave bodies!” For him uttering such things, a gale, roaring with the north wind, strikes the sail opposite and raises the waves to the stars. The oars are shattered, then the prow turns away and gives its side to the waves, a steep mountain of water follows in a heap. These men hang on the top of the wave; for these men a gaping wave opens the land between the waves, the tide rages with sands. The south wind twists three (ships) having been carried off onto lurking rocks (the rocks which the Italians calls the Altars in the middle of the waves, an immense reef on top of the sea), the east wind drives three (ships) from the deep into the shallows and the sandbars, miserable to see, and dashes them into the shallows and surrounds them with a mound of sand
potuisse - perf. act. inf. iactanti - pres. act. ptc., dat. sg. masc. tua - refers to Diomedes Aecidae - patronymic sidera - hyperbole hi...his - anaphora aperit, furit - asyndeton mari - abl. sg. visu - abl. supin.
Unam, quae Lycios fidumque vehebat Oronten, ipsius ante oculos ingens a vertice pontus in puppim ferit: excutitur pronusque magister 115 volvitur in caput; ast illam ter fluctus ibidem torquet agens circum, et rapidus vorat aequore vortex. Adparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto, arma virum, tabulaeque, et Troia gaza per undas. Iam validam Ilionei navem, iam fortis Achati, 120 et qua vectus Abas, et qua grandaevus Aletes, vicit hiems; laxis laterum compagibus omnes accipiunt inimicum imbrem, rimisque fatiscunt. Interea magno misceri murmure pontum, emissamque hiemem sensit Neptunus, et imis 125 stagna refusa vadis, graviter commotus; et alto prospiciens, summa placidum caput extulit unda. Disiectam Aeneae, toto videt aequore classem, fluctibus oppressos Troas caelique ruina, nec latuere doli fratrem Iunonis et irae. 130 Eurum ad se Zephyrumque vocat, dehinc talia fatur:
Before the eyes of the man himself the enormous sea strikes one (ship), which was carrying the Lycians and faithful Orontes, from the top on the stern: the pilot is cast off and is rolled forward onto his head, moreover the wave twists that one three times in the same place driving it around and a swift whirlpool swallows it with the sea. Scattered men appear swimming in the vast gulf, the weapons of men and the planks and Trojan wealth (appear) through the waves. Already the storm overwhelmed the ship of Ilioneus, already (the ship) of brave Achates, and the one by which Abas was carried, and the one by which old Aletes (was carried); all (the ships) receive the hostile flood from the loose fastenings of their sides and they split with cracks. Meanwhile Neptune sensed that the sea was being stirred up with a great rumble and that a storm had been sent out and that the depths had been poured backs from the lowest shallows, having been gravely disturbed and looking out on the sea, he raised his calm head from the top of a wave. He sees that the fleet of Aeneas has been scattered on the entire sea, that the Trojans have been overwhelmed by the waves and the downfall of the sky; nor did the tricks and angers of Juno escape the notice of her brother. He calls the east wind and the west wind to himself, then says such things:
misceri - pres. pass. inf. emissam (esse) - perf. pass. inf. refusa (esse) - perf. pass. inf. disiectam (esse) - perf. pass. inf. opressos (esse) - perf. pass. inf. latuere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl. (syncope = latuerunt) Oronten - acc. sg. masc. ipsius - refers to Aeneas puppim - acc. sg. -que - joins excutitur and volvitur vasto, arma - asyndeton classem, fluctibus - asyndeton -que - joins fluctibus and ruina ruina - hyperbole fratrem - refers to Neptune
'Tantane vos generis tenuit fiducia vestri? Iam caelum terramque meo sine numine, venti, miscere, et tantas audetis tollere moles? Quos ego—sed motos praestat componere fluctus. 135 Post mihi non simili poena commissa luetis. Maturate fugam, regique haec dicite vestro: non illi imperium pelagi saevumque tridentem, sed mihi sorte datum. Tenet ille immania saxa, vestras, Eure, domos; illa se iactet in aula 140 Aeolus, et clauso ventorum carcere regnet.' Sic ait, et dicto citius tumida aequora placat, collectasque fugat nubes, solemque reducit. Cymothoe simul et Triton adnixus acuto detrudunt navis scopulo; levat ipse tridenti; 145 et vastas aperit syrtis, et temperat aequor, atque rotis summas levibus perlabitur undas.
“Has so great a trust of your race held you? Winds, do you now dare to stir up the sky and the land without my divine power and to raise such great masses? Whom I--but it is better to calm the waves having been moved. Afterwards you will atone for your crimes to me by no similar punishment. Hasten your flight and say these things to your king: that the power of the sea and the cruel trident have been given not to that man, but to me by lot. That man has immense rocks, your homes, Eurus; let Aeolus boast about himself in that hall and let him rule in his enclosed prison of winds.” Thus he speaks and he calms the swollen seas more quickly than a word and he puts to flight the gathered clouds and he leads back the sun. At the same time Cymothoe and Triton, striving, dislodged the ships from a sharp rock; the man himself raises them with his trident and he opens up the vast reefs and he calms the sea and he glides over the tops of the waves on light wheels.
tenuit - perf. act. ind., 3rd sg. datum (esse) - perf. pass. inf. iactet - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. regnet - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. adnixus - perf. dep. ptc., nom. sg. masc. Quos ego - aposiopesis non...poena - litotes regi - Aeolus domos - appositive citius - comparative degree ipse - Neptune rotis - metonymy/synecdoche
Ac veluti magno in populo cum saepe coorta est seditio, saevitque animis ignobile volgus, iamque faces et saxa volant—furor arma ministrat; 150 tum, pietate gravem ac meritis si forte virum quem conspexere, silent, arrectisque auribus adstant; ille regit dictis animos, et pectora mulcet,— sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, aequora postquam prospiciens genitor caeloque invectus aperto 155 flectit equos, curruque volans dat lora secundo. Defessi Aeneadae, quae proxima litora, cursu contendunt petere, et Libyae vertuntur ad oras. Est in secessu longo locus: insula portum efficit obiectu laterum, quibus omnis ab alto 160 frangitur inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos.
And just as when often a riot has arisen in a large crowd and the inglorious crowd rages in their minds and now torches and rocks fly, madness supplies weapons; then, if by chance they have seen some man heavy with loyalty and merits, they are silent and they stand with their ears having been raised; that man rules their minds with his words and calms their hearts: thus the entire uproar of the sea fell, afterwards the father, looking upon the seas and having been carried in the open sky, guides his horses and flying he gives the reins to his favorable chariot. The tired followers of Aeneas strive to seek the shores which are nearest in their course, and they are turned towards the shores of Libya. There is a place in a long inlet: an island makes a port with a projection of its sides, by which every wave from the deep is broken and divides itself into the drawn back gulfs.
conspexere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl. (syncope = conspexerunt) prospiciens - pres. act. ptc., nom. sg. masc. invectus - perf. pass. ptc. nom. sg. masc. reductos - perf. pass. ptc., acc. pl. masc. quem - the equivalent of aliquem arrectisque auribus - abl. abs. -que - joins prospiciens and invectus Est...reductos - this passage is marked as an ecphrasis, the detailed and vivid description of aa place or work of art
Hinc atque hinc vastae rupes geminique minantur in caelum scopuli, quorum sub vertice late aequora tuta silent; tum silvis scaena coruscis desuper horrentique atrum nemus imminet umbra. 165 Fronte sub adversa scopulis pendentibus antrum, intus aquae dulces vivoque sedilia saxo, nympharum domus: hic fessas non vincula navis ulla tenent, unco non alligat ancora morsu. Huc septem Aeneas collectis navibus omni 170 ex numero subit; ac magno telluris amore egressi optata potiuntur Troes harena, et sale tabentis artus in litore ponunt. Ac primum silici scintillam excudit Achates, succepitque ignem foliis, atque arida circum 175 nutrimenta dedit, rapuitque in fomite flammam. Tum Cererem corruptam undis Cerealiaque arma expediunt fessi rerum, frugesque receptas et torrere parant flammis et frangere saxo.
On this side and that vast crags and twin rocks tower in the sky, under the top of which the safe seas are widely silent; then there is a background with flashing forests from above, and a dark grove hangs over with a bristling shadow. Under the opposite side there is a cave with hanging rocks, within are sweet waters and seats with natural rock, the home of nymphs. Here no chains held the weary ships, an anchor does not bind them with a curved bit. Here Aeneas enters with seven ships having been collected from the entire number, and the Trojans, having disembarked with a great love of the earth, gain the sand having been desired and they place their limbs dripping with salt on the shore. And first Achates struck out a spark from a flint and he caught up a fire with leaves and he gave dry fuels around it and he whirled the flame in the tinder. Then they, tired of things, prepare the grain having been spoiled by the waves and the weapons of Ceres, and they prepare both to roast the recovered grains with flames and to crush them with a rock.
horrenti - pres. act. ptc., abl. sg. fem. egressi - perf. dep. ptc., nom. pl. masc. optata - perf. pass. ptc., abl. sg. fem. tabentes - pres. act. ptc., acc. pl. masc. fessas - possibly personification, but more likely enallage collectis navibus - abl. abs. Cererem - metonymy
Lines 180-209, 414-480, 494-543
Aeneas scopulum interea conscendit, et omnem 180 prospectum late pelago petit, Anthea si quem iactatum vento videat Phrygiasque biremis, aut Capyn, aut celsis in puppibus arma Caici. Navem in conspectu nullam, tris litore cervos prospicit errantis; hos tota armenta sequuntur 185 a tergo, et longum per vallis pascitur agmen. Constitit hic, arcumque manu celerisque sagittas corripuit, fidus quae tela gerebat Achates; ductoresque ipsos primum, capita alta ferentis cornibus arboreis, sternit, tum volgus, et omnem 190 miscet agens telis nemora inter frondea turbam; nec prius absistit, quam septem ingentia victor corpora fundat humi, et numerum cum navibus aequet. Hinc portum petit, et socios partitur in omnes. Vina bonus quae deinde cadis onerarat Acestes 195 litore Trinacrio dederatque abeuntibus heros, dividit, et dictis maerentia pectora mulcet:
Meanwhile Aeneas climbs the cliff, and he seeks the entire view to the sea widely, if he may see something of Antheus having been buffeted by the wind and the Phrygian galleys or Capys or the weapons of Caicus on the lofty decks. He sees no ship in sight, he sees three stags wandering on the shore; entire herds follow these from the back and a long line grazes through the valleys. Here he stopped and he snatched up with his hand his bow and swift arrow, weapons which faithful Achates was carrying, and first he lays low the leaders themselves, bearing lofty heads with branching horns, then he confuses the crowd and the entire mob, driving them with weapons among the leafy groves; nor does he stop before as victor he pours out seven enormous bodies on the ground and he equals their number with the ships; from here he seeks the port and he distributes them among all his allies. He then divides the wines which good Acestes had loaded in jars on the Trinacrian shore and which the hero had given to them going away, and he soothes their grieving hearts with his words.
videat - pres. act subj., 3rd sg. onerarat - plpf. act. ind., 3rd sg.; syncope = oneraverat Phrygias - Phrygia was a region neighboring Ilium which became synonymous with Troy puppibus - metonymy navem...conspectu...litore cervos - chiasmus -que - joins constitit and corripuit -que - joins arcum and sagittas vulgus - acc. sg. neut. turbam - acc. sg. fem. humi - loc. sg. fem.
'O socii—neque enim ignari sumus ante malorum— O passi graviora, dabit deus his quoque finem. Vos et Scyllaeam rabiem penitusque sonantis 200 accestis scopulos, vos et Cyclopea saxa experti: revocate animos, maestumque timorem mittite: forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum tendimus in Latium; sedes ubi fata quietas 205 ostendunt; illic fas regna resurgere Troiae. Durate, et vosmet rebus servate secundis.' Talia voce refert, curisque ingentibus aeger spem voltu simulat, premit altum corde dolorem.
“O comrades (nor indeed are we ignorant of misfortunes from before), O you having suffered more serious things, god will also give an end to these things. You have approached both the madness of Scylla and the deeply resounding rocks, and you have experienced the rocks of the Cyclopes: recall your courage and dismiss your gloomy fear; perhaps some time it will be pleasing to remember even these things. Through various misfortunes, through so many dangers of things, we strive into Latium, where the Fates show peaceful seats; it is right for the kingdoms of Troy to rise again there. Endure and preserve yourselves for favorable things.” He says such things with his voice and sick with enormous cares, he pretends hope on his face, he represses his deep grief in his heart.
accestis - perf. act. ind., 2nd pl.; syncope = accessistis experti (estis) - perf. dep. ind., 2nd pl. socii - vocative graviora - comparative Scyllaeam, Cyclopia - allusion to Homer’s Odyssey forsan...iuvabit - a famous/important quote from the poem met - emphatic suffix spem vultu...corde dolorem - chiasmus
Corripuere viam interea, qua semita monstrat. Iamque ascendebant collem, qui plurimus urbi imminet, adversasque adspectat desuper arces. 420 Miratur molem Aeneas, magalia quondam, miratur portas strepitumque et strata viarum.
Meanwhile they snatched up the road, where the path shows itself. And now they were ascending a hill, most of which hangs over the city and looks at the facing citadels from above. Aeneas wonders at the mass, once huts, he wonders at the gates and the noise and pavements of streets.
corripuere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl.; syncope = corripuerunt miratur...miratur - anaphora
Instant ardentes Tyrii pars ducere muros, molirique arcem et manibus subvolvere saxa, pars optare locum tecto et concludere sulco. 425 [Iura magistratusque legunt sanctumque senatum;] hic portus alii effodiunt; hic alta theatris fundamenta locant alii, immanisque columnas rupibus excidunt, scaenis decora alta futuris. Qualis apes aestate nova per florea rura 430 exercet sub sole labor, cum gentis adultos educunt fetus, aut cum liquentia mella stipant et dulci distendunt nectare cellas, aut onera accipiunt venientum, aut agmine facto ignavom fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent: 435 fervet opus, redolentque thymo fragrantia mella. 'O fortunati, quorum iam moenia surgunt!' Aeneas ait, et fastigia suspicit urbis. Infert se saeptus nebula, mirabile dictu, per medios, miscetque viris, neque cernitur ulli. 440
The eager Tyrians press on: part to extend the walls and to make the citadel and to roll up rocks with their hands, part to choose a place for a house and to enclose it with a trench; they choose laws and magistrates and a holy senate. Here some dig out ports; here others place deep foundations for theaters, and they cut out immense columns from rocks, lofty decorations for future stages. Just as labor busies bees in the new summer through the flowery countryside under the sun, when they lead forth the grown offspring of the tribe, or when they stow away the liquid honey and they stretch the cells with sweet nectar, or they receive the burdens of those arriving, or with a battle line having been made they keep the drones, the lazy herd, away from the hives; the work boils and the fragrant honey smells of thyme. “O fortunate ones, whose walls now rise!” Aeneas says and he looks at the heights of the city. He carries himself having been enclosed by a cloud (wondrous to speak about) through the midst of men, and he mingles with men nor is he perceived by anyone.
venientum - pres. act. ptc., gen pl. fem. saeptus - perf. pass. ptc., nom. sg. masc. tecto - metonymy decora - appositive aestate - abl. of time when agmine facto - abl. abs. fortunati - conveys that Aeneas is jealous of the Carthaginians for having almost completely built their city when he is so far from even beginning the foundation of his ulli - dat. of agent
Haec dum Dardanio Aeneae miranda videntur, dum stupet, obtutuque haeret defixus in uno, 495 regina ad templum, forma pulcherrima Dido, incessit magna iuvenum stipante caterva. Qualis in Eurotae ripis aut per iuga Cynthi exercet Diana choros, quam mille secutae hinc atque hinc glomerantur oreades; illa pharetram 500 fert umero, gradiensque deas supereminet omnis: Latonae tacitum pertemptant gaudia pectus: talis erat Dido, talem se laeta ferebat per medios, instans operi regnisque futuris. Tum foribus divae, media testudine templi, 505 saepta armis, solioque alte subnixa resedit. Iura dabat legesque viris, operumque laborem partibus aequabat iustis, aut sorte trahebat: cum subito Aeneas concursu accedere magno Anthea Sergestumque videt fortemque Cloanthum, 510 Teucrorumque alios, ater quos aequore turbo dispulerat penitusque alias avexerat oras.
While these things seem wonderful to Dardanian Aeneas, while he stands agape and he clings having been fixed on one view, the queen, Dido, most beautiful in form, went to the temple with a large band of youg people crowding her. Just as on the banks of the Eurotas or through the ridges of Cynthus Diana trains her choruses, whom, having followed, a thousand Oreads are gathered here and there; that woman carries a quiver on her shoulder and proceeding she towers over all goddesses (joys possess the silent heart of Latona): such was Dido, she happily carried herself as such through the middle urging on the work and her future kingdoms. Then at the doors of the goddess, in the middle of the vault of the temple, having been enclosed by weapons and resting loftily on a throne, she sat down. She was giving laws and decrees to men, and she was equalizing the labor of the tasks in just parts or she was drawing it by lot: when suddenly Aeneas sees that Antheus and Sergestus and brave Cloanthus and others of the Teucrians are approaching in a large crowd, whom the dark storm had scattered on the sea and had wholly carried away to other shores.
secutae - perf. dep. ptc., nom. pl. fem. Dardanio - the Trojans are also known as Dardanians after Dardanus, an early king of Troy forma - abl. of respect magna...caterva - abl. abs. quam - refers to Diana Latonae - the mother of Apollo and Diana pectus - acc. sg. neut. -que - joins saepta and subnixa -que - joins iura and leges
Obstipuit simul ipse simul perculsus Achates laetitiaque metuque; avidi coniungere dextras ardebant; sed res animos incognita turbat. 515 Dissimulant, et nube cava speculantur amicti, quae fortuna viris, classem quo litore linquant, quid veniant; cunctis nam lecti navibus ibant, orantes veniam, et templum clamore petebant. Postquam introgressi et coram data copia fandi, 520 maximus Ilioneus placido sic pectore coepit: 'O Regina, novam cui condere Iuppiter urbem iustitiaque dedit gentis frenare superbas, Troes te miseri, ventis maria omnia vecti, oramus, prohibe infandos a navibus ignis, 525 parce pio generi, et propius res aspice nostras. Non nos aut ferro Libycos populare Penatis venimus, aut raptas ad litora vertere praedas; non ea vis animo, nec tanta superbia victis.
At the same time he himself stood agape, at the same time Achates was struck both by happiness and by fear; they eagerly burn to join right hands, but the unknown thing disturbs their minds. They hide and having been enfolded with a hollow cloud they watch what the men’s fortune is, on what shore they are leaving the fleet, why they are coming; for having been chosen from all the ships they were going praying for a favor and they were seeking the temple with a shout. After they entered and an opportunity of speaking was given openly, greatest Ilioneus began thus with a calm heart: “O queen, to whom Jupiter has granted to found a new and to restore the haughty tribes with justice, we miserable Trojans, having been carried by the winds through all seas, beseech you: keep the unspeakable fires away from our ships, spare our loyal nation and look at our things more closely. We do not come either to plunder the Libyan household gods with iron or to turn the snatched spoils to the shore; this violence is not in our mind nor is there such great haughtiness to those having been conquered.
amicti - perf. pass. ptc., nom. pl. masc. linquant - pres. act, subj., 3rd pl. veniant - pres. act, subj., 3rd pl. lecti - perf. pass. ptc., nom. pl. masc. orantes - pres. act. ptc., nom. pl. masc. ipse - refers to Aeneas quae...veniant - a series of indirect questions viris - dat. of possession fandi - gen. sg. gerund -que - joins condere and frenare navibus - abl. of separation propius - comparative adv. ferro - metonymy
Est locus, Hesperiam Grai cognomine dicunt, 530 terra antiqua, potens armis atque ubere glaebae; Oenotri coluere viri; nunc fama minores Italiam dixisse ducis de nomine gentem. Hic cursus fuit: cum subito adsurgens fluctu nimbosus Orion 535 in vada caeca tulit, penitusque procacibus austris perque undas, superante salo, perque invia saxa dispulit; huc pauci vestris adnavimus oris. Quod genus hoc hominum? Quaeve hunc tam barbara morem permittit patria? Hospitio prohibemur harenae; 540 bella cient, primaque vetant consistere terra. Si genus humanum et mortalia temnitis arma at sperate deos memores fandi atque nefandi.
There is a place, the Greeks call it Hesperia by name, an ancient land, powerful in arms and in the fertility of its soil. Oenotrian men have inhabited it; now it is rumor that their descendents have called the nation Italy from the name of their leader. This was our course, when suddenly stormy Orion rising with a wave carried into hidden shallows and with the wholly insolent south winds he scattered us both through the waves and through the pathless rocks with the sea overcoming us; here we few swam to your shores. What nation of men is this? Or what fatherland so uncivilized allows this custom? We are prohibited from the hospitality of the sand; they are stirring up wars and they forbid us from resting on the first land. If you despise the human race and mortal weapons, yet expect the gods to be mindful of right and wrong.
coluere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl.; syncope = coluerunt dixisse - perf. act. inf. superante - pres. act. ptc., abl. sg. neut. consistere - pres. act. inf. Italiam...gentem - according to Ilioneus, the name of Italy is said to be derived from the name of the leader of the Oenotrians, i.e., Italus ducis - gen. sg. hic...fuit - a hemistich/half line; some scholars consider half lines to be proof that Vergil did not quite finish the Aeneid before he died, although it is sometimes possible to hypothesize that the slight breaks these lines introduce into the rhythm of the poem are meant to underscore the meaning of the text Orion - the storm-bringing constellation, named for a famous hunter transported to heaven procacibus - personification superante salo - abl. abs. hominum - gen. pl. morem - acc. sg. masc. hospitio...terra - Ilioneus refers here to events not described by Vergil: it seems that soemone (he presumes the Carthaginians are responsible) is actively attempting to prevent him and the other survivors of the storm from landing on the shore and taking shelter there; they are threatening war if the Trojans do not move on hospitio - abl. of separation genus humanum...mortalia...arma - chiasmus
Lines 1.544-578; 2.40-56, 201-249, 268-297
'Rex erat Aeneas nobis, quo iustior alter, nec pietate fuit, nec bello maior et armis. 545 Quem si fata virum servant, si vescitur aura aetheria, neque adhuc crudelibus occubat umbris, non metus; officio nec te certasse priorem poeniteat. Sunt et Siculis regionibus urbes armaque, Troianoque a sanguine clarus Acestes. 550 Quassatam ventis liceat subducere classem, et silvis aptare trabes et stringere remos: si datur Italiam, sociis et rege recepto, tendere, ut Italiam laeti Latiumque petamus; sin absumpta salus, et te, pater optime Teucrum, 555 pontus habet Libyae, nec spes iam restat Iuli, at freta Sicaniae saltem sedesque paratas, unde huc advecti, regemque petamus Acesten.' Talibus Ilioneus; cuncti simul ore fremebant Dardanidae. 560 Tum breviter Dido, voltum demissa, profatur:
Aeneas was our king, than whom another was neither more just in loyalty nor greater in war and arms. If the fates preserve this man, if he feeds on the ethereal breeze nor yet does he lie in the cruel shadows, there is no fear, nor let it cause regret for you to have contended first in kindness. And there are cities in the Sicilian regions and weapons and famous Acestes from Trojan blood. Let it be allowed to beach our fleet having been shaken by the winds and to furnish beams from forests and to strip the oars, if it is granted to head for Italy with our allies and king having been received, so that we may happily seek Italy and Latium; but if salvation has been taken away, and the sea of Libya holds you, best father of the Teucrians, nor does the hope of Iulus remain now, yet let us seek at least the straits of Sicily and the prepared places, from where we were carried to here, and king Acestes.” Ilioneus spoke with such things; all the Dardanians at the same time roared with their mouth. Then Dido speaks briefly having been passed down as to her face:
certasse - perf. act. inf.; syncope demissa - perf. pass. ptc., nom. sg. fem. nobis - dat. of possession quo - abl. sg.; abl. of comparison iustior, maior - comparative adjectives sociis...recepto - abl. abs. ut - introduces a purpose clause pater...Teucrum - apostrophe vultum - acc. of respect
'Solvite corde metum, Teucri, secludite curas. Res dura et regni novitas me talia cogunt moliri, et late finis custode tueri. Quis genus Aeneadum, quis Troiae nesciat urbem, 565 virtutesque virosque, aut tanti incendia belli? Non obtusa adeo gestamus pectora Poeni, nec tam aversus equos Tyria Sol iungit ab urbe. Seu vos Hesperiam magnam Saturniaque arva, sive Erycis finis regemque optatis Acesten, 570 auxilio tutos dimittam, opibusque iuvabo. Voltis et his mecum pariter considere regnis; urbem quam statuo vestra est, subducite navis; Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur. Atque utinam rex ipse Noto compulsus eodem 575 adforet Aeneas! Equidem per litora certos dimittam et Libyae lustrare extrema iubebo, si quibus eiectus silvis aut urbibus errat.'
“Release fear from your heart, Teucrians, shut off your anxieties. A harsh circumstance and the newness of my kingdom compels me to do such things and to protect my boundaries far and wide with a guard. Who (would not know) the race of the followers of Aeneas, who would not know about this city of Troy, both its virtues and men or the fires of so great a war? We Punics do not bear hearts so dull, nor does the Sun join his horses so far from the Tyrian city. Whether you choose great Hesperia and the fields of Saturn or the boundaries or Eryx and king Acestes, I will send you away safe with help and and I will help you with resources. Do you even wish to settle side by side with me in these kingdoms? The city which I am founding is yours; beach your ships; Trojan and Tyrian will be treated by me with no distinction. And if only the king himself, Aeneas, were present having been driven by the same south wind! Indeed I will send out reliable men through the shores and I will order them to traverse the farthest parts of Libya, if having been cast out he wanders in any forests or cities.
nesciat - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. dimittam - fut. act. ind., 1st sg. agetur - fut. pass. ind., 3rd sg. corde - abl. of separation urbe - refers to Carthage Hesperiam - Italy mihi - dat. of agent quibus - equivalent of aliquibus
Primus ibi ante omnis magna comitante caterva 40 Laocoon ardens summa decurrit ab arce, et procul 'o miseri, quae tanta insania, cives? creditis avectos hostis? aut ulla putatis dona carere dolis Danaum? sic notus Ulixes? aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achivi, 45 aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros, inspectura domos venturaque desuper urbi, aut aliquis latet error; equo ne credite, Teucri. quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis.' sic fatus validis ingentem viribus hastam 50 in latus inque feri curvam compagibus alvum contorsit. stetit illa tremens, uteroque recusso insonuere cavae gemitumque dedere cavernae. et, si fata deum, si mens non laeva fuisset, impulerat ferro Argolicas foedare latebras, 55 Troiaque nunc staret, Priamique arx alta maneres.
There first before all with a large crowd accompanying Laocoon being eager runs from the top of the citadel, and from a distance (he says), “O wretched citizens, what such great madness is this? Do you believe that the enemies have been carried away? Or do you think that any gifts of the Danaans are without tricks? Is Ulysses thus known? Either the Achaeans having been enclosed in this wood are hidden, or this machine has been made against or walls, to look into our houses and to come to the city from above, or some deceit lies hidden; do not trust the horse, Teucrians. Whatever this is, I fear the Greeks, even those bearing gifts.” Having spoken thus he hurled an enormous spear with mighty strength into the side and into the belly of the beast curved with fastenings. That (spear) stood quivering, and with the belly having been struck the hollow cavities echoed and gave a groan. and if the fates of the gods, if our mind had not been unlucky, he would have compelled us to mangle the Argive hiding places with iron, and Troy would now stand, and you, lofty citadel of Priam, would remain.
inspectura - fut. ptc. act., nom. sg. fem. ventura - fut. ptc. act., nom. sg. fem. ferentes - pres. act. ptc., acc. pl. masc. fuisset - plpf. act. subj., 3rd sg. dolis - abl. of separation ligno - refers to the Trojan horse; metonymy validis...hastam - synchesis feri - refers to the Trojan horse alvum - acc. sg. fem. si...si - anaphora ferro - metonymy arx - apostrophe
Laocoon, ductus Neptuno sorte sacerdos, sollemnis taurum ingentem mactabat ad aras. ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta (horresco referens) immensis orbibus angues incumbunt pelago pariterque ad litora tendunt; 205 pectora quorum inter fluctus arrecta iubaeque sanguineae superant undas, pars cetera pontum pone legit sinuatque immensa volumine terga. fit sonitus spumante salo; iamque arva tenebant ardentisque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni 210 sibila lambebant linguis vibrantibus ora. diffugimus visu exsangues. illi agmine certo Laocoonta petunt; et primum parva duorum corpora natorum serpens amplexus uterque implicat et miseros morsu depascitur artus; 215 post ipsum auxilio subeuntem ac tela ferentem corripiunt spirisque ligant ingentibus; et iam bis medium amplexi, bis collo squamea circum terga dati superant capite et cervicibus altis.
Laocoon, a priest to Neptune having been drawn by lot, was sacrificing an enormous bull at the solemn altars. But behold from Tenedos through the calms seas (I tremble at recalling it) twin snakes with immense coils lean upon the sea and strive to the shores side by side; whose chests having been raised among the waves and blood-red crests overcome the waves, the remaining part skims the sea behind and folds their immense backs in a coil. A noise arises with the sea foaming; and now they held the fields and having been suffused with blood and fire as to their burning eyes they were licking their hissing mouths with quivering tongues. We flee from the sight bloodless. Those things seek Laocoon with a certain battle line; and each serpent first having embraced the small bodies of his two sons entwines them and devours the wretched limbs with a bite; afterwards they snatch up the man himself coming with help and bearing weapons and they bind him with enormous coils; and now having embraced his middle twice, having placed their scaly bodies around his neck twice, they overcome him with their head and lofty necks.
suffecti - perf. pass. ptc., nom. pl. masc. subeuntem - pres. act. ptc., acc. sg. masc. gemini...angues - hyperbaton = the distanced placement of two (or more) words which are logically meant to be understood together -que - joins legit and sinuat oculos - acc. of respect ipsum - Laocoon bis...bis - anaphora circum - to be taken with dati (circumdati) = tmesis
ille simul manibus tendit divellere nodos 220 perfusus sanie vittas atroque veneno, clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit: qualis mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram taurus et incertam excussit cervice securim. at gemini lapsu delubra ad summa dracones 225 effugiunt saevaeque petunt Tritonidis arcem, sub pedibusque deae clipeique sub orbe teguntur. tum vero tremefacta novus per pectora cunctis insinuat pavor, et scelus expendisse merentem Laocoonta ferunt, sacrum qui cuspide robur 230 laeserit et tergo sceleratam intorserit hastam. ducendum ad sedes simulacrum orandaque divae numina conclamant. dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis. accingunt omnes operi pedibusque rotarum 235 subiciunt lapsus, et stuppea vincula collo intendunt; scandit fatalis machina muros feta armis.
At the same time that man strives to tear apart the coils with his hands, having been drenched with blood and dark poison as to his garlands, at the same time he raises horrible shouts to the stars; such as a bellowing, when a wounded bull has fled the altar and has shaken off the uncertain axe from its neck. But the twin serpents flee to the highest temples with a gliding and they seek the citadel of cruel Minerva, and they are hidden under the feet of the goddess and the circle of her shield. Then indeed a new fear coils through the alarmed hearts for all, and they say that Laocoon, deserving it, has paid for his crime, who struck the sacred oak with his spear and hurled his criminal spear into its back. They shout that the image must be led to the seats and that the divine powers of the goddess must be prayed to. We divide the walls and we open the ramparts of the city. All equip (themselves) for the task and they place the rollings of wheels under its feet, and they stretch flax cables from its neck: the fatal machine climbs the walls teeming with weapons.
fugit - perf. act. ind., 3rd sg. excussit - perf. act. ind., 3rd sg. expendisse - perf. act. inf. vittas - aacc. of respect sidera - hyperbole pedibusque...orbe - chiasmus robur, simulacrum - refer to the Trojan horse numina conclamant - hemistich
pueri circum innuptaeque puellae sacra canunt funemque manu contingere gaudent; illa subit mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi. 240 o patria, o divum domus Ilium et incluta bello moenia Dardanidum! quater ipso in limine portae substitit atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere; instamus tamen immemores caecique furore et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce. 245 tunc etiam fatis aperit Cassandra futuris ora dei iussu non umquam credita Teucris. nos delubra deum miseri, quibus ultimus esset ille dies, festa velamus fronde per urbem.
The boys and the unmarried girls sing sacred things around it and they rejoice to touch the cable with their hand; that thing enters and towering it glides into the middle of the city. O fatherland, O Ilium, home of the gods and walls of the Dardanians famous in war! Four times it stopped on the threshold of the gate itself and the weapons gave a sound from the belly four times; nevertheless we press on unmindful and blinded by madness and we stand the unlucky monster in the consecrated citadel. Then Cassandra also opens her mouth by the order of a god for the future fates never having been believed by the Teucrians. We wretched ones for whom that day wa the last cover the shrines of the gods with festive foliage through the city.
dedere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl. (syncope) patria, domus, Ilium - vocative; apostrophe divum - gen. pl. in limine - a bad omen Cassandra - Cassandra had been beloved of Apollo, who had granted her the gift of prophecy. Because she reneged on her promise to be his in return for this gift, Apollo turned the gift into a curse, placing upon her the necessity of forever prophesying and of never being believed dei - Apollo
Tempus erat quo prima quies mortalibus aegris incipit et dono divum gratissima serpit. in somnis, ecce, ante oculos maestissimus Hector 270 visus adesse mihi largosque effundere fletus, raptatus bigis ut quondam, aterque cruento pulvere perque pedes traiectus lora tumentis.
It was the time at which first rest begins for weary mortals and most pleasing most pleasing it creeps along by a gift of the gods. In dreams, behold, before my eyes very sad Hector seemed to appear to me and to pour out abundant tears, as once (he was) having been snatched by a chariot, and dark with bloody dust and having been pierced through his swollen feet with straps.
gratissima - superlative
ei mihi, qualis erat, quantum mutatus ab illo Hectore qui redit exuvias indutus Achilli 275 vel Danaum Phrygios iaculatus puppibus ignis! squalentem barbam et concretos sanguine crinis vulneraque illa gerens, quae circum plurima muros accepit patrios. ultro flens ipse videbar compellare virum et maestas expromere voces: 280 'o lux Dardaniae, spes o fidissima Teucrum, quae tantae tenuere morae? quibus Hector ab oris exspectate venis? ut te post multa tuorum funera, post varios hominumque urbisque labores defessi aspicimus! quae causa indigna serenos 285 foedavit vultus? aut cur haec vulnera cerno?' ille nihil, nec me quaerentem vana moratur, sed graviter gemitus imo de pectore ducens, 'heu fuge, nate dea, teque his' ait 'eripe flammis. hostis habet muros; ruit alto a culmine Troia. 290
Woe to me, such as he was, how changed from that Hector who returned having put on the spoils of Achilles or having hurled Phrygian fires on the ships of the Danaans; bearing a dirty beard and hair matted with blood and those wounds, most of which he received around his ancestral walls. Weeping further I myself seemed to address the man and to bring forth mournful voices: “O light of Dardania, O most faithful hope of the Teucrians, what such great delays have held (you)? From what shores do you come, Hector having been awaited? How we weary look upon you after many deaths of your people, after various labors both of men and of the city! What undeserved cause has mangled your calm face? Or why do I discern these wounds?” That man (says) nothing, nor does he heed me asking useless things, but heavily leading groans from the bottom of his chest, he says, “Alas, flee, you having been born from a goddess, and rescue yourself from these fires. The enemy holds the walls: Troy rushes down from its lofty peak.
tenuere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl. (syncope) exspectate - perf. pass. ptc., voc. sg. masc. nate - perf. pass. ptc., voc. sg. masc. excuvias - Hector had slain and despoiled Patroclus, who was wearing the armor of his friend Achilles puppibus - metonymy quae - acc. pl. neut. plurima - superlative; modifies quae Hector - voc. sg. post...post - anaphora funera - metonymy vana - acc. pl. neut. graviter - adverb dea - Venus flammis - abl. of separation
sat patriae Priamoque datum: si Pergama dextra defendi possent, etiam hac defensa fuissent. sacra suosque tibi commendat Troia penatis; hos cape fatorum comites, his moenia quaere magna pererrato statues quae denique ponto.' 295 sic ait et manibus vittas Vestamque potentem aeternumque adytis effert penetralibus ignem.
Enough has been given to the fatherland and to Priam: if Pergama were able to be defended by a right hand, yet it would have been defended by this one. Troy entrusts its sacred things and household gods to you; take these things as comrades of your fates, seek great walls for these things, which you will finally establish with the sea having been traversed.” Thus he speaks and with his hands he carries forth the garlands and powerful Vesta and the eternal flame from the innermost sanctuaries.
defendi - pres. pass. inf. possent - impf. act. subj., 3rd pl. fuissent - plpf. act. subj., 3rd pl. si...fuissent - contrary-to-fact condition pererrato...ponto - abl. abs. aeternum ignem - the sacred fire of Vesta was never allowed to go out, and from it was always kindled the fire which was given to each colony sent out from Rome. The Romans believed that the eternal burning of Vesta’s flame ensured the permanence of Rome
Latin IV AP Test #4 (2.559-620, 4.160-197)
At me tum primum saevus circumstetit horror. obstipui; subiit cari genitoris imago, 560 ut regem aequaeuum crudeli vulnere vidi vitam exhalantem, subiit deserta Creusa et direpta domus et parvi casus Iuli. respicio et quae sit me circum copia lustro. deseruere omnes defessi, et corpora saltu 565 ad terram misere aut ignibus aegra dedere. [Iamque adeo super unus eram, cum limina Vestae servantem et tacitam secreta in sede latentem Tyndarida aspicio; dant claram incendia lucem erranti passimque oculos per cuncta ferenti. 570
But then a cruel horror first surrounded me. I stood agape; the image of my dear father arose, when I saw the king of equal age breathing out his life from a cruel wound, Creusa having been deserted arose and my home having been plundered and the misfortune of small Iulus. I look back and I survey what forces are around me. All weary they have deserted, and they have sent their weary bodies to the earth with a leap or have given them to the fires. [And now to such an extent I survived alone, when I see the daughter of Tyndarus watching over the thresholds of Vesta and lurking silently in a secret place; the fires give a clear light to me wandering and carrying my eyes through all things everywhere.
sit - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. erranti - pres. act. ptc., dat. sg. masc. ferenti - pres. act. ptc., dat. sg. masc. regem - Priam aequaevum - Priam is of equal age to Anchises quae...copia - indirect question me circum - anastrophe deseruere, misere, dedere - syncope (= deseruerunt, miserunt, dederunt) super...eram - tmesis Tyndarida - patronymic
illa sibi infestos eversa ob Pergama Teucros et Danaum poenam et deserti coniugis iras praemetuens, Troiae et patriae communis Erinys, abdiderat sese atque aris invisa sedebat. exarsere ignes animo; subit ira cadentem 575 ulcisci patriam et sceleratas sumere poenas. 'scilicet haec Spartam incolumis patriasque Mycenas aspiciet, partoque ibit regina triumpho? coniugiumque domumque patris natosque videbit Iliadum turba et Phrygiis comitata ministris? 580 occiderit ferro Priamus? Troia arserit igni? Dardanium totiens sudarit sanguine litus? non ita. namque etsi nullum memorabile nomen feminea in poena est, habet haec victoria laudem; exstinxisse nefas tamen et sumpsisse merentis 585 laudabor poenas, animumque explesse iuvabit ultricis 十famam et cineres satiasse meorum.'
That woman fearing the Teucrians hostile to her on account of Pergama having been destroyed and the punishment of the Danaans and the angers of her deserted husband, the common Curse of Troy and of her fatherland, had hidden herself and was sitting at the altars hated. Fires blazed up in my mind; anger entered me to avenge my falling fatherland and to exact criminal punishments. “Will this woa no doubt look upon Sparta and ancestral Mycenae unharmed, and will she go as a queen with victory having been produced? Will she see her husband and the house of her father and her children having been accompanied by a crowd of Trojan women and by Phrygian attendants? Will Priam have died by iron? Will Troy have burned by fire? Will the Dardanian shore so often have perspired with blood? Not so. For although there is no memorable name in the punishment of a woman, this victory has praise; nevertheless I will be praised to have extinguished this crime and to have exacted deserving punishments, and it will please my spirit to have fulfilled the reputation of an avenger and to have satisfied the ashes of my people.”
exarsere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl.; syncope (= exarserunt) aspiciet - fut. act. ind., 3rd sg. comitata - perf. dep. ptc., nom sg. fem. sudarit - fut. perf. act. ind., 3rd sg.; syncope (= sudaverit) exstinxisse - perf. act. inf. sumpsisse - perf. act. inf. sibi - dat. sg. Danaum - gen. pl. coniugis - refers to Menelaus patriae - Greece incolumnis - modifies haec -que…-que…-que - polysyndeton ferro - metonymy 十famam - the symbol 十, called an obelos, is used by editors of classical texts to mark a phrase or word that appears to have been corrupted in the process of copying and so presents a problem for comprehension of the text
talia iactabam et furiata mente ferebar,] cum mihi se, non ante oculis tam clara, videndam obtulit et pura per noctem in luce refulsit 590 alma parens, confessa deam qualisque videri caelicolis et quanta solet, dextraque prehensum continuit roseoque haec insuper addidit ore: 'nate, quis indomitas tantus dolor excitat iras? quid furis? aut quonam nostri tibi cura recessit? 595 non prius aspicies ubi fessum aetate parentem liqueris Anchisen, superet coniunxne Creusa Ascaniusque puer? quos omnis undique Graiae circum errant acies et, ni mea cura resistat, iam flammae tulerint inimicus et hauserit ensis. 600 non tibi Tyndaridis facies invisa Lacaenae culpatusue Paris, divum inclementia, divum has evertit opes sternitque a culmine Troiam. aspice (namque omnem, quae nunc obducta tuenti mortalis hebetat visus tibi et umida circum 605 caligat, nubem eripiam; tu ne qua parentis iussa time neu praeceptis parere recusa):
I was uttering such things and I was being carried along with a frenzied mind,] when my kindly parent presented herself to me to be seen, not previously so clear to my eyes, and she gleamed through the night with a clear light, having revealed (herself) a goddess both of what sort and how great she is accustomed to appear to the gods, and she restrained (me) having been seized with her right hand and besides she added these things with her rosy mouth: “Child, what such great grief stirs up your uncontrolled angers? Why do you rage? Or where has the care of us withdrawn for you? Will you not sooner look to where you left Anchises, your parent weary with age, whether your wife Creusa and your boy Ascanius survive? Greek battle lines wander everywhere around all these and if my care had not stopped it, already flames would have carried them off and a hostile sword would have drained them. Not the face of the Spartan daughter of Tyndarus hated by you or Paris having been blamed, but the cruelty of the gods, of the gods, is overturning these resources and is laying low Troy from its summit. Look (for I will take away every cloud, which now, having been drawn over, dulls mortal visions for you looking and moistly darkens all around; do not fear any orders of your parent not refuse to obey my instructions).
confessa - perf. dep. ptc., nom. sg. fem. liqueris - perf. act. subj., 3rd sg. superet - pres. act. subj., 3rd. sg. tuenti - pres. act. ptc., dat. sg. masc. eripiam - fut. act. ind., 1st sg. se - acc. sg. fem. clara - nom. sg. fem.; modifies parens videndam - gerundive nate - vocative ubi...puer - indirect question Tyndaridis...Lacaenae - chiasmus omnem...nubem - hyberbaton iussa - accc. pl. neut.
hic, ubi disiectas moles avulsaque saxis saxa vides, mixtoque undantem pulvere fumum, Neptunus muros magnoque emota tridenti 610 fundamenta quatit totamque a sedibus urbem eruit. hic Iuno Scaeas saevissima portas prima tenet sociumque furens a navibus agmen ferro accincta vocat. iam summas arces Tritonia, respice, Pallas 615 insedit nimbo effulgens et Gorgone saeva. ipse pater Danais animos virisque secundas sufficit, ipse deos in Dardana suscitat arma. eripe, nate, fugam finemque impone labori; nusquam abero et tutum patrio te limine sistam.' 620
Here, where you see scattered masses and rocks having been torn from rocks and smoke rolling with dust having been mixed in, Neptune shatters the walls and the foundations having been moved by his great trident and tears up the entire city from its seats. Here cruelest Juno first holds the Scaean gates and raging she calls the allied army from its ships having been equipped with iron. Look, now Tritonian Pallas has sat upon the tops of the citadels gleaming on a cloud and with the cruel Gorgon. The father himself supplies courage and favorable strength to the Danaans, he himself stirs up the gods against Dardanian weapons. Child, hasten your flight and put an end to your labor; I will never be absent and I will place you safely on your father’s threshold.”
furens - pres. act. ptc., nom. sg. fem. abero - fut. act. ind., 1st sg. mixtoque...fumum - synchysis Scaeas...portas - the western gates of Troy ferro accincta vocat - hemistich/half-line Gorgone - refers to the Aegis, a shield that depicts the head of Medusa pater - Jupiter
Interea magno misceri murmure caelum 160 incipit, insequitur commixta grandine nimbus, et Tyrii comites passim et Troiana iuventus Dardaniusque nepos Veneris diversa per agros tecta metu petiere; ruunt de montibus amnes. speluncam Dido dux et Troianus eandem 165 deveniunt. prima et Tellus et pronuba Iuno dant signum; fulsere ignes et conscius aether conubiis summoque ulularunt vertice Nymphae. ille dies primus leti primusque malorum causa fuit; neque enim specie famave movetur 170 nec iam furtivum Dido meditatur amorem: coniugium vocat, hoc praetexit nomine culpam. Extemplo Libyae magnas it Fama per urbes, Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullum: mobilitate viget virisque adquirit eundo, 175 parva metu primo, mox sese attollit in auras ingrediturque solo et caput inter nubila condit.
Meanwhile the sky begins to be mixed up with a great roar, a rainstorm follows with hail having been mixed in, and the Tyrian comrades and the Trojan youth everywhere and the Dardanian grandson of Venus sought different shelters through the fields out of fear; rivers rush down from the mountains. Dido and the Trojan leader arrive at the same cave. Both First Earth and Juno as matron of honor give the signal; fires and the heaven, a witness for their marriage, flashed and the nymphs howled on the highest peak. That day was the first cause of death and the first (cause) of misfortunes; neither indeed is Dido moved by appearance or reputation nor now does she think about a secret love: she calls it marriage, she covers her fault with this name. Immediately Rumor goes through the great cities of Libya, Rumor, than which any other evil is not swifter: she flourishes with motion and she acquires strength by going, small at first from fear, soon she raises herself into the breezes and she proceeds on the ground and hides her head among the clouds.
petiere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl.; syncope (= petierunt) nepos - refers to Ascanius/Iulus Iuno - Juno’s presence is ominous because of her known hatred for Aeneas yet appropriate because she is the goddess of marriage ulularunt - syncope (= ululaverunt); onomatopoieia Prima...Nympae - these lines present a distortion of the traditional marriage ceremony in Roman society Matron of honor - Juno Marriage torches - lightning (ignes) Traditional wedding songs - Nymphs howling eundo - gerund
illam Terra parens ira inritata deorum extremam, ut perhibent, Coeo Enceladoque sororem progenuit pedibus celerem et pernicibus alis, 180 monstrum horrendum, ingens, cui quot sunt corpore plumae, tot vigiles oculi subter (mirabile dictu), tot linguae, totidem ora sonant, tot subrigit auris. nocte volat caeli medio terraeque per umbram stridens, nec dulci declinat lumina somno; 185 luce sedet custos aut summi culmine tecti turribus aut altis, et magnas territat urbes, tam ficti pravique tenax quam nuntia veri. haec tum multiplici populos sermone replebat gaudens, et pariter facta atque infecta canebat: 190 venisse Aenean Troiano sanguine cretum, cui se pulchra viro dignetur iungere Dido; nunc hiemem inter se luxu, quam longa, fovere regnorum immemores turpique cupidine captos. haec passim dea foeda virum diffundit in ora. 195 protinus ad regem cursus detorquet Iarban incenditque animum dictis atque aggerat iras.
Her parent Earth, having been provoked by the anger of the gods, bore that thing last, as they say, a sister to Coeus and Enceladus, swift on her feet and with nimble wings, a horrible monster, enormous, to whom as many feathers as are on her body, there are just as many watchful eyes underneath (wondrous to speak about), as many tongues, just as many mouths roar, she raises just as many ears. At night she flies in the middle of the sky and the land through the shadow hissing, nor does she droop her eyes in sweet sleep; by day she sits as a guardian either on the top of the highest roof or on tall towers, and she terrifies great cities, a messenger as tenacious of fiction and of perversity as the truth. Then this thing was filling up peoples with multiple conversations rejoicing and was singing of things done and not done equally: that Aeneas had come, sprung from Trojan blood, to whom as a husband beautiful Dido deems it worthy to join herself; that now they were fondling each other in luxury during the winter, however long it may be, unmindful of their kingdoms and captured by shameful desire. The foul goddess scatters these things everywhere into the mouths of men. Immediately she turns her courses to king Iarbas and she kindles his mind with words and she heaps up his angers.
virum - gen. pl.
Latin IV AP Test #5 (4.198-218, 259-339)
Hic Hammone satus rapta Garamantide nympha templa Iovi centum latis immania regnis, centum aras posuit vigilemque sacraverat ignem, 200 excubias divum aeternas, pecudumque cruore pingue solum et variis florentia limina sertis. isque amens animi et rumore accensus amaro dicitur ante aras media inter numina divum multa Iovem manibus supplex orasse supinis: 205 'Iuppiter omnipotens, cui nunc Maurusia pictis gens epulata toris Lenaeum libat honorem, aspicis haec? an te, genitor, cum fulmina torques nequiquam horremus, caecique in nubibus ignes terrificant animos et inania murmura miscent? 210 femina, quae nostris errans in finibus urbem exiguam pretio posuit, cui litus arandum cuique loci leges dedimus, conubia nostra reppulit ac dominum Aenean in regna recepit. et nunc ille Paris cum semiviro comitatu, 215 Maeonia mentum mitra crinemque madentem subnexus, rapto potitur: nos munera templis quippe tuis ferimus famamque fovemus inanem.'
This man, having been begotten by Hammon with a Garamantian nymph having been snatched, (placed) a hundred immense temples to Jupiter in his wide kingdoms, he placed a hundred altars and he had consecrated a watchful fire, the eternal sentinel of the gods, and the soil rich with the blood of animals and thresholds flourishing with various garlands. And he, frenzied in his mind and having been inflamed by the bitter rumor, is said to have prayed many things to Jupiter amid the divine powers of the gods before the altars as a suppliant with upturned hands: “Almighty Jupiter, to whom now the Maurusian nation having feasted on embroidered couches offers a Lenaean honor, do you see these things? Or, father, when you hurl your thunderbolts, do we shudder at you in vain, and do hidden fires in the clouds terrify our minds and do they mix up useless roars? A woman, who wandering in our boundaries placed her small city for a price, to whom (we gave) a shore to be plowed and to whom we gave the laws of the place, rejected our marriage and accepted Aeneas into her kingdom as master. And now that Paris with his effeminate retinue, having been tied up with a Maeonian cap as to his chin and dripping hair, possesses the plunder: certainly we bring offerings to your temples and we cherish an empty reputation.
divum - gen. pl. pingue - modifies solum pretio - abl. of price arandum - gerundive mentum, crinem - acc. of respect rapto - refers to Dido
ut primum alatis tetigit magalia plantis, Aenean fundantem arces ac tecta novantem 260 conspicit. atque illi stellatus iaspide fulva ensis erat Tyrioque ardebat murice laena demissa ex umeris, dives quae munera Dido fecerat, et tenui telas discreverat auro. continuo invadit: 'tu nunc Karthaginis altae 265 fundamenta locas pulchramque uxorius urbem exstruis? heu, regni rerumque oblite tuarum! ipse deum tibi me claro demittit Olympo regnator, caelum et terras qui numine torquet, ipse haec ferre iubet celeris mandata per auras: 270 quid struis? aut qua spe Libycis teris otia terris? si te nulla movet tantarum gloria rerum [nec super ipse tua moliris laude laborem,] Ascanium surgentem et spes heredis Iuli respice, cui regnum Italiae Romanaque tellus 275 debetur.' tali Cyllenius ore locutus mortalis visus medio sermone reliquit et procul in tenuem ex oculis evanuit auram.
As soon as he touched the huts with his winged heels, he sees Aeneas building the citadels and making houses. And to that man there was a sword spangled with yellow jasper, and a cloak having been sent down from his shoulders was burning with Tyrian purple, gifts which wealthy Dido had made, and she had separated the webs with thin gold. Immediately he attacks: “Do you now place the foundations of lofy Carthage and wife-ruled do you build a beautiful city? Alas, you having forgotten your kingdom and your things! The ruler of the gods himself, who twists the sky and the lands with his divine power, sends me to to you from clear Olympus, he himself orders me to carry these orders through the swift breezes: What are you building? Or with what hope do you waste your leisure in Libyan lands? If no glory of such great things moves you nor do you yourself additionally take up labor for your own praise, look at raising Ascanius and the hopes of your heir Iulus, to whom the kingdom of Italy and the Roman land are owed.” Having spoken with such a mouth the Cyllenian left mortal visions in the middle of his speech and far from his eyes he vanished into thin air.
oblite - perf. dep. ptc., voc. sg. masc. fundantem...novantem - chiasmus illi - dat. of possession; refers to Aeneas regnator - Jupiter nec...laborem - the line is virtually identical to 233, and was probably reproduced here by an inattentive copyist; brackets are used by editors to indicate that none of the major primary manuscripts contain this line tali - abl. sg. Cyllenius - Mercury, born on Mt. Cyllene
At vero Aeneas aspectu obmutuit amens, arrectaeque horrore comae et vox faucibus haesit. 280 ardet abire fuga dulcisque relinquere terras, attonitus tanto monitu imperioque deorum. heu quid agat? quo nunc reginam ambire furentem audeat adfatu? quae prima exordia sumat? atque animum nunc huc celerem nunc dividit illuc 285 in partisque rapit varias perque omnia versat. haec alternanti potior sententia visa est: Mnesthea Sergestumque vocat fortemque Serestum, classem aptent taciti sociosque ad litora cogant, arma parent et quae rebus sit causa novandis 290 dissimulent; sese interea, quando optima Dido nesciat et tantos rumpi non speret amores, temptaturum aditus et quae mollissima fandi tempora, quis rebus dexter modus. ocius omnes imperio laeti parent et iussa facessunt. 295
But truly Aeneas, distraught, stood speechless at the sight, and his hair was raised in horror and his voice clung to his throat. He burns to depart in flight and to leave behind the sweet lands, astounded by so great a warning and by the command of the gods. Alas what should he do? With what speech should he now dare to go around the raging queen? What first beginnings should he take up? And he divides his swift mind, now here, now there, and he snatches it into different parts and he turns through all things. To him wavering this opinion seemed better: that he call Mnestheus and Sergestus, that they ready the fleet silently and that they gather the allies to the shores, that they prepare the weapons and that they hide what the reason is for altering things; that he meanwhile, since best Dido does not know and does not expect such great loves to be broken off, would try approaches and what times might be easiest for speaking, what method might be right for things. All happily obey his command rather quickly and they fulfill his orders.
agat - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. audeat - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. sumat - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. quo...adfatu - hyperbaton (ut) aptent, cogant, parent, dissimulent - indirect commands after vocat, which implies et imperat or something similar quae...sit - indirect question novandis - gerundive fandi - gerund ocius - comparative adj.
At regina dolos (quis fallere possit amantem?) praesensit, motusque excepit prima futuros omnia tuta timens. eadem impia Fama furenti detulit armari classem cursumque parari. saevit inops animi totamque incensa per urbem 300 bacchatur, qualis commotis excita sacris Thyias, ubi audito stimulant trieterica Baccho orgia nocturnusque vocat clamore Cithaeron. tandem his Aenean compellat vocibus ultro: 'dissimulare etiam sperasti, perfide, tantum 305 posse nefas tacitusque mea decedere terra? nec te noster amor nec te data dextera quondam nec moritura tenet crudeli funere Dido? quin etiam hiberno moliri sidere classem et mediis properas Aquilonibus ire per altum, 310 crudelis? quid, si non arva aliena domosque ignotas peteres, et Troia antiqua maneret, Troia per undosum peteretur classibus aequor?
But the queen suspected his tricks (who would be able to deceive a lover?), and she first caught on to his future movements, fearing all things even safe ones. The same wicked Rumor reported to her raging that the fleet was being equipped and a course was being prepared. She rages bereft of her mind and having been inflamed she raves through the entire city, just as a Bacchant having been stirred up by the sacred things having been shaken, when the triennial rituals incite them with Bacchus having been heard and nocturnal Cithaeron calls them with a shout. Finally she addresses Aeneas further with these voices: “Did you still hope, treacherous one, to be able to conceal so great an impiety and to depart silently from my land? Does neither our love hold you nor does my hand having once been given (hold) you nor does Dido about to die by a cruel death (hold you)? In fact do you still hasten to prepare your fleet under a winter star and to go through the deep in the middle of the north winds, cruel one? What, if you were not seeking foreign fields and unknown homes, and ancient Troy remained, would Troy be sought through the wavy sea by your fleets?
furenti - pres. act. ptc., dat. sg. fem.; refers to Dido sperasti - perf. act, ind., 2nd sg.; syncope = speravisti armari...parari - chiasmus sacris - instruments used in the rituals Cithaeron - Greek mountain near near Thebes, on which the rites of Bacchus were celebrated nec (x3) - tricolon funere - metonymy si...aequor - present contrary to fact condition
mene fugis? per ego has lacrimas dextramque tuam te (quando aliud mihi iam miserae nihil ipsa reliqui), 315 per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos, si bene quid de te merui, fuit aut tibi quicquam dulce meum, miserere domus labentis et istam, oro, si quis adhuc precibus locus, exue mentem. te propter Libycae gentes Nomadumque tyranni 320 odere, infensi Tyrii; te propter eundem exstinctus pudor et, qua sola sidera adibam, fama prior. cui me moribundam deseris hospes (hoc solum nomen quoniam de coniuge restat)? quid moror? an mea Pygmalion dum moenia frater 325 destruat aut captam ducat Gaetulus Iarbas? saltem si qua mihi de te suscepta fuisset ante fugam suboles, si quis mihi parvulus aula luderet Aeneas, qui te tamen ore referret, non equidem omnino capta ac deserta viderer.' 330
Do you flee me? By these tears and your right hand (since I myself now have left behind nothing else for my miserable self) by our marriage, by our wedding songs having been begun, if I have well merited anything from you, or (if) anything of mine was pleasant for you, pity my falling house, and I beg you, if there is still any place for my prayers, discard that mind of yours. On account of you the Libyan nations and the rulers of the Nomads hate me, the Tyrians are hostile to me; on account of the same you my honor and my earlier reputation, by which alone I was approaching the stars, have been ruined. For what do you desert me about to die, guest (since this name alone remains from husband)? Why do I delay? Either until my brother Pygmalion destroys my walls or Iarbas of the Gaetuli leads me having been captured? At least if there had been some offspring having been taken up from you for me before your flight, if any little Aeneas were playing for me in my court, who nevertheless might recall you in his face, indeed I would not seem entirely captured and deserted.
miserere - imperative, 2nd sg. odere - perf. act. ind., 3rd pl. dulce - nom. sg. neut. mentem - the idea of leaving her te propter (x2) - anastrophe; anaphora cui - dat. sg. neut. saltem...viderer - mixed contrary to fact condition
Dixerat. ille Iovis monitis immota tenebat lumina et obnixus curam sub corde premebat. tandem pauca refert: 'ego te, quae plurima fando enumerare vales, numquam, regina, negabo promeritam, nec me meminisse pigebit Elissae 335 dum memor ipse mei, dum spiritus hos regit artus. pro re pauca loquar. neque ego hanc abscondere furto speravi (ne finge) fugam, nec coniugis umquam praetendi taedas aut haec in foedera veni.
She had spoken. By the warnings of Jupiter that man held his eyes unmoved and having struggled he repressed his care under his heart. Finally he replies a few things: “I will never deny, queen, that you have merited very many things which you are able to enumerate by speaking, nor will it displease me to have remembered Elissa while I myself am mindful of myself, while life rules these limbs. I will say a few things for the matter. Neither did I hope to hide this flight by stealth (do not imagine it), nor did I ever hold up the wedding torches of a spouse or come into these agreements.
loquar - fut. dep. ind., 1st sg. plurima - superlative fando - gerund dum (x2) - anaphora
Latin IV AP Test #6 (4.340-361,659-705; 6.295-332)
me si fata meis paterentur ducere vitam 340 auspiciis et sponte mea componere curas, urbem Troianam primum dulcisque meorum reliquias colerem, Priami tecta alta manerent, et recidiva manu posuissem Pergama victis. sed nunc Italiam magnam Gryneus Apollo, 345 Italiam Lyciae iussere capessere sortes; hic amor, haec patria est. si te Karthaginis arces Phoenissam Libycaeque aspectus detinet urbis, quae tandem Ausonia Teucros considere terra invidia est? et nos fas extera quaerere regna. 350
If the fates allowed me to lead my life by my own authorities and to settle anxieties by my own will, first I would cultivate the Trojan city and the sweet remnants of my people, the lofty houses of Priam would remain, and I would have placed a renewed Pergama with my hand for those having been conquered. But now Apollo of Grynium and the Lycian oracles have commanded me to seize great Italy, Italy; this is my love, this is my fatherland. If the citadels of Carthage and the sight of the Libyan city detain you, Phoenician woman, what envy is there finally for the Teucrians to settle in Ausonian lands? And it is right for us to seek foreign kingdoms.
me patris Anchisae, quotiens umentibus umbris nox operit terras, quotiens astra ignea surgunt, admonet in somnis et turbida terret imago; me puer Ascanius capitisque iniuria cari, quem regno Hesperiae fraudo et fatalibus arvis. 355 nunc etiam interpres divum Iove missus ab ipso (testor utrumque caput) celeris mandata per auras detulit: ipse deum manifesto in lumine vidi intrantem muros vocemque his auribus hausi. desine meque tuis incendere teque querelis; 360 Italiam non sponte sequor.'
The troubled image of my father Anchises, as often as the night covers the lands with moist shadows, as often as the fiery stars rise, advises me in my dreams and terrifies me; the boy Ascanius and the injury of his dear head (advises) me, whom I deprive of the kingdom of Hesperia and of the fated fields. Still now the interpreter of the gods, having been sent by Jupiter himself, (I swear on each head) carried down commands through the swift breezes: I myself saw the god in clear light entering the walls and I drank in his voice with these ears. Desist from inflaming both me and you with your complaints; I do not seek Italy by my will.”
regno, arvis - abl. of separation interpres - refers to Mercury Iove - abl. of agent
dixit, et os impressa toro 'moriemur inultae, sed moriamur' ait. 'sic, sic iuvat ire sub umbras. 660 hauriat hunc oculis ignem crudelis ab alto Dardanus, et nostrae secum ferat omina mortis.' dixerat, atque illam media inter talia ferro conlapsam aspiciunt comites, ensemque cruore spumantem sparsasque manus. it clamor ad alta 665 atria: concussam bacchatur Fama per urbem. lamentis gemituque et femineo ululatu tecta fremunt, resonat magnis plangoribus aether, non aliter quam si immissis ruat hostibus omnis Karthago aut antiqua Tyros, flammaeque furentes 670 culmina perque hominum volvantur perque deorum.
She spoke, and having been pressed on the couch as to her face she said, “We shall die unavenged, but let us die. Thus, thus it is pleasing to go under the shadows. Let the cruel Dardanian drink in this fire with his eyes from the deep, and let him carry the omens of our death with himself.” She had spoken, and her companions see that woman having collapsed on the iron in the middle of such things, and the sword foaming with blood and her hands having been sprinkled with it. A shout goes to the lofty halls: Rumor raves through the city having been shaken. The houses roar with lamentations and with a groan and with a feminine wailing, the air resounds with great beatings, no differently than if all of Carthage or ancient Tyre should fall with enemies having been let in, and raging flames should be rolled both through the roofs of men and through those of the gods.
os - macc. of respect moriemur - fut. ind. moriamur - pres. subj. sic, sic - epanalepsis ignem - refers to the pyre immissis...hostibus - abl. abs. culmina per - anastrophe si...deorum - future less vivid condition
audiit exanimis trepidoque exterrita cursu unguibus ora soror foedans et pectora pugnis per medios ruit, ac morientem nomine clamat: 'hoc illud, germana, fuit? me fraude petebas? 675 hoc rogus iste mihi, hoc ignes araeque parabant? quid primum deserta querar? comitemne sororem sprevisti moriens? eadem me ad fata vocasses, idem ambas ferro dolor atque eadem hora tulisset. his etiam struxi manibus patriosque vocavi 680 voce deos, sic te ut posita, crudelis, abessem? exstinxti te meque, soror, populumque patresque Sidonios urbemque tuam. date, vulnera lymphis abluam et, extremus si quis super halitus errat, ore legam.' sic fata gradus evaserat altos, 685 semianimemque sinu germanam amplexa fovebat cum gemitu atque atros siccabat veste cruores. illa gravis oculos conata attollere rursus deficit; infixum stridit sub pectore vulnus.
Her sister heard this, breathless and having been terrified by a fearful running, disfiguring her face with her nails and her chest with her fists she rushes through the middle, and she calls her dying by name: “Was this that thing, sister? Did you seek me by deceit? Was that pyre of yours (preparing) this for me, were the fires and the altars preparing this? What should I having been deserted bewail first? Did you dying reject your sister as a comrade? You could have called me to the same fates: the same grief and the same hour could have carried us both away with iron. Did I also build it with these hands and call upon the ancestral gods with my voice, so that I might be away with you having been placed thus? You have destroyed yourself and me, sister, and your people and the Sidonian fathers and your city. Grant that I may wash her wounds and, if any final breath wanders in addition, (that) I may gather it with my mouth.” Having spoken thus she passed over the lofty steps, and having embraced her half-dead sister in her bosom she was cherishing her with a groan and she was drying the dark blood with her garment. That woman having tried to raise her heavy eyes again fails; the wound having been fixed under her chest gurgled.
vocasses - plpf. act. subj., 2nd sg.; syncope = vocavisses tulisset - plpf. act. subj., 3rd sg. fata - perf. dep. ptc., nom. sg. fem. unguibus ora...pectora pugnis - chiasmus illa - refers to Dido
ter sese attollens cubitoque adnixa levavit, 690 ter revoluta toro est oculisque errantibus alto quaesivit caelo lucem ingemuitque reperta. Tum Iuno omnipotens longum miserata dolorem difficilisque obitus Irim demisit Olympo quae luctantem animam nexosque resolveret artus. 695 nam quia nec fato merita nec morte peribat, sed misera ante diem subitoque accensa furore, nondum illi flavum Proserpina vertice crinem abstulerat Stygioque caput damnaverat Orco. ergo Iris croceis per caelum roscida pennis 700 mille trahens varios adverso sole colores devolat et supra caput astitit. 'hunc ego Diti sacrum iussa fero teque isto corpore solvo': sic ait et dextra crinem secat, omnis et una dilapsus calor atque in ventos vita recessit. 705
Raising herself three times and having leaned on her elbow she lifted herself, three times she was rolled back onto the couch and she sought the light in the high sky with her wandering eyes and she groaned with it having been found. Then almighty Juno having pitied her long grief and her difficult death sent down Iris from Olympus who might free her struggling spirit and her limbs having been bound. For because she was perishing neither by fate nor by deserved death, but wretched before her day and having been inflamed by sudden madness, Proserpina had not yet carried off the yellow hair from the top of the head for that woman and condemned her head to Stygian Orcus. Therefore dewy Iris, drawing a thousand different colors through the sky with her yellow wings, flies down with the sun opposite and stood over her head. “Having been ordered I bring this sacred thing to Pluto and I free you from that body of yours”: thus she speaks and she cuts the hair with her right hand, and at the same time all departed warmth and life withdrew into the winds.
resolveret - impf. act. subj., 3rd sg. ingemuit - Dido is upset because she is not yet dead quae...artus - relative clause of purpose merita - modifies morte Proserpina - Pluto’s queen, goddess of the lower world; she was supposed to cut a lock of hair from the head of the dying, as a sort of offering to the gods of the lower world colores - a rainbow appears as Iris flies down sacrum - the hair atque - links calor and vita
Hinc via Tartarei quae fert Acherontis ad undas. 295 turbidus hic caeno vastaque voragine gurges aestuat atque omnem Cocyto eructat harenam. portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina servat terribili squalore Charon, cui plurima mento canities inculta iacet, stant lumina flamma, 300 sordidus ex umeris nodo dependet amictus. ipse ratem conto subigit velisque ministrat et ferruginea subvectat corpora cumba, iam senior, sed cruda deo viridisque senectus. huc omnis turba ad ripas effusa ruebat, 305 matres atque viri defunctaque corpora vita magnanimum heroum, pueri innuptaeque puellae, impositique rogis iuvenes ante ora parentum: quam multa in silvis autumni frigore primo lapsa cadunt folia, aut ad terram gurgite ab alto 310 quam multae glomerantur aves, ubi frigidus annus trans pontum fugat et terris immittit apricis. stabant orantes primi transmittere cursum tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore.
From here is the path which leads to the waves of Tartarean Acheron. Here the turbid abyss boils with filth and with a vast whirlpool and vomits all its sand to the Cocytus. The horrible ferryman Charon watches over these waters and rivers with terrible squalor, for whom very much unkempt gray hair lies on his chin, his eyes stand with fire, a filthy cloak hangs down from his shoulders with a knot. He himself pushes the raft with a pole and he tends to the sails and he transports bodies with his rusty boat, now an old man, but old age is fresh and vigorous for a god. Here the entire crowd having been poured out to the banks was rushing about, mothers and men and bodies of great-souled heroes having finished their life, boys and unmarried girls, and youths having been placed upon pyres before the faces of their parents: however many leaves having fallen fall in the woods in the first chill of autumn, or however many birds are gathered to the land from the deep abyss, when the chilly year puts them to flight across the sea and sends them to sunny lands. The first ones were standing begging him to send them across the course and they were stretching their hands with a desire of the farther bank.
deo - dat. of possession
navita sed tristis nunc hos nunc accipit illos, 315 ast alios longe summotos arcet harena. Aeneas miratus enim motusque tumultu 'dic,' ait, 'o virgo, quid vult concursus ad amnem? quidve petunt animae? vel quo discrimine ripas hae linquunt, illae remis vada livida verrunt?' 320 olli sic breviter fata est longaeva sacerdos: 'Anchisa generate, deum certissima proles, Cocyti stagna alta vides Stygiamque paludem, di cuius iurare timent et fallere numen. haec omnis, quam cernis, inops inhumataque turba est; 325 portitor ille Charon; hi, quos vehit unda, sepulti. nec ripas datur horrendas et rauca fluenta transportare prius quam sedibus ossa quierunt. centum errant annos volitantque haec litora circum; tum demum admissi stagna exoptata revisunt.' 330 constitit Anchisa satus et vestigia pressit multa putans sortemque animo miseratus iniquam.
But the grim sailor receives now these, now those, but he keeps others at a distance having been removed from the beach.. Indeed aeneas having admired and having been moved by the tumult says, “Tell me, O maiden, what does the crowd wish at the river? Or what do the souls seek? Or with what distinction do these leave behind the banks, (but) those sweep over the dark shallows with oars?” The aged priestess spoke briefly thus to that man: “You having been begotten by Anchises, the most certain offspring of the gods, you see the deep waters of the Cocytus and the Stygian swamp, whose divine power the gods fear to swear on and to deceive. This entire crowd which you discern is needy and unburied; that ferryman is Charon; these, whom the waves carry, are buried. Nor is it granted to carry them across the horrifying banks and the raucous streams before their bones rest in seats. They wander for one hundred years and they fly around these shores; then finally having been admitted they revisit the described waters.” The one having been begotten stood still and he repressed his footsteps thinking many things and having pitied their unjust lot in his spirit.
generate - perf. pass. ptc., voc. sg. masc. olli - archaic dat. sg. sacerdos - the Sibyl di - nom. pl. annos - acc. of extent haec litora circum - anastrophe
Latin IV AP Exam #2 (6.384-425, 450-476, 847-899)
Ergo iter inceptum peragunt fluvioque propinquant. navita quos iam inde ut Stygia prospexit ab unda 385 per tacitum nemus ire pedemque advertere ripae, sic prior adgreditur dictis atque increpat ultro: 'quisquis es, armatus qui nostra ad flumina tendis, fare age, quid venias, iam istinc et comprime gressum. umbrarum hic locus est, somni noctisque soporae: 390 corpora viva nefas Stygia vectare carina. nec vero Alciden me sum laetatus euntem accepisse lacu, nec Thesea Pirithoumque, dis quamquam geniti atque invicti viribus essent. Tartareum ille manu custodem in vincla petivit 395 ipsius a solio regis traxitque trementem; hi dominam Ditis thalamo deducere adorti.' quae contra breviter fata est Amphrysia vates: 'nullae hic insidiae tales (absiste moveri), nec vim tela ferunt; licet ingens ianitor antro 400 aeternum latrans exsanguis terreat umbras, casta licet patrui servet Proserpina limen.
Therefore they finish the journey having been begun and they approach the river. Now from there when the sailor saw from the Stygian wave that they were going through the silent grove and were turning their foot to the bank, thus he addresses them first with words and he chides them further: “Whoever you are, who having been armed strive towards our rivers, come now, tell me now from there, why do you come and repress your step. This is a place of shadows, of sleep and of sleep-bringing night: it is a crime to carry living bodies in my Stygian keel. Neither truly did I rejoice that I received Alcides going on my lake, nor Theseus and Pirithoüs, although they were begotten from gods and unconquered in strength. That man sought the guardian of Tartarus in chains with his hand and he dragged it trembling from the throne of the king himself; these men attempted to lead the mistress of Pluto from her bedroom.” The Amphrysian prophetess said these things briefly in reply: “Here there are no such treacheries (cease to be moved), nor do his weapons bring force; it is permitted that the enormous doorkeeper barking eternally in his cave terrify the bloodless shadows, it is permitted that chaster Proserpina watch over the threshold of her uncle.
terreat - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. servet - pres. act. subj., 3rd sg. quisquis - refers to Aeneas quid venias - indirect question Alciden - patronymic for Hercules (“descendent of Alceus”) dis...geniti...invicti viribus - chiasmus ille - refers to Hercules custodem - refers to Cerberus hi - refers to Theseus and Pirithoüs dominam - refers to Proserpina Amphrysia - of Amphrysus, a river in Thessaly frequented by Apollo ianitor - refers to Cerberus
Troius Aeneas, pietate insignis et armis, ad genitorem imas Erebi descendit ad umbras. si te nulla movet tantae pietatis imago, 405 at ramum hunc' (aperit ramum qui veste latebat) 'agnoscas.' tumida ex ira tum corda residunt; nec plura his. ille admirans venerabile donum fatalis virgae longo post tempore visum caeruleam advertit puppim ripaeque propinquat. 410 inde alias animas, quae per iuga longa sedebant, deturbat laxatque foros; simul accipit alveo ingentem Aenean. gemuit sub pondere cumba sutilis et multam accepit rimosa paludem. tandem trans fluvium incolumis vatemque virumque 415 informi limo glaucaque exponit in ulua. Cerberus haec ingens latratu regna trifauci personat adverso recubans immanis in antro. cui vates horrere videns iam colla colubris melle soporatam et medicatis frugibus offam 420 obicit.
Trojan Aeneas, remarkable in loyalty and in weapons, descends to his father and to the lowest shadows of Erebus. If no image of such great loyalty moves you, yet you may recognize this branch” (she reveals the branch which was hidden in her garment). Then his swollen heart sits down from its anger; nor (did they say) more things than these. That man, admiring the venerable gift of the fateful twig having been seen, after a long time turns the dark-blue ship and approaches the bank. From there he drives off the other spirits, which were sitting throughout the long benches, and he loosens the gangways; at the same time he receives enormous Aeneas into the boat. The sewn boat groaned under the weight and leaky it received much of the swamp. Finally across the river he puts both the prophetess and the man safe on the shapeless slime and on the gray grass. Enormous Cerberus makes these kingdoms resound with his three-throated barking, immense, lying in an opposite cave. The prophetess, seeing that the necks to him now were bristling with serpents, presents a cake having been drugged with honey and medicated fruits.
plura -comparative his - ablative of comparison cui - dat. sg.
ille fame rabida tria guttura pandens 421 corripit obiectam, atque immania terga resolvit fusus humi totoque ingens extenditur antro. occupat Aeneas aditum custode sepulto evaditque celer ripam inremeabilis undae. 425
That thing, opening its three throats with rapid hunger, snatches the thing having been presented, and it loosens its immense backs having been poured on the ground and enormous it is stretched out in the entire cave. Aeneas occupies the entrance with the guardian having been buried and swiftly he escapes the bank of the water of no return.
custode - refers to Cerberus custode sepulto - ablative absolute
inter quas Phoenissa recens a vulnere Dido 450 errabat silva in magna; quam Troius heros ut primum iuxta stetit agnovitque per umbras obscuram, qualem primo qui surgere mense aut videt aut vidisse putat per nubila lunam, demisit lacrimas dulcique adfatus amore est: 455 'infelix Dido, verus mihi nuntius ergo venerat exstinctam ferroque extrema secutam? funeris heu tibi causa fui? per sidera iuro, per superos et si qua fides tellure sub ima est, inuitus, regina, tuo de litore cessi. 460 sed me iussa deum, quae nunc has ire per umbras, per loca senta situ cogunt noctemque profundam, imperiis egere suis; nec credere quivi hunc tantum tibi me discessu ferre dolorem.
Among whom Phoenician Dido fresh from her wound was wandering in the great forest; as soon as the Trojan hero stood near her and recognized her dim through the shadows, just as one who in the first (part of the) month either sees or thinks to have seen the moon rising through the clouds, he sent down tears and he addressed her with sweet love: “Unfortunate Dido, therefore had a true message come to me that you had been destroyed and that you had followed your end with iron? Alas was I the cause of death for you? I swear by the stars, by the gods above and if there is any faith under the lowest earth, I departed unwillingly from your shore, queen. But the orders of the gods, which now compel me to go through these shadows, through places rough with decay and the vast night, drove me by their commands; nor was I able to believe that I brought such great a grief as this to you with my departure.
quas - those spirits who died for love egere - syncope (=egerunt)
siste gradum teque aspectu ne subtrahe nostro. 465 quem fugis? extremum fato quod te adloquor hoc est.' talibus Aeneas ardentem et torva tuentem lenibat dictis animum lacrimasque ciebat. illa solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat nec magis incepto vultum sermone movetur 470 quam si dura silex aut stet Marpesia cautes. tandem corripuit sese atque inimica refugit in nemus umbriferum, coniunx ubi pristinus illi respondet curis aequatque Sychaeus amorem. nec minus Aeneas casu percussus iniquo 475 prosequitur lacrimis longe et miseratur euntem.
Stop your step and do not withdraw yourself from our sight. Whom do you flee? This is the last thing by fate which I address to you.” With such words Aeneas was trying to soothe her spirit burning and watching fiercely and he was stirring up tears. That woman having been turned away was holding her eyes fixed on the ground nor is she moved as to her face by his speech having been begun more than if hard flint of Marpesian rock stood there. Finally she snatched herself away and hostile she fled into the shady grove, where her former spouse Sychaeus responds for that woman and matches her love. Nor does Aeneas having been struck by her unjust misfortune follow her less in tears at a distance and he pities her going.
lenibat - conative imperfect (=leniebat; changed to fit dactylic hexameter) vultum - accusative of respect Marpesia cautes - of Marpesus, a mountain on the island of Paros famous for its white marble euntem - modifies Dido (understood)
‘excudent alii spirantia mollius aera (credo equidem), vivos ducent de marmore vultus, orabunt causas melius, caelique meatus describent radio et surgentia sidera dicent: 850 tu regere imperio populos, Romane, memento (hae tibi erunt artes), pacique imponere morem, parcere subiectis et debellare superbos.'
“Others will fashion breathing bronze more gracefully (indeed I believe it), they will lead out living faces from marble, they will plead cases better, and they will mark out the courses of the sky with a rod and they will name the rising stars: You, Roman, remember to rule peoples with power (these will be your skills), and to impose a custom on peace, to spare those having been vanquished and to crush the proud.”
excudent...dicent - refers to the Greeks memento - a rare future imperative
Sic pater Anchises, atque haec mirantibus addit: 'aspice, ut insignis spoliis Marcellus opimis 855 ingreditur victorque viros supereminet omnis. hic rem Romanam magno turbante tumultu sistet eques, sternet Poenos Gallumque rebellem, tertiaque arma patri suspendet capta Quirino.' atque hic Aeneas (una namque ire videbat 860 egregium forma iuvenem et fulgentibus armis, sed frons laeta parum et deiecto lumina vultu) 'quis, pater, ille, virum qui sic comitatur euntem? filius, anne aliquis magna de stirpe nepotum? qui strepitus circa comitum! quantum instar in ipso! 865 sed nox atra caput tristi circumvolat umbra.' tum pater Anchises lacrimis ingressus obortis: 'o gnate, ingentem luctum ne quaere tuorum; ostendent terris hunc tantum fata nec ultra esse sinent. nimium vobis Romana propago 870 visa potens, superi, propria haec si dona fuissent.
Thus father Anchises (speaks), and he adds these things for those marvelling: “Look at how Marcellus, distinguished by the spoils of honor, proceeds and as victor he towers over all men. With a great uproar disturbing the Roman state, this equestrian will stand up, he will lay low the Carthaginians and the rebellious Gaul, and he will hang up the third captured arms to father Quirinus.” And here Aeneas says (for at the same time he saw a young man going distinguished in form and in gleaming weapons, but his forehead was not happy and his eyes were with a downcast appearance), “Father, who is that man, who thus accompanies the man going? His son or someone of his descendents from his great lineage? What an uproar of comrades is around him! What great dignity is in the man himself! But a dark night flies around his head with a sad shadow.” Then father Anchises began with tears arising: “O child, do not ask about the enormous grief of your people; the fates will show so great a man as this to the lands nor will they allow him to exist farther. The Roman offspring would have seemed too powerful to you, gods above, if these gifts had been secure.
spoliis opimis - “spoils of honor,” won when a Roman general with his own hand slew the general of the enemy; these were won before by Romulus early in his kingship and by Cossus in 428 BCE (the latter of these is mentioned at 841), and finally by the elder Marcellus in 222 BCE Marcellus - Marcus Claudius Marcellus (the Elder), d. 208 BCE; famous Roman consul, served in both 1st and 2nd Punic Wars magno...tumultu - ablative absolute eques - the middle class of Roman society suspendet - making a dedication of spoils to a god by hanging them in (or on) the temple Quirino - the deified Romulus as god of war; the name comes as something of a surprise, since the spolia opima were traditionally dedicated not to Quirinus but to Jupiter Feretrius; possibly meant to honor Romulus, who as the first winner of the spolia opima began the tradition of dedication of Jupiter Feretrius ille - the younger Marcus Claudius Marcellus born in 42 BCE, i.e., the son of Augustus’s sister Octavia and husband of Augustus’s daughter Julia; Augustus had chosen him to be his successor, but he died in 23 BCE virum - Marcellus the Elder hunc - Marcellus the Younger nimium...fuissent - contrary-to-fact past condition
quantos ille virum magnam Mauortis ad urbem campus aget gemitus! vel quae, Tiberine, videbis funera, cum tumulum praeterlabere recentem! nec puer Iliaca quisquam de gente Latinos 875 in tantum spe tollet avos, nec Romula quondam ullo se tantum tellus iactabit alumno. heu pietas, heu prisca fides invictaque bello dextera! non illi se quisquam impune tulisset obvius armato, seu cum pedes iret in hostem 880 seu spumantis equi foderet calcaribus armos. heu, miserande puer, si qua fata aspera rumpas-- tu Marcellus eris. manibus date lilia plenis purpureos spargam flores animamque nepotis his saltem accumulem donis, et fungar inani 885 munere.' sic tota passim regione vagantur aeris in campis latis atque omnia lustrant.
What great groans of men will that field lead to the great city of Mars! Or what funerals will you see, Tiber, when you will glide past the recent tomb! Neither will any boy from the Trojan race raise his Latin ancestors into so great a place with hope, nor will the Roman land ever boast about itself so much with any child. Alas loyalty, alas ancient faith and a right hand unconquered in war! No one would have carried himself unpunished against that man armed, either when he went as a foot soldier against the enemy or he dug into the flanks of his foaming horse with his spurs. Alas, boy to be pitied, if in any way you break off your harsh fates--you will be Marcellus. Give lilies with your full hands, let me scatter purple flowers and at least let me honor the spirit of my descendent with these gifts, and let me perform the useless duty.” Thus everywhere in the entire region of fog they wander in the broad fields and they traverse all things.
spargam - pres. act, subj., 1st sg. accumulem - pres. act, subj., 1st sg. fungar - pres. dep, subj., 1st sg. quantos...gemitus - hyperbaton praeterlabere - syncope (=preaterlaberis) illi - Marcellus the Younger miserande - vocative gerundive rumpas--tu - aposiopesis
quae postquam Anchises natum per singula duxit incenditque animum famae venientis amore, exim bella viro memorat quae deinde gerenda, 890 Laurentisque docet populos urbemque Latini, et quo quemque modo fugiatque feratque laborem. Sunt geminae Somni portae, quarum altera fertur cornea, qua veris facilis datur exitus umbris, altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto, 895 sed falsa ad caelum mittunt insomnia Manes. his ibi tum natum Anchises unaque Sibyllam prosequitur dictis portaque emittit eburna, ille viam secat ad navis sociosque revisit.
After Anchises led his son through each of these things and inflamed his spirit with a love of coming fame, then he recounts the wars which must next be waged by the man, and he teaches about the peoples of Laurentum and the city of Latinus, and in what way he might both escape and endure each labor. There are twin gates of Sleep, of which one is said (to be) of horn, by which an easy exit is given to true shades, the other having been made with white ivory, gleaming, but the souls of the dead send false dreams to heaven. Then Anchises escorts his son and the Sibyll together there with these words and he sends them out the ivory gate; that man cuts a path to his ships and revisits his allies.
viro - dative of agent gerenda - passive periphrastic (with sint understood) quo...laborem - indirect question quarum - partitive genitive
CAESAR'S DE BELLO GALLICO
Book 1
Chapters 1-7
Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur. Hi omnes lingua, institutis, legibus inter se differunt. Gallos ab Aquitanis Garumna flumen, a Belgis Matrona et Sequana dividit. Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, propterea quod a cultu atque humanitate provinciae longissime absunt, minimeque ad eos mercatores saepe commeant atque ea quae ad effeminandos animos pertinent important, proximique sunt Germanis, qui trans Rhenum incolunt, quibuscum continenter bellum gerunt. Qua de causa Helvetii quoque reliquos Gallos virtute praecedunt, quod fere cotidianis proeliis cum Germanis contendunt, cum aut suis finibus eos prohibent aut ipsi in eorum finibus bellum gerunt. [Eorum una, pars, quam Gallos obtinere dictum est, initium capit a flumine Rhodano, continetur Garumna flumine, Oceano, finibus Belgarum, attingit etiam ab Sequanis et Helvetiis flumen Rhenum, vergit ad septentriones. Belgae ab extremis Galliae finibus oriuntur, pertinent ad inferiorem partem fluminis Rheni, spectant in septentrionem et orientem solem. Aquitania a Garumna flumine ad Pyrenaeos montes et eam partem Oceani quae est ad Hispaniam pertinet; spectat inter occasum solis et septentriones.]
All Gaul is divided into three parts, of which the Belgae inhabit one, the Aquitani another, and those who are called Celtae in their own language but Gauls in ours a third. All these differ among themselves in language, customs, and laws. The Garumna River divides the Gauls from the Aquitani, the Matrona and the Sequana divide them from the Belgae. Of all these the Belgae are the strongest because they are the farthest away from the culture and humanity of the province, and least often do merchants come to them and bring in those things which pertain to making the mind effeminate, and they are nearest to the Germans, who dwell across the Rhine, with whom they wage war continually. And for this reason the Helvetians also go before the remaining Gauls in courage, because they contend with the Germans in nearly daily battles, when either they keep them from their own boundaries or they themselves wage war in their boundaries. Of these one part, which it has been said that the Gauls possess, takes its beginning from the Rhone River, is contained by the Garumna River, the Ocean, and the boundaries of the Belgae, and also extends from the Sequani and the Helvetians to the Rhine River, and lies toward the North. The Belgae arise from the farthest boundaries of Gaul, they extend to the lower part of the Rhine River, and they look to the North and the rising sun. Aquitania extends from the Garumna River to the Pyrenees Mountains and that part of the Ocean which is near Hispania; it looks between the setting of the sun and the North.
quarum - partitive genitive cultu, humanitate - abl. of separation effeminandos - gerundive eorum - refers to the Germans Eorum...septentriones - some scholars believe that the rest of this chapter was not actually written by Caesar, but inserted by someone who thought we needed more geography
Apud Helvetios longe nobilissimus fuit et ditissimus Orgetorix. Is M. Messala, [et P.] M. Pisone consulibus regni cupiditate inductus coniurationem nobilitatis fecit et civitati persuasit ut de finibus suis cum omnibus copiis exirent: perfacile esse, cum virtute omnibus praestarent, totius Galliae imperio potiri. Id hoc facilius iis persuasit, quod undique loci natura Helvetii continentur: una ex parte flumine Rheno latissimo atque altissimo, qui agrum Helvetium a Germanis dividit; altera ex parte monte Iura altissimo, qui est inter Sequanos et Helvetios; tertia lacu Lemanno et flumine Rhodano, qui provinciam nostram ab Helvetiis dividit. His rebus fiebat ut et minus late vagarentur et minus facile finitimis bellum inferre possent; qua ex parte homines bellandi cupidi magno dolore adficiebantur. Pro multitudine autem hominum et pro gloria belli atque fortitudinis angustos se fines habere arbitrabantur, qui in longitudinem milia passuum CCXL, in latitudinem CLXXX patebant.
Among the Helvetians by far the most well-known and wealthiest man was Orgetorix. With Marcus Messala and Marcus Pupius Piso being consuls, this man, having been induced by the desire of rulership, made a conspiracy of the nobility and persuaded the state that they go out from their own boundaries with all their supplies: that it was very easy, since they surpassed all in courage, to obtain command of all Gaul. He persuaded them of this more easily because of this, because on all sides the Helvetians are contained by the nature of the place: on one side by the very wide and the very deep Rhine River, which divides the land of the Helvetians from the Germans; from another side by the very high Jura mountain chain, which is between the Sequani and the Helvetians, on a third by Lake Lemannus and the Rhone River, which divides our province from the Helvetians. From these things it happened that they both wandered less widely and were able to bring war upon their neighbors less easily; and for this reason people desirous of waging war were afflicted with great grief. Moreover, in proportion to the multitude of people and in proportion to the glory of war and of courage they thought that they had narrow boundaries, which extended 240 miles in length, and 180 in width.
M. Messala...consulibus - ablative absolute; 61 BCE civitati - dat. sg. ut...exirent - substantive clause of purpose facilius - comparative adverb ut...possent - substantive clause of result bellandi - gen. gerund se - acc. subject in indirect statement
His rebus adducti et auctoritate Orgetorigis permoti constituerunt ea quae ad proficiscendum pertinerent comparare, iumentorum et carrorum quam maximum numerum coemere, sementes quam maximas facere, ut in itinere copia frumenti suppeteret, cum proximis civitatibus pacem et amicitiam confirmare. Ad eas res conficiendas biennium sibi satis esse duxerunt; in tertium annum profectionem lege confirmant. Ad eas res conficiendas Orgetorix deligitur. Is sibi legationem ad civitates suscipit. In eo itinere persuadet Castico, Catamantaloedis filio, Sequano, cuius pater regnum in Sequanis multos annos obtinuerat et a senatu populi Romani amicus appellatus erat, ut regnum in civitate sua occuparet, quod pater ante habuerit; itemque Dumnorigi Haeduo, fratri Diviciaci, qui eo tempore principatum in civitate obtinebat ac maxime plebi acceptus erat, ut idem conaretur persuadet eique filiam suam in matrimonium dat. Perfacile factu esse illis probat conata perficere, propterea quod ipse suae civitatis imperium obtenturus esset: non esse dubium quin totius Galliae plurimum Helvetii possent; se suis copiis suoque exercitu illis regna conciliaturum confirmat. Hac oratione adducti inter se fidem et ius iurandum dant et regno occupato per tres potentissimos ac firmissimos populos totius Galliae sese potiri posse sperant.
They, having been induced by these things and having been influenced by the authority of Orgetorix, they decided to prepare those things which pertain to setting out, to buy up as great a number as possible of pack animals and carts, to make as many sowings as possible, so that on their journey a supply of grain might be in store, and to establish peace and friendship with the nearest states. They considered that a two year period was enough for them to complete these things; they confirm the departure by law in the third year. Orgetorix is chosen for completing these things. He took upon himself an embassy to states. On this journey he persuades Casticus, the son of Catamantaloedis, a Sequanian, whose father had held rulership among the Sequani for many years and had been called a friend of the Roman people by the senate, that he seize rulership in his own state, which his father had held earlier; and likewise he persuades Dumnorix the Aeduan, the brother of Diviciacus, who at this time held leadership in the state and had been very well received by the common people, that he try the same thing and he gives his daughter in marriage to him. He demonstrates to those men that it is very easy to do to complete the undertakings, because he himself was about to seize command in his own state: that there was no doubt but that the Helvetians were the most able of all Gaul; he declares that he will secure rulerships for those men with his own supplies and his own army. Having been influenced by this speech, they give a pledge and an oath among themselves and with rulership having been seized they hope that they are able to possess all Gaul through the three most powerful and strongest peoples.
proficiscendum - acc. gerund conficiendas (x2) - gerundive populi Romani amicus - an honorary and formal title conferred by the Roman senate ut...occuparet - substantive clause of purpose qui - refers to Dumnorix ut...conaretur - substantive clause of purpose (conaretur = impf. subj.) factu - abl. supine
Ea res est Helvetiis per indicium enuntiata. Moribus suis Orgetoricem ex vinculis causam dicere coegerunt; damnatum poenam sequi oportebat, ut igni cremaretur. Die constituta causae dictionis Orgetorix ad iudicium omnem suam familiam, ad hominum milia decem, undique coegit, et omnes clientes obaeratosque suos, quorum magnum numerum habebat, eodem conduxit; per eos ne causam diceret se eripuit. Cum civitas ob eam rem incitata armis ius suum exequi conaretur multitudinemque hominum ex agris magistratus cogerent, Orgetorix mortuus est; neque abest suspicio, ut Helvetii arbitrantur, quin ipse sibi mortem consciverit.
This matter was announced to the Helvetians through an informer. By their own customs they compelled Orgetorix to plead his case in chains; it was necessary for punishment to follow him having been condemned, that he be burned by fire. With the day of the pleading of his case having been set, Orgetorix gathered from everywhere to his trial his entire family, about ten thousand people, and he brought together in the same place all his clients and his debtors, of whom he had a great number; through them he rescued himself so that he might not plead his case. While the state, having been stirred up on account of this thing, was trying to enforce its own law by arms and the magistrates were gathering a multitude of men from the fields, Orgetorix died; nor is suspicion lacking, as the Helvetians think, but that he himself contrived death for himself.
ne...diceret - negative purpose clause
Post eius mortem nihilo minus Helvetii id quod constituerant facere conantur, ut e finibus suis exeant. Ubi iam se ad eam rem paratos esse arbitrati sunt, oppida sua omnia, numero ad duodecim, vicos ad quadringentos, reliqua privata aedificia incendunt; frumentum omne, praeter quod secum portaturi erant, comburunt, ut domum reditionis spe sublata paratiores ad omnia pericula subeunda essent; trium mensum molita cibaria sibi quemque domo efferre iubent. Persuadent Rauracis et Tulingis et Latobrigis finitimis, uti eodem usi consilio oppidis suis vicisque exustis una cum iis proficiscantur, Boiosque, qui trans Rhenum incoluerant et in agrum Noricum transierant Noreiamque oppugnabant, receptos ad se socios sibi adsciscunt.
After his death nevertheless the Helvetians try to do that which they had decided, that they go out from their own borders. When now they thought that they were prepared for this thing, they burned down all their towns, about twelve in number, about four hundred villages, and the remaining private buildings; they burn up all the grain, except what they going to carry with themselves, so that with the hope of a return home having been destroyed they might be prepared to endure all dangers; they order each man to carry out from home for himself flour for three months. They persuade their neighbors, the Rauraci and the Tulingi and the Latobrogi, that they, having used the same plan, set out together with them with all their towns and villages having been burned, and they add to themselves as allies the Boii, who had lived across the Rhine and had crossed into the land of Noricum and had seized Noreia, having been received to them.
paratiores - comparative degree subeunda - gerundive
Erant omnino itinera duo, quibus itineribus domo exire possent: unum per Sequanos, angustum et difficile, inter montem Iuram et flumen Rhodanum, vix qua singuli carri ducerentur, mons autem altissimus impendebat, ut facile perpauci prohibere possent; alterum per provinciam nostram, multo facilius atque expeditius, propterea quod inter fines Helvetiorum et Allobrogum, qui nuper pacati erant, Rhodanus fluit isque non nullis locis vado transitur. Extremum oppidum Allobrogum est proximumque Helvetiorum finibus Genava. Ex eo oppido pons ad Helvetios pertinet. Allobrogibus sese vel persuasuros, quod nondum bono animo in populum Romanum viderentur, existimabant vel vi coacturos ut per suos fines eos ire paterentur. Omnibus rebus ad profectionem comparatis diem dicunt, qua die ad ripam Rhodani omnes conveniant. Is dies erat a. d. V. Kal. Apr. L. Pisone, A. Gabinio consulibus.
There were only two routes, by which routes they were able to depart from home: one through the Sequani, narrow and difficult, between the Jura mountain chain and the Rhone River, where single carts could hardly be led, moreover a very high mountain hung over it such that a few people were able to prevent them easily; the other was through our province, much easier and more unimpeded, because the Rhone flows between the boundaries of the Helvetians and the Allobroges, who recently had been subdued, and it is crossed in several places by a ford. The farthest town of the Allobroges and the one nearest to the boundaries of the Helvetians is Geneva. From this town a bridge extends to the Helvetians. they thought that they either could persuade the Allobroges, because they did not yet seem well-disposed to the Roman people, or they would compel them by force that they allow them to go through their boundaries. With all things having been prepared for the departure, they named the day, on which day they all may gather at the bank of the Rhone. That day was the fifth day before the calends of April with Lucius Piso and Aulus Gabinius being consuls.
ut...possent - result clause multo - abl. of degree of difference
Caesari cum id nuntiatum esset, eos per provincia nostram iter facere conari, maturat ab urbe proficisci et quam maximis potest itineribus in Galliam ulteriorem contendit et ad Genavam pervenit. Provinciae toti quam maximum potest militum numerum imperat (erat omnino in Gallia ulteriore legio una), pontem, qui erat ad Genavam, iubet rescindi. Ubi de eius aventu Helvetii certiores facti sunt, legatos ad eum mittunt nobilissimos civitatis, cuius legationis Nammeius et Verucloetius principem locum obtinebant, qui dicerent sibi esse in animo sine ullo maleficio iter per provinciam facere, propterea quod aliud iter haberent nullum: rogare ut eius voluntate id sibi facere liceat. Caesar, quod memoria tenebat L. Cassium consulem occisum exercitumque eius ab Helvetiis pulsum et sub iugum missum, concedendum non putabat; neque homines inimico animo, data facultate per provinciam itineris faciundi, temperaturos ab iniuria et maleficio existimabat. Tamen, ut spatium intercedere posset dum milites quos imperaverat convenirent, legatis respondit diem se ad deliberandum sumpturum: si quid vellent, ad Id. April. reverterentur.
When this had been announced to Caesar, that they were trying to make a journey through our province, he hurries to set out from the city and he hastens into farther Gaul by as long of journeys as he is able and he arrives at Geneva. He enlists from the entire province as large a number of soldiers as he is able (there was only one legion in farther Gaul), he commands the bridge which was near Geneva to be destroyed. When the Helvetians were made more certain about his arrival, they send the most well-known men of the state as ambassadors to him, of which embassy Nammeius and Verucloetius held the principal spot, who might say that it was in their mind to make a journey through the province through the province without any mischief, because they had no other route: to ask that it be permitted for them to do this with his consent. Caesar, because he held in his memory Lucius Cassius the consul having been killed and his army having been defeated by the Helvetians and having been sent under the yoke, did not think that it must be permitted; nor did he think that that people with a hostile mind would refrain from wrongdoing and mischief, with the opportunity of making a journey through the province having been given. Nevertheless, so that a period of time might be able to pass while the soldiers whom he had enlisted were gathering, he replied that he would take a day to deliberate: if they wanted anything, they should return on the ides of April.
urbe - Rome rescindi - pres. pass. inf. sibi - refers to the Helvetians ut...liceat - substantive clause of purpose eius - refers to Lucius Cassius Helvetiis - abl. of agent sub iugum missum - when a victorious army wanted to humiliate a defeated enemy, they would set up a “yoke” or low arch, which was constructed with spears; they would then force the defeated army to march “under the yoke”; the defeated soldiers would have to bend over to get underneath (thus forcing them to bow down), and the victors would line up to jeer and make fun of the defeated soldiers concendum (esse) - passive periphrastic iniuria, maleficio - abl. of separation deliberandum - gerund
Book 4
Chapters 24-29
At barbari, consilio Romanorum cognito praemisso equitatu et essedariis, quo plerumque genere in proeliis uti consuerunt, reliquis copiis subsecuti nostros navibus egredi prohibebant. Erat ob has causas summa difficultas, quod naves propter magnitudinem nisi in alto constitui non poterant, militibus autem, ignotis locis, impeditis manibus, magno et gravi onere armorum oppressis simul et de navibus desiliendum et in fluctibus consistendum et cum hostibus erat pugnandum, cum illi aut ex arido aut paulum in aquam progressi omnibus membris expeditis, notissimis locis, audacter tela coicerent et equos insuefactos incitarent. Quibus rebus nostri perterriti atque huius omnino generis pugnae imperiti, non eadem alacritate ac studio quo in pedestribus uti proeliis consuerant utebantur.
But the barbarians, with the plan of the Romans having been recognized and with their cavalry and charioteers having been sent in advance, which kind they were accustomed to use very often in battles, having followed with their remaining troops prevented our men from disembarking from our ships. There was the greatest difficulty on account of the these reasons, because the ships, on account of their size, were not able to be stationed, except in the deep, moreover the soldiers, in unknown places, with hindered hands, having been pressed down with a great and heavy burden of weapons at the same time had to jump down from the ships and had to stand in the waves and had to fight with the enemies, while those men having advanced either from dry land or a little into the water with all their limbs unimpeded, in very familiar places, boldy hurled missiles and urged on their trained horses. Our men, having been frightened by these things and entirely ignorant of this kind of fight, were not using the same enthusiasm and eagerness which they had been accustomed to use in battles on foot.
equitatu et essedariis - British forces genere - abl. used with uti militibus - dat. of agent oppressis - modifies militibus desiliendum...consistendum...pugnandum - gerundives in passive periphrastic et...et...et - polysyndeton illi - refers to the British
Quod ubi Caesar animadvertit, naves longas, quarum et species erat barbaris inusitatior et motus ad usum expeditior, paulum removeri ab onerariis navibus et remis incitari et ad latus apertum hostium constitui atque inde fundis, sagittis, tormentis hostes propelli ac submoveri iussit; quae res magno usui nostris fuit. Nam et navium figura et remorum motu et inusitato genere tormentorum permoti barbari constiterunt ac paulum modo pedem rettulerunt. Atque nostris militibus cunctantibus, maxime propter altitudinem maris, qui X legionis aquilam gerebat, obtestatus deos, ut ea res legioni feliciter eveniret, ‘desilite,’ inquit, ‘milites, nisi vultis aquilam hostibus prodere; ego certe meum rei publicae atque imperatori officium praestitero.’ Hoc cum voce magna dixisset, se ex navi proiecit atque in hostes aquilam ferre coepit. Tum nostri cohortati inter se, ne tantum dedecus admitteretur, universi ex navi desiluerunt. Hos item ex proximis primi navibus cum conspexissent, subsecuti hostibus adpropinquaverunt.
When Caesar noticed this, he ordered the warships, both whose appearance was more unusual to the barbarians and whose motion was more unimpeded for use, to be moved away a little from the transport ships and to be driven by oars and to be situated near the open flank of the enemies and from there for the enemies to be routed and driven away by slings, arrows, and catapults; this matter was of great use for our men. For the barbarians, having been disturbed by the shape of the ships and the motion of the oars and the unusual type of siege weapons, stood still and retreated only a little. And with our soldiers hesitating, especially on account of the depth of the sea, he who carried the eagle of the tenth legion, having beseeched the gods that this matter might turn out favorably for the legion, said, “Jump down, fellow soldiers, unless you wish to hand over the eagle to enemies; I certainly will have exhibited my duty to the republic and to the commander.” When he had said this with a loud voice, he threw himself out of the ship and he began to carry the eagle into the enemy. Then our men, having encouraged each other that so great a disgrace not be committed, all together jumped out of the ship. Likewise, when the first men from the nearest ships had seen these men, having followed them, they approached the enemies.
fundis, sagittis, tormentis - asyndeton usui nostris - double dative; dative of purpose (usui) and dative of reference (nostri) nostris militibus cunctantibus - ablative absolute ut...eveniret - substantive clause of purpose praestitero - future perfect ne...admitteretur - substantive clause of purpose
Pugnatum est ab utrisque acriter. Nostri tamen, quod neque ordines servare neque firmiter insistere neque signa subsequi poterant atque alius alia ex navi quibuscumque signis occurrerat se adgregabat, magnopere perturbabantur; hostes vero, notis omnibus vadis, ubi ex litore aliquos singulares ex navi egredientes conspexerant, incitatis equis impeditos adoriebantur, plures paucos circumsistebant, alii ab latere aperto in universos tela coniciebant. Quod cum animadvertisset Caesar, scaphas longarum navium, item speculatoria navigia militibus compleri iussit, et quos laborantes conspexerat, his subsidia submittebat. Nostri, simul in arido constiterunt, suis omnibus consecutis, in hostes impetum fecerunt atque eos in fugam dederunt; neque longius prosequi potuerunt, quod equites cursum tenere atque insulam capere non potuerant. Hoc unum ad pristinam fortunam Caesari defuit.
It was fought fiercely by both. Nevertheless, our men, because they were able neither to keep ranks nor to stand firmly nor to follow the standards and different ones from different ships attached themselves to whatever standards they met, were greatly confused. But the enemies, with all shallows being well-known, when from the shore they had seen some men one by one disembarking from the ship, with their horses having been urged on, attacked the ones having been impeded, many surrounded a few, others hurled missiles from the open flank into the whole group. When Caesar had noticed this, he ordered the skiffs of the warships and likewise the scouting ships to be filled with soldiers, and he sent help to these men, whom he had seen struggling. Our men, as soon as they stood on dry land, with all their own men having followed, made an attack against the enemies and they put them to flight; nor were they able to pursue further, because the horsemen were not able to hold their course and to reach the island. This one thing was lacking for Caesar for his former fortune.
aliquos - the Romans compleri - pres. pass. inf. suis omnibus consecutis - ablative absolute
Hostes proelio superati, simul atque se ex fuga receperunt, statim ad Caesarem legatos de pace miserunt; obsides sese daturos quaeque imperasset facturos polliciti sunt. Una cum his legatis Commius Atrebas venit, quem supra demonstraveram a Caesare in Britanniam praemissum. Hunc illi e navi egressum, cum ad eos oratoris modo Caesaris mandata deferret, comprehenderant atque in vincula coniecerant; tum proelio facto remiserunt et in petenda pace eius rei culpam in multitudinem contulerunt et propter imprudentiam ut ignosceretur petiverunt. Caesar questus quod, cum ultro in continentem legatis missis pacem ab se petissent, bellum sine causa intulissent, ignoscere se imprudentiae dixit obsidesque imperavit; quorum illi partem statim dederunt, partem ex longinquioribus locis arcessitam paucis diebus sese daturos dixerunt. Interea suos in agros remigrare iusserunt, principesque undique convenire et se civitatesque suas Caesari commendare coeperunt.
The enemies, having been conquered in battle, as soon as they recovered themselves from flight, immediately sent ambassadors to Caesar about peace; they promised that they would give hostages and would do what he had ordered. Together with these ambassadors, Commius the Atrebatian arrived, whom I had pointed out before as having been sent in advance by Caesar into Britain. These men had arrested this man having disembarked from the ship, when he was carrying the orders of Caesar to them in the manner of an ambassador, and had thrown him into chains; then, with the battle having been done, they sent him back and in seeking peace they ascribed the blame of this matter on their populace and they asked that it be pardoned on account of their ignorance. Caesar, having complained because, although they had sought peace from him with ambassadors having voluntarily been sent to the continent, they had waged war without cause, said that he pardoned their ignorance and demanded hostages; a part of which those men gave immediately, [but] they said that they would give in a few days part having been summoned from more distant places. Meanwhile, they ordered their own men to return to the fields, and their leaders began to come together from everywhere and to surrender themselves and their states to Caesar.
imperasset - syncope (=imperavisset) Commius - Caesar had earlier sent Commius to the Britons as an envoy, but they arrested him on arrival; after their defeat, the Britons hope that, by returning Commius to Caesar, they will gain better terms Caesare - abl. of agent illi - the British longinquioribus - comparative diebus - abl. of time when
His rebus pace confirmata, post diem quartum quam est in Britanniam ventum naves XVIII, de quibus supra demonstratum est, quae equites sustulerant, ex superiore portu leni vento solverunt. Quae cum adpropinquarent Britanniae et ex castris viderentur, tanta tempestas subito coorta est ut nulla earum cursum tenere posset, sed aliae eodem unde erant profectae referrentur, aliae ad inferiorem partem insulae, quae est propius solis occasum, magno suo cum periculo deicerentur; quae tamen ancoris iactis cum fluctibus complerentur, necessario adversa nocte in altum provectae continentem petierunt.
With peace having been confirmed by these things, on the fourth day after they arrived in Britain, eighteen ships, about which it has been explained before, which had carried the horsemen, set sail from an upper port with a gentle wind. When they approached Britain and were seen from the camps, so great a storm suddenly arose that none of them were able to hold their course, but some were carried back to the same place from where they had set out, others were thrown to the lower part of the island, which is nearer to the setting of the sun, with their own great danger; nevertheless, these were filled with waves with their anchors having been cast, [and] they sought the continent having been carried onto the deep out of necessity with night opposed.
quae - the ships ut...posset - result clause
Eadem nocte accidit ut esset luna plena, qui dies a maritimos aestus maximos in Oceano efficere consuevit, nostrisque id erat incognitum. Ita uno tempore et longas naves, [quibus Caesar exercitum transportandum curaverat,] quas Caesar in aridum subduxerat, aestus complebat, et onerarias, quae ad ancoras erant deligatae, tempestas adflictabat, neque ulla nostris facultas aut administrandi aut auxiliandi dabatur. Compluribus navibus fractis, reliquae cum essent funibus, ancoris reliquisque armamentis amissis ad navigandum inutiles, magna, id quod necesse erat accidere, totius exercitus perturbatio facta est. Neque enim naves erant aliae quibus reportari possent, et omnia deerant quae ad reficiendas naves erant usui, et, quod omnibus constabat hiemari in Gallia oportere, frumentum in his locis in hiemem provisum non erat.
On the same night it happened that there was a full moon, a day which was accustomed to cause very great maritime tides on the Ocean, and this was unknown to our men. Thus at one time both the tide had filled up the warships, by which he had provided for transporting the army, and which Caesar had led onto dry land, and the storm was damaging the transport ones, which had been fastened with anchors, nor was any opportunity either of managing or helping given to our men. With several ships having been wrecked, since the rest were useless for sailing with the ropes, anchors, and the remaining gear having been lost, a great disturbance of the entire army happened, a thing which was necessary to happen. Nor indeed were there any ships by which they were able to be carried back, and all things were lacking which were of use for repairing ships, and, because it was evident to all that it was necessary to spend the winter in Gaul, grain had not been provided in these places for the winter.
transportandum - gerundive navigandum - gerund reficiendas - gerundive usui - dat. of purpose
Chapters 30-36
Quibus rebus cognitis, principes Britanniae, qui post proelium ad Caesarem convenerant, inter se conlocuti, cum et equites et naves et frumentum Romanis deesse intellegerent et paucitatem militum ex castrorum exiguitate cognoscerent, quae hoc erant etiam angustior quod sine impedimentis Caesar legiones transportaverat, optimum factu esse duxerunt rebellione facta frumento commeatuque nostros prohibere et rem in hiemem producere, quod his superatis aut reditu interclusis neminem postea belli inferendi causa in Britanniam transiturum confidebant. Itaque rursus coniuratione facta paulatim ex castris discedere et suos clam ex agris deducere coeperunt.
With these things having been recognized, the leaders of Britain, who had come to Caesar after the battle, having spoken among themselves, when they understood that horsemen and ships and grain were lacking for the Romans and they noticed the small number of soldiers from the scantiness of the camp, which was still narrower because of this, because Caesar had transported his legions without baggage, considered that the best thing to do was, with a rebellion having been made, to keep our men from grain and provisions and to prolong the matter into winter, because, with these men having been conquered or having been cut off from a return, they were confident that no one afterwards would come into Britain for the sake of waging war. Therefore, with a conspiracy having been made again, they began to gradually depart from the camp and to secretly lead out their own from the fields.
factu - ablative supine inferendi - gerundive
At Caesar, etsi nondum eorum consilia cognoverat, tamen et ex eventu navium suarum et ex eo quod obsides dare intermiserant fore id quod accidit suspicabatur. Itaque ad omnes casus subsidia comparabat. Nam et frumentum ex agris cotidie in castra conferebat et, quae gravissime adflictae erant naves, earum materia atque aere ad reliquas reficiendas utebatur et quae ad eas res erant usui ex continenti comportari iubebat. Itaque, cum summo studio a militibus administraretur, XII navibus amissis, reliquis ut navigari <satis> commode posset effecit.
But Caesar, although he had not yet learned about their plans, nevertheless suspected that that which happened would be both from the outcome of his ships and from this, because they had delayed giving hostages. Therefore, he was preparing help for all misfortunes. For he was bringing grain into the camp from the fields daily, and he was using the timber and copper of those ships which had been damaged most seriously for repairing the remaining ones, and he was ordering those things which were of use for these things to be acquired from the continent. Therefore, since it was administered by the soldiers with the greatest eagerness, with twelve ships having been lost, he brought it about for the remaining ones that it was possible to be sailed easily.
et...et...et - polysyndeton reficiendas - gerundive usui - dat. of purpose studio - abl. of manner militibus - abl. of agent administraretur - - impf. subj. ut...posset - substantive clause of result
Dum ea geruntur, legione ex consuetudine una frumentatum missa, quae appellabatur VII., neque ulla ad id tempus belli suspicione interposita, cum pars hominum in agris remaneret, pars etiam in castra ventitaret, ii qui pro portis castrorum in statione erant Caesari nuntiaverunt pulverem maiorem quam consuetudo ferret in ea parte videri quam in partem legio iter fecisset. Caesar—id quod erat—suspicatus aliquid novi a barbaris initum consilii, cohortes quae in statione erant secum in eam partem proficisci, ex reliquis duas in stationem succedere, reliquas armari et confestim sese subsequi iussit. Cum paulo longius a castris processisset, suos ab hostibus premi atque aegre sustinere et conferta legione ex omnibus partibus tela coici animadvertit. Nam quod omni ex reliquis partibus demesso frumento pars una erat reliqua, suspicati hostes huc nostros esse venturos noctu in silvis delituerant; tum dispersos depositis armis in metendo occupatos subito adorti paucis interfectis reliquos incertis ordinibus perturbaverant, simul equitatu atque essedis circumdederant.
While these things are being done, with one legion out of habit having been sent to gather grain, which was called the seventh, nor with any suspicion of war having been alleged at this time, when part of the men was staying in the fields, [and] still a part was coming to the camp, those who were on guard before the gates of the camp announced to Caesar that a larger cloud of dust than regular operations would produce was seen in that direction in which direction the legion had made its journey. Caesar, having suspected that which was, that some new plan was begun by the barbarians, ordered the cohorts which were on guard to set out with him in this direction, two cohorts from the remaining ones to take their place on guard, and the remaining ones to be armed and to follow him immediately. When he had proceeded a little farther from the camp, he noticed that his own men were being pressed by the enemies and were holding up poorly and, with the legion being close together, that missiles were being thrown from all directions. For because, with all grain having been harvested from the remaining directions, there was one direction left, the enemies, having suspected that our men would arrive here, had hidden in the woods at the night; then, having suddenly attacked our scattered men having been occupied in harvesting with their weapons having been put aside, with a few men having been killed, had confused the remaining ones with disordered ranks, and at the same time they had surrounded them with cavalry and chariots.
frumentatum - acc. supine barbaris - abl. of agent consili - gen. sg. longius - comparative adverb premi - pres. pass. inf. dispersos - the Romans
Genus hoc est ex essedis pugnae. Primo per omnes partes perequitant et tela coiciunt atque ipso terrore equorum et strepitu rotarum ordines plerumque perturbant, et cum se inter equitum turmas insinuaverunt, ex essedis desiliunt et pedibus proeliantur. Aurigae interim paulatim ex proelio excedunt atque ita currus conlocant ut, si illi a multitudine hostium premantur, expeditum ad suos receptum habeant. Ita mobilitatem equitum, stabilitatem peditum in proeliis praestant, ac tantum usu cotidiano et exercitatione efficiunt uti in declivi ac praecipiti loco incitatos equos sustinere et brevi moderari ac flectere et per temonem percurrere et in iugo insistere et se inde in currus citissime recipere consuerint.
This is the type of fighting from chariots. First they ride through all parts and hurl missiles, and very often they disturb the ranks with the fear itself of the horses and the rattle of wheels and, when they have insinuated themselves among squads of horsemen, they leap down from the chariots and fight on foot. Meanwhile, the charioteers gradually withdraw from battle and they place their chariots in such a way that, if those men are pressed by a multitude of enemies, they have an unimpeded retreat for their own men. Thus they exhibit the speed of the cavalry [and] the steadiness of the infantry in battles, and merely with daily use and practice they bring it about that they become accustomed to sustain their excited horses on a sloping and steep place and to control and guide them in a short time and to run along the pole and to stand on the yoke and from there to take themselves back into their chariots very quickly.
genus - nom. sg. neut.
Quibus rebus perturbatis nostris [novitate pugnae] tempore oportunissimo Caesar auxilium tulit: namque eius adventu hostes constiterunt, nostri se ex timore receperunt. Quo facto, ad lacessendum hostem et committendum proelium alienum esse tempus arbitratus suo se loco continuit et brevi tempore intermisso in castra legiones reduxit. Dum haec geruntur, nostris omnibus occupatis qui erant in agris reliqui discesserunt. Secutae sunt continuos complures dies tempestates, quae et nostros in castris continerent et hostem a pugna prohiberent. Interim barbari nuntios in omnes partes dimiserunt paucitatemque nostrorum militum suis praedicaverunt et quanta praedae faciendae atque in perpetuum sui liberandi facultas daretur, si Romanos castris expulissent, demonstraverunt. His rebus celeriter magna multitudine peditatus equitatusque coacta ad castra venerunt.
With our men having been confused by these things, by the newness of the fight, Caesar brought help at the most opportune time; for at his arrival the enemies stood still, [and] our men recovered themselves from fear. With this having been done, having thought that the time was unfavorable for attacking the enemy and for engaging in battle, he kept himself in his own place and, with a short time having passed, he led his legions back into camp. While these things are being done, with all our men who were in fields having been occupied, the rest departed. Storms followed for several continuous days, which both were keeping our men in the camp and were prohibiting the enemy from battle. Meanwhile, the barbarians sent messengers in all directions and they proclaimed the small number of our soldiers to their own men, and they showed how great an opportunity of making plunder and of freeing themselves forever was given, if they had expelled the Romans from their camp. With a great multitude of infantry and cavalry having been gathered quickly by these things, they came to the camp.
quanta...daretur - indirect question expulissent - plpf. subjunctive
Caesar, etsi idem quod superioribus diebus acciderat fore videbat, ut, si essent hostes pulsi, celeritate periculum effugerent, tamen nactus equites circiter XXX, quos Commius Atrebas, de quo ante dictum est, secum transportaverat, legiones in acie pro castris constituit. Commisso proelio diutius nostrorum militum impetum hostes ferre non potuerunt ac terga verterunt. Quos tanto spatio secuti quantum cursu et viribus efficere potuerunt, complures ex iis occiderunt, deinde omnibus longe lateque aedificiis incensis se in castra receperunt. (4.36.1) Eodem die legati ab hostibus missi ad Caesarem de pace venerunt.
Caesar, although he saw that the same thing which had happened on previous days would be, that, if the enemies had been repelled, they would escape danger with swiftness, nevertheless, having obtained around thirty horses, which Commius the Atrebatian, about whom it has been spoken before, had transported with him, set up his legions in a battle line before the camp. With battle having been engaged, the enemies were not able to endure the attack of our soldiers too long and turned their backs. Having followed them by as great a space as they were able to accomplish by running and strength, they killed several from them, then with all buildings far and wide having been burned, they take themselves back into camp. On the same day, envoys having been sent by the enemies came to Caesar concerning peace.
Book 5
Chapters 24-30
Subductis navibus concilioque Gallorum Samarobrivae peracto, quod eo anno frumentum in Gallia propter siccitates angustius provenerat, coactus est aliter ac superioribus annis exercitum in hibernis collocare legionesque in plures civitates distribuere; ex quibus unam in Morinos ducendam Gaio Fabio legato dedit, alteram in Nervios Quinto Ciceroni, tertiam in Esubios Lucio Roscio; quartam in Remis cum Tito Labieno in confinio Treverorum hiemare iussit. Tres in Belgis collocavit: eis Marcum Crassum quaestorem et Lucium Munatium Plancum et Gaium Trebonium legatos praefecit. Vnam legionem, quam proxime trans Padum conscripserat, et cohortes V in Eburones, quorum pars maxima est inter Mosam ac Rhenum, qui sub imperio Ambiorigis et Catuvolci erant, misit. Eis militibus Quintum Titurium Sabinum et Lucium Aurunculeium Cottam legatos praeesse iussit. Ad hunc modum distributis legionibus facillime inopiae frumentariae sese mederi posse existimavit. Atque harum tamen omnium legionum hiberna praeter eam, quam Lucio Roscio im pacatissimam et quietissimam partem ducendam dederat, milibus passuum centum continebantur. Ipse interea, quoad legiones collocatas munitaque hiberna cognovisset, in Gallia morari constituit.
With his ships having been drawn up and with the assembly of the Gauls having been completed at Samarobriva, because in this year grain had grown more narrowly in Gaul on account of droughts, he was compelled otherwise than in previous years to place his army into winter quarters and to divide his legions into more states. Out of these he gave to his lieutenant Gaius Fabius one to be led into the Morini, another to Quintus Cicero among the Nervii, a third to Lucius Roscius among the Esubii; he ordered a fourth to pass the winter among the Remi with Titus Labienus in the territory of the Treveri. He placed three among the Bellovaci: he put in charge of these Marcus Crassus the quaestor and Lucius Munatius Plancus and Gaius Trebonius the lieutenants. He sent one legion, which he had enlisted recently across the Padus, and five cohorts among the Eburones, of which the greatest part is between the Mosa and the Rhine, who were under the command of Ambiorix and Catuvolcus. He ordered Quintus Titurius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculeius Cotta his lieutenants to be in command of these soldiers. With the soldiers having been divided in this way, he thought that he was able to remedy the lack of grain most easily. And, nevertheless, the winter quarters of all these legions, except the one which he had given to Lucius Roscius to be led into a very peaceful and quiet part, were constrained within one hundred miles. Meanwhile, he himself, until he had learned about his legions having been placed and the winter quarters having been fortified, decided to linger in Gaul.
Samarobrivae - locative
Erat in Carnutibus summo loco natus Tasgetius, cuius maiores in sua civitate regnum obtinuerant. Huic Caesar pro eius virtute atque in se benevolentia, quod in omnibus bellis singulari eius opera fuerat usus, maiorum locum restituerat. Tertium iam hunc annum regnantem inimici, multis palam ex civitate eius auctoribus, eum interfecerunt. Defertur ea res ad Caesarem. Ille veritus, quod ad plures pertinebat, ne civitas eorum impulsu deficeret, Lucium Plancum cum legione ex Belgio celeriter in Carnutes proficisci iubet ibique hiemare quorumque opera cognoverat Tasgetium interfectum, hos comprehensos ad se mittere. Interim ab omnibus legatis quaestoreque, quibus legiones tradiderat, certior factus est in hiberna perventum locumque hibernis esse munitum.
Among the Carnutes, there was Tasgetius, having been born in the highest place, whose ancestors had held the rulership in his state. Caesar had restored the place of his ancestors to this man in return for his courage and kindness towards him, because in all wars he had used his remarkable service. Enemies killed this man ruling now during his third year with many instigators openly from the state. This matter is reported to Caesar. That man having feared, because it pertained to more people, that their state would revolt with the instigation, orders Lucius Plancus to set out quickly with his legion from Belgium among the Carnutes and to winter there and to send him these men having been arrested, by whose work he had learned that Tasgetius had been killed. Meanwhile, he was made more certain by all his lieutenants and quaestors, to whom he had given legions, that they had arrived in the winter quarters and that the place had been fortified for their winter quarters.
eius - refers to Tasgetius se - refers to Caesar opera - ablative with usus tertium...annum - acc. of extant of time hunc - refers to Tasgetius
Diebus circiter XV, quibus in hiberna ventum est, initium repentini tumultus ac defectionis ortum est ab Ambiorige et Catuvolco; qui, cum ad fines regni sui Sabino Cottaeque praesto fuissent frumentumque in hiberna comportavissent, Indutiomari Treveri nuntiis impulsi suos concitaverunt subitoque oppressis lignatoribus magna manu ad castra oppugnatum venerunt. Cum celeriter nostri arma cepissent vallumque adscendissent atque una ex parte Hispanis equitibus emissis equestri proelio superiores fuissent, desperata re hostes suos ab oppugnatione reduxerunt. Tum suo more conclamaverunt, uti aliqui ex nostris ad colloquium prodiret: habere sese, quae de re communi dicere vellent, quibus rebus controversias minui posse sperarent.
In about fifteen days, in which they arrived in their winter quarters, the beginning of a sudden uproar and revolt arose from Ambiorix and Catuvolcus; who, when they had met Sabinus and Cotta at the boundaries of their own kingdom and had carried grain into the winter quarters, having been incited by the messages of Indutiomarus the Treverian, they stirred up their own people and with the wood-foragers having been attacked suddenly, they came to the camp with a large band to attack. Because our men had seized their weapons quickly and had ascended the rampart and, with the Spanish cavalry having been sent out from one side, had been superior in a cavalry battle, with the matter having been despaired of, the enemies led back their own men from the attack. Then they shouted in their custom that someone from our people go forth to parley: that they had things which they wanted to say about a common matter, by which things they hoped that their disputes were able to be lessened.
diebus - abl. of time when uti...prodiret - substantive clause of purpose
Mittitur ad eos colloquendi causa Gaius Arpineius, eques Romanus, familiaris Quinti Tituri, et Quintus Iunius ex Hispania quidam, qui iam ante missu Caesaris ad Ambiorigem ventitare consuerat; apud quos Ambiorix ad hunc modum locutus est: sese pro Caesaris in se beneficiis plurimum ei confiteri debere, quod eius opera stipendio liberatus esset, quod Aduatucis, finitimis suis, pendere consuesset, quodque ei et filius et fratris filius ab Caesare remissi essent, quos Aduatuci obsidum numero missos apud se in servitute et catenis tenuissent; neque id, quod fecerit de oppugnatione castrorum, aut iudicio aut voluntate sua fecisse, sed coactu civitatis, suaque esse eiusmodi imperia, ut non minus haberet iuris in se multitudo quam ipse in multitudinem. Civitati porro hanc fuisse belli causam, quod repentinae Gallorum coniurationi resistere non potuerit. Id se facile ex humilitate sua probare posse, quod non adeo sit imperitus rerum ut suis copiis populum Romanum superari posse confidat. Sed esse Galliae commune consilium: omnibus hibernis Caesaris oppugnandis hunc esse dictum diem, ne qua legio alterae legioni subsidio venire posset; non facile Gallos Gallis negare potuisse, praesertim cum de recuperanda communi libertate consilium initum videretur. Quibus quoniam pro pietate satisfecerit, habere nunc se rationem offici pro beneficiis Caesaris: monere, orare Titurium pro hospitio, ut suae ac militum saluti consulat. Magnam manum Germanorum conductam Rhenum transisse; hanc adfore biduo. Ipsorum esse consilium, velintne priusquam finitimi sentiant eductos ex hibernis milites aut ad Ciceronem aut ad Labienum deducere, quorum alter milia passuum circiter quinquaginta, alter paulo amplius ab eis absit. Illud se polliceri et iureiurando confirmare tutum iter per fines daturum; quod cum faciat, et civitati sese consulere, quod hibernis levetur, et Caesari pro eius meritis gratiam referre. Hac oratione habita discedit Ambiorix.
Gaius Arpineius is sent to them for the sake of parleying, a Roman equestrian, a friend of Quintus Titurius, and a certain Quintus Junius from Spain, who already previously had been accustomed to go to Ambiorix by the sending of Caesar; among them Ambiorix spoke in this way: that, in return to the favors of Caesar towards him, he acknowledged to owing very much to him, because by his work he had been freed from the tribute which he had been accustomed to pay to the Aduatuci, his neighbors, and because both his son and the son of his brother had been sent back to him by Caesar, whom, having been sent in the number of hostages, the Aduatuci had held among themselves in servitude and chains; and that he had not done this thing which he did concerning the attack of the camp either by his own judgment or consent, but by the compulsion of his state, and that his own powers were of such a kind that the people had no less authority over him than he himself over the people. Furthermore, that for the state this had been the cause of war, because it was not able to resist the sudden conspiracy of the Gauls. That he was able to demonstrate this very easily from his own weakness, because he was not so inexperienced of things that he hoped for the Roman people to be able to be conquered by his troops. But it was a common plan of Gaul: that this day had been named for attacking all the winter quarters of Caesar, so that a legion might not be able in any way to come for help to another legion. That Gauls were not able to deny Gauls easily, especially since the plan seemed formed about recovering their common freedom. Since he had satisfied them on behalf of his loyalty, he now had the reckoning of allegiance on behalf of the kindnesses of Caesar: he warned, he begged Titurius on behalf of friendship that he take care for the safety of him and his soldiers. That a great band of Germans having been assembled had crossed the Rhine; that this would be present in a two day period. That the plan was up to them, whether they wanted, before their neighbors perceived it, to lead their soldiers having been led from the winter quarters either to Cicero or to Labienus of which one was about fifty miles away, the other a little farther away from them. That he promised this and by an oath he confirmed that he would give a safe journey through his borders. Since he did this, he was both taking care for his state, because it would be relieved of the winter quarters, and was repaying thanks to Caesar on behalf of his kindnesses. With this speech having been delivered, Ambiorix departed.
ne...posset - purpose clause legioni - dat. of reference subsidio - dat. of purpose quibus - refers to the Gauls biduo - abl. of time when hibernis - abl. of separation
Arpineius et Iunius, quae audierunt, ad legatos deferunt. Illi repentina re perturbati, etsi ab hoste ea dicebantur, tamen non neglegenda existimabant maximeque hac re permovebantur, quod civitatem ignobilem atque humilem Eburonum sua sponte populo Romano bellum facere ausam vix erat credendum. Itaque ad consilium rem deferunt magnaque inter eos exsistit controversia. Lucius Aurunculeius compluresque tribuni militum et primorum ordinum centuriones nihil temere agendum neque ex hibernis iniussu Caesaris discedendum existimabant: quantasvis [magnas] copias etiam Germanorum sustineri posse munitis hibernis docebant: rem esse testimonio, quod primum hostium impetum multis ultro vulneribus illatis fortissime sustinuerint: re frumentaria non premi; interea et ex proximis hibernis et a Caesare conventura subsidia: postremo quid esse levius aut turpius, quam auctore hoste de summis rebus capere consilium?
Arpineius and Junius reported to the lieutenants what they heard. Those men, having been disturbed by the sudden matter, although these things were said by an enemy, nevertheless they thought that these things must not be disregarded and were very incited by this matter, because it was scarcely to be believed that the undistinguished and weak state of the Eburones dared to wage war for the Roman people of their own accord. Therefore, they bring the matter to a council and great disagreements arise among them. Lucius Aurunculeius and several tribunes of the soldiers and centurions of the first ranks thought that nothing must be done rashly nor that they should depart from the winter quarters without the order of Caesar: they demonstrated that however many large forces even of Germans were able to be withstood with fortified winter quarters: that the thing for proof was the fact that they withstood the first attack of the enemies very bravely moreover with many wounds having been inflicted: that they were not pressed by a matter of grain; that meanwhile help would arrive both from the nearby winter quarters and from Caesar: finally what was more foolish or more disgraceful than to take a plan concerning the highest matters with an enemy as an advisor.
deferunt - pres. act. ind., 3rd pl levius - comparative degree
Contra ea Titurius sero facturos clamitabat, cum maiores manus hostium adiunctis Germanis convenissent, aut cum aliquid calamitatis in proximis hibernis esset acceptum. Brevem consulendi esse occasionem. Caesarem arbitrari profectum in Italiam; neque aliter Carnutes interficiendi Tasgeti consilium fuisse capturos, neque Eburones, si ille adesset, tanta contemptione nostri ad castra venturos esse. Non hostem auctorem, sed rem spectare: subesse Rhenum; magno esse Germanis dolori Ariovisti mortem et superiores nostras victorias; ardere Galliam tot contumeliis acceptis sub populi Romani imperium redactam superiore gloria rei militaris exstincta. Postremo quis hoc sibi persuaderet, sine certa re Ambiorigem ad eiusmodi consilium descendisse? Suam sententiam in utramque partem esse tutam: si nihil esset durius, nullo cum periculo ad proximam legionem perventuros; si Gallia omnis cum Germanis consentiret, unam esse in celeritate positam salutem. Cottae quidem atque eorum, qui dissentirent, consilium quem habere exitum? In quo si non praesens periculum, at certe longinqua obsidione fames esset timenda.
Against these things Titurius was shouting that they would be acting too late, when larger gangs of enemies had come together with Germans having been added or when something of a disaster had been received in the nearest winter quarters. That he thought that Caesar had set out to Italy; otherwise neither would the Carnutes have taken up the plan of killing Tasgetius nor would the Eburones, if that man were present, arrive at our camp with such great contempt of us. That he was not looking at the enemy as an advisor, but at the matter: that the Rhine was near; the the death of Ariovistus and our previous victories were for a great grief for the Germans; that Gaul was burning with so many indignities having been received under the control of the Roman people, having been reduced with their previous glory of warfare having been destroyed. Finally, who would persuade himself by this, that without certain proof Ambiorix had resorted to a plan of this sort? That his own opinion was sound on each part: if nothing was more dangerous, they would arrive at the nearest legion with no danger; if all Gaul combined with the Germans, that their one salvation was placed in swiftness. Indeed what result did the plan of Cotta and of those who disagree have? In which, if danger was not present, yet certainly starvation must be feared in a long siege.
Germanis - dat. of reference dolori - dat. of purpose
Hac in utramque partem disputatione habita, cum a Cotta primisque ordinibus acriter resisteretur, " Vincite," inquit, " si ita vultis," Sabinus, et id clariore voce, ut magna pars militum exaudiret; "neque is sum," inquit, "qui gravissime ex vobis mortis periculo terrear: hi sapient; si gravius quid acciderit, abs te rationem reposcent, qui, si per te liceat, perendino die cum proximis hibernis coniuncti communem cum reliquis belli casum sustineant, non reiecti et relegati longe ab ceteris aut ferro aut fame intereant."
With this argument having been held on each side, when it was resisted fiercely by Cotta and the first ranks, Sabinus said, “You win, if you so wish,” and he says this with a louder voice, so that a great part of the soldiers might hear, “nor am I the one who is terrified most seriously out of you by the danger of death: these men will know; if anything more serious will have happened, they will demand a reckoning from you, they who, if it should be permitted by you, having been joined with the nearest winter quarters on the day after tomorrow, would withstand the common misfortune of war with the remaining men and would not die either by iron or by starvation having been cast out and having been removed far from the rest.”
hi...acciderit - future more vivid condition si...intereant - series of future less vivid (should-would) conditions
Book 5
Chapters 31-36
Consurgitur ex consilio; comprehendunt utrumque et orant, ne sua dissensione et pertinacia rem in summum periculum deducant: facilem esse rem, seu maneant, seu proficiscantur, si modo unum omnes sentiant ac probent; contra in dissensione nullam se salutem perspicere. Res disputatione ad mediam noctem perducitur. Tandem dat Cotta permotus manus: superat sententia Sabini. Pronuntiatur prima luce ituros. Consumitur vigiliis reliqua pars noctis, cum sua quisque miles circumspiceret, quid secum portare posset, quid ex instrumento hibernorum relinquere cogeretur. Omnia excogitantur, quare nec sine periculo maneatur, et languore militum et vigiliis periculum augeatur. Prima luce sic ex castris proficiscuntur, ut quibus esset persuasum non ab hoste, sed ab homine amicissimo Ambiorige consilium datum, longissimo agmine maximisque impedimentis.
They stand from the council; they clasp each man and they beg that they not lead the matter into the highest danger by their disagreement and stubbornness: that the matter is easy, whether they remain or they set out, if only all men judge and approve of one thing; on the other hand that they perceive no safety in disagreement. The matter is drawn out to the middle of the night by argument. Finally Cotta, having been influenced, gives up his hands: the opinion of Sabinus prevails. It is announced that they will go at first light. The remaining part of the night is consumed by watches, while each soldier examines his own things, what he was able to carry with himself, what he was compelled to leave behind from the equipment of the winter quarters. All these things are thought about, why they would remain not without danger, and [why] the danger would be increased by the faintness of the soldiers and by watches. Thus they set out from the camp at first light as those to whom it had not been persuaded by the enemy, but a plan given by the very friendly man Ambiorix, with a very long battle column and a great amount of baggage.
ne...deducant - substantive clause of purpose quid...cogeretur - indirect questions nec sine - litotes
At hostes, posteaquam ex nocturno fremitu vigiliisque de profectione eorum senserunt, collocatis insidiis bipertito in silvis opportuno atque occulto loco a milibus passuum circiter duobus Romanorum adventum exspectabant, et cum se maior pars agminis in magnam convallem demisisset, ex utraque parte eius vallis subito se ostenderunt novissimosque premere et primos prohibere ascensu atque iniquissimo nostris loco proelium committere coeperunt.
But the enemies, after they noticed about their departure from the nocturnal noise and watches, with an ambush having been placed in two parts in the woods in a favorable and hidden place about two miles away, they awaited the arrival of the Romans, and when the greater part of the battle line had sent itself down into a large valley, from each side of this valley they suddenly revealed themselves and they began to press those in the rear and to prohibit the first men from ascent and to join battle in a place most unfavorable to our men.
ascensu - abl. of separation
Tum demum Titurius, qui nihil ante providisset, trepidare et concursare cohortesque disponere, haec tamen ipsa timide atque ut eum omnia deficere viderentur; quod plerumque eis accidere consuevit, qui in ipso negotio consilium capere coguntur. At Cotta, qui cogitasset haec posse in itinere accidere atque ob eam causam profectionis auctor non fuisset, nulla in re communi saluti deerat et in appellandis cohortandisque militibus imperatoris et in pugna militis officia praestabat. Cum propter longitudinem agminis minus facile omnia per se obire et, quid quoque loco faciendum esset, providere possent, iusserunt pronuntiare, ut impedimenta relinquerent atque in orbem consisterent. Quod consilium etsi in eiusmodi casu reprehendendum non est, tamen incommode accidit: nam et nostris militibus spem minuit et hostes ad pugnam alacriores effecit, quod non sine summo timore et desperatione id factum videbatur. Praeterea accidit, quod fieri necesse erat, ut vulgo milites ab signis discederent, quae quisque eorum carissima haberet, ab impedimentis petere atque arripere properaret, clamore et fletu omnia complerentur.
Then finally Titurius, who had provided nothing beforehand, hurried about and ran around and arranged his cohorts, nevertheless [he did] these things themselves timidly and as if all things seemed to fail him; a thing which has been accustomed to happen very often to those who are compelled to seize upon a plan in the undertaking itself. But Cotta, who had considered that these things were able to happen on the journey and on account of this reason had not been an advisor of the departure, was lacking for the common safety in nothing and he was exhibiting the duties of a commander in calling and encouraging his soldiers and [those] of a soldier in battle. Since, on account of the length of the battle line, they were less easily able to perform all things by themselves and to provide for what had to be done in each place, they ordered [everyone] to announce that they abandon the baggage and stand in a circle. Although this plan must not be criticized in a misfortune of such a sort, nevertheless it happened inconveniently: for it both diminished hope for our soldiers and made the enemies more eager for the fight, because this seemed to have been done not without the highest fear and desperation. Furthermore, it happened, a thing which was necessary to happen, that everywhere soldiers departed from their standards and hurried to seek from the baggage and to seize the things which each of them held dearest, that all things were filled with shouting and weeping.
trepidare, concursare, disponere - historical infinitives (translated as past tense verbs) appellandis, cohortandis - gerundives faciendum esset - passive periphrastic
At barbaris consilium non defuit. Nam duces eorum tota acie pronuntiare iusserunt, ne quis ab loco discederet: illorum esse praedam atque illis reservari quaecumque Romani reliquissent: proinde omnia in victoria posita existimarent. Erant et virtute et studio pugnandi pares; nostri, tametsi ab duce et a fortuna deserebantur, tamen omnem spem salutis in virtute ponebant, et quotiens quaeque cohors procurrerat, ab ea parte magnus numerus hostium cadebat. Qua re animadversa Ambiorix pronuntiari iubet, ut procul tela coniciant neu propius accedant et, quam in partem Romani impetum fecerint, cedant (levitate armorum et cotidiana exercitatione nihil eis noceri posse), rursus se ad signa recipientes insequantur.
But a plan was not lacking for the barbarians. For their leaders ordered [everyone] to announce on the entire battle line that no one depart from his place: that the plunder was theirs and for those men was reserved whatever the Romans had left behind: therefore, they thought that all things depended on victory. They were equal both in courage and eagerness of fighting; our men, although they were deserted by their leader and by fortune, nevertheless placed all hope of safety in courage, and however often a cohort rushed forward, a great number of enemies fell from this direction. With this thing having been noticed Ambiorix orders it to be announced that they throw their missiles at a distance nor approach nearer and yield in what direction the Romans made their attack (that from the lightness of their weapons and their daily training nothing was able to harm them), that they pursue those taking themselves back to their standards.
pugnandi - gerund
Quo praecepto ab eis diligentissime observato, cum quaepiam cohors ex orbe excesserat atque impetum fecerat, hostes velocissime refugiebant. Interim eam partem nudari necesse erat et ab latere aperto tela recipi. Rursus cum in eum locum unde erant egressi reverti coeperant, et ab eis qui cesserant et ab eis qui proximi steterant circumveniebantur; sin autem locum tenere vellent, nec virtuti locus relinquebatur, neque ab tanta multitudine coniecta tela conferti vitare poterant. Tamen tot incommodis conflictati, multis vulneribus acceptis resistebant et magna parte diei consumpta, cum a prima luce ad horam octavam pugnaretur, nihil quod ipsis esset indignum committebant. Tum Tito Balventio, qui superiore anno primum pilum duxerat, viro forti et magnae auctoritatis, utrumque femur tragula traicitur; Quintus Lucanius, eiusdem ordinis, fortissime pugnans, dum circumvento filio subvenit, interficitur; Lucius Cotta legatus omnes cohortes ordinesque adhortans in adversum os funda vulneratur.
With this order having been observed most diligently by them, when each cohort had departed from the circle and had made an attack, the enemies retreated most swiftly. Meanwhile, it was necessary for this part to be exposed and for missiles to be received by the exposed side. When they began to return back into this place from where they had departed, they were surrounded both by those who had withdrawn and those who had stood nearest; but if they wanted to hold their place, neither was a place left for courage, nor were they, stuffed together, able to avoid missiles having been hurled by so great a multitude. Nevertheless, they, having been distressed by so many troubles, resisted, with many wounds having been received, and, with a great part of the day having been consumed, since it was fought from first light to the eighth hour, they committed nothing which was disgraceful to themselves. Then for Titus Balventius, who in the previous year had led the first century, a brave man and of great authority, each thigh is pierced by a javelin; Quintus Lucanius, of the same rank, fighting very bravely, while he is helping his son having been surrounded, is killed; Lucius Cotta the lieutenant, encouraging all the cohorts and the ranks, is wounded by a slingshot directly in the face.
eis - ablative of agent multis...acceptis - ablative absolute magnae auctoritatis - genitive of description
His rebus permotus Quintus Titurius, cum procul Ambiorigem suos cohortantem conspexisset, interpretem suum Gnaeum Pompeium ad eum mittit rogatum ut sibi militibusque parcat. Ille appellatus respondit: si velit secum colloqui, licere; sperare a multitudine impetrari posse, quod ad militum salutem pertineat; ipsi vero nihil nocitum iri, inque eam rem se suam fidem interponere. Ille cum Cotta saucio communicat, si videatur, pugna ut excedant et cum Ambiorige una colloquantur: sperare ab eo de sua ac militum salute impetrari posse. Cotta se ad armatum hostem iturum negat atque in eo perseverat.
Quintus Titurius, having been influenced by these things, when he had seen Ambiorix from afar encouraging his own men, sends his interpreter Gnaeus Pompeius to him to ask that he spare himself and his soldiers. That man having been called answered; if he wishes to speak with him, it is permitted; that he hopes that that which pertains to the safety of his soldiers is able to be obtained from the multitude; that truly no harm would be dome to the man himself, and that he gives his pledge on this matter. That man communicates with the wounded Cotta, if it seems appropriate that they withdraw from battle and together speak with Ambiorix: that he hopes that it was able to be obtained from him concerning the safety of himself and of his soldiers. Cotta denies that he will go to an armed enemy and he persists in this.
rogatum - accusative supine nocitum iri - future passive infinitive eo - refers to Ambiorix sua - refers to Sabinus
Chapters 37-42
Sabinus quos in praesentia tribunos militum circum se habebat et primorum ordinum centuriones se sequi iubet et, cum propius Ambiorigem accessisset, iussus arma abicere imperatum facit suisque ut idem faciant imperat. Interim, dum de condicionibus inter se agunt longiorque consulto ab Ambiorige instituitur sermo, paulatim circumventus interficitur. Tum vero suo more victoriam conclamant atque ululatum tollunt impetuque in nostros facto ordines perturbant. Ibi Lucius Cotta pugnans interficitur cum maxima parte militum. Reliqui se in castra recipiunt unde erant egressi; ex quibus Lucius Petrosidius aquilifer, cum magna multitudine hostium premeretur, aquilam intra vallum proiecit; ipse pro castris fortissime pugnans occiditur. Illi aegre ad noctem oppugnationem sustinent; noctu ad unum omnes desperata salute se ipsi interficiunt. Pauci ex proelio lapsi incertis itineribus per silvas ad Titum Labienum legatum in hiberna perveniunt atque eum de rebus gestis certiorem faciunt.
Sabinus orders the tribunes of the soldiers and the centurions of the first ranks whom at the present time he had around himself to follow him and, when he had approached nearer Ambiorix, having been ordered to throw down his weapons, he does the thing having been commanded and he orders his own men that they do the same thing. Meanwhile, while they speak among themselves about the terms and a rather long speech is begun by Ambiorix by plan, having been surrounded gradually, he is killed. Then truly they shout victory in their own custom and they raise a shriek and with an attack having been made against our men they confuse the ranks. Lucius Cotta, fighting there, is killed with a very large part of the soldiers. The remaining men take themselves back to the camp whence they had departed. Out of them Lucius Petrosidius the standard-bearer, since he was pressed by a great multitude of enemies, threw the eagle within the rampart; he himself is killed, fighting very bravely before the camp. Those man withstand the attack with difficulty until night; at night with their safety having been despaired of they all kill themselves to a man. A few men, having escaped from the battle by uncertain routes through the woods, arrive at Titus Labienus the lieutenant into his winter quarters and they make him more certain about the things having been done.
Hac victoria sublatus Ambiorix statim cum equitatu in Aduatucos, qui erant eius regno finitimi, proficiscitur; neque noctem neque diem intermittit peditatumque se subsequi iubet. Re demonstrata Aduatucisque concitatis postero die in Nervios pervenit hortaturque, ne sui in perpetuum liberandi atque ulciscendi Romanos pro eis quas acceperint iniuriis occasionem dimittant: interfectos esse legatos duos magnamque partem exercitus interisse demonstrat; nihil esse negoti subito oppressam legionem quae cum Cicerone hiemet interfici; se ad eam rem profitetur adiutorem. Facile hac oratione Nerviis persuadet.
Having been elated by this victory, Ambiorix immediately sets out with his cavalry to the Aduatuci, who were neighbors to his kingdom; he delays neither night nor day and he orders his infantry to follow. With the matter having been shown and with the Aduatuci having stirred up on the next day he arrives at the Nervii and he encourages that they not give up the opportunity of freeing themselves forever and of punishing the Romans for those injuries which they received: he explains that two lieutenants were killed and that a great part of the army died; that there is nothing of difficulty for the legion which is wintering with Cicero, having been attacked suddenly, to be destroyed; he offers himself as a helper for this matter. He easily persuades the Nervii with this speech.
liberandi - gerundive ulciscendi - gerund
Itaque confestim dimissis nuntiis ad Ceutrones, Grudios, Levacos, Pleumoxios, Geidumnos, qui omnes sub eorum imperio sunt, quam maximas manus possunt cogunt et de improviso ad Ciceronis hiberna advolant nondum ad eum fama de Tituri morte perlata. Huic quoque accidit, quod fuit necesse, ut nonnulli milites, qui lignationis munitionisque causa in silvas discessissent, repentino equitum adventu interciperentur. His circumventis magna manu Eburones, Nervii, Aduatuci atque horum omnium socii et clientes legionem oppugnare incipiunt. Nostri celeriter ad arma concurrunt, vallum conscendunt. Aegre is dies sustentatur, quod omnem spem hostes in celeritate ponebant atque hanc adepti victoriam in perpetuum se fore victores confidebant.
Therefore with messengers having been sent immediately to the Ceutrones, the Grudii, the Levacci, the Pleumoxii, the Geidumni, who all were under their command, they gather as many troops as they are able and they rush to the winter quarters of Cicero unexpectedly with the report concerning the death of Titurius not yet having been brought to him. To this man it also happened, which was necessary, that some soldiers who had departed into the woods for the sake of gathering wood and fortification, were intercepted by a sudden arrival of horsemen. With these men having been surrounded by a large gang, the Eburones, the Nervii, the Aduatuci, and the allies and clients of all these begin to attack the legion. Our men quickly run to their weapons, they scale the rampart. This day is withstood poorly because the enemies placed all hope in swiftness and having gained this victory they were confident that they would be victorious forever.
eorum - refers to the Nervii
Mittuntur ad Caesarem confestim ab Cicerone litterae magnis propositis praemiis, si pertulissent: obsessis omnibus viis missi intercipiuntur. Noctu ex materia, quam munitionis causa comportaverant, turres admodum CXX excitantur incredibili celeritate; quae deesse operi videbantur, perficiuntur. Hostes postero die multo maioribus coactis copiis castra oppugnant, fossam complent. Eadem ratione, qua pridie, ab nostris resistitur: hoc idem reliquis deinceps fit diebus. Nulla pars nocturni temporis ad laborem intermittitur; non aegris, non vulneratis facultas quietis datur. Quaecumque ad proximi diei oppugnationem opus sunt noctu comparantur; multae praeustae sudes, magnus muralium pilorum numerus instituitur; turres contabulantur, pinnae loricaeque ex cratibus attexuntur. Ipse Cicero, cum tenuissima valetudine esset, ne nocturnum quidem sibi tempus ad quietem relinquebat, ut ultro militum concursu ac vocibus sibi parcere cogeretur.
Letters are immediately sent to Caesar by Cicero with great rewards having been offered, if they had delivered them: with all roads having been blocked those having been sent are intercepted. At night out of the lumber which they had carried together for the sake of fortification fully 120 towers are constructed with incredible speed; the things which seemed to be lacking for the work are completed. On the next day the enemies attack the camp with much larger forces having been gathered, [and] they fill up the ditch. It is resisted by our men in the same way which [it was] on the day before. This same thing happens successively on the remaining days. No part of the night time is omitted for labor; the opportunity of rest is given neither to the sick nor to those having been wounded. Whatever things are necessary for the attack of the next day are prepared at night; many burned stakes, a great number of wall javelins are prepared; the towers are built up, battlements and parapets are woven out of wickerworks. Cicero himself, although he was in most delicate health, left not even the night time to himself for rest such that moreover he was compelled to spare himself by the approach and the voices of his soldiers.
cum...esset - concessive clause ut...cogeretur - result clause
Tunc duces principesque Nerviorum qui aliquem sermonis aditum causamque amicitiae cum Cicerone habebant colloqui sese velle dicunt. Facta potestate eadem quae Ambiorix cum Titurio egerat commemorant: omnem esse in armis Galliam;Germanos Rhenum transisse; Caesaris reliquorumque hiberna oppugnari. Addunt etiam de Sabini morte: Ambiorigem ostentant fidei faciendae causa. Errare eos dicunt, si quidquam ab his praesidi sperent, qui suis rebus diffidant; sese tamen hoc esse in Ciceronem populumque Romanum animo, ut nihil nisi hiberna recusent atque hanc inveterascere consuetudinem nolint: licere illis incolumibus per se ex hibernis discedere et quascumque in partes velint sine metu proficisci. Cicero ad haec unum modo respondit: non esse consuetudinem populi Romani accipere ab hoste armato condicionem: 8 si ab armis discedere velint, se adiutore utantur legatosque ad Caesarem mittant; sperare pro eius iustitia, quae petierint, impetraturos.
Then the leaders and the chieftains of the Nervii who had some approach of conversation and a reason for friendship with Cicero say that they wish to speak with him. With permission having been given they mention the same things which Ambiorix had spoken about with Titurius: that all Gaul is in arms; that Germans crossed the Rhine; that the winter quarters of Caesar and of the rest are being attacked. They also add about the death of Sabinus: they show Ambiorix for the sake of making a pledge. They say that they are mistaken, if they hope for anything of help from these men who are despairing of their own matters; that nevertheless they are with this mind toward Cicero and the Roman people, that they refuse nothing except the winter quarters and they do not want this habit to be established: that it is permitted for those men to depart unharmed by themselves from the winter quarters and to set out into whatever parts they want without fear. Cicero answers to these things only one thing: that it was not the custom of the Roman people to accept terms from an armed enemy: if they wanted to depart from their arms, they may use him as a helper and they may send ambassadors to Caesar; that he hopes that they would accomplish what they sought according to his justice.
Ab hac spe repulsi Nervii vallo pedum IX et fossa pedum XV hiberna cingunt. Haec et superiorum annorum consuetudine ab nobis cognoverant et, quosdam de exercitu habebant captivos, ab eis docebantur; sed nulla ferramentorum copia quae esset ad hunc usum idonea, gladiis caespites circumcidere, manibus sagulisque terram exhaurire nitebantur. Qua quidem ex re hominum multitudo cognosci potuit: nam minus horis tribus milium pedum XV in circuitu munitionem perfecerunt reliquisque diebus turres ad altitudinem valli, falces testudinesque, quas idem captivi docuerant, parare ac facere coeperunt.
Having been repelled from this hope, the Nervii surround the winter quarters with a rampart and with a ditch of fifteen feet. They had both learned these things from us with the custom of previous years and they were taught by those people whom from our army they had secretly held captive; but with no supply of tools which was suitable for this use, they were seen to cut up turf with their swords and to draw out the earth with their hands and with their cloaks. Indeed from this thing the multitude of men was able to be learned: for in less than three hours they completed the fortification of fifteen thousand feet circumference and on the remaining days they began to prepare and to make towers to the height of the rampart, [and] hooks and sheds which the same captives had taught.
Chapters 43-48
Septimo oppugnationis die maximo coorto vento ferventes fusili ex argilla glandes fundis et fervefacta iacula in casas, quae more Gallico stramentis erant tectae, iacere coeperunt. Hae celeriter ignem comprehenderunt et venti magnitudine in omnem locum castrorum distulerunt. Hostes maximo clamore sicuti parta iam atque explorata victoria turres testudinesque agere et scalis vallum ascendere coeperunt. At tanta militum virtus atque ea praesentia animi fuit, ut, cum undique flamma torrerentur maximaque telorum multitudine premerentur suaque omnia impedimenta atque omnes fortunas conflagrare intellegerent, non modo demigrandi causa de vallo decederet nemo, sed paene ne respiceret quidem quisquam, ac tum omnes acerrime fortissimeque pugnarent. Hic dies nostris longe gravissimus fuit; sed tamen hunc habuit eventum, ut eo die maximus numerus hostium vulneraretur atque interficeretur, ut se sub ipso vallo constipaverant recessumque primis ultimi non dabant. Paulum quidem intermissa flamma et quodam loco turri adacta et contingente vallum tertiae cohortis centuriones ex eo, quo stabant, loco recesserunt suosque omnes removerunt, nutu vocibusque hostes, si introire vellent, vocare coeperunt; quorum progredi ausus est nemo. Tum ex omni parte lapidibus coniectis deturbati, turrisque succensa est.
On the seventh day of the attack, with a very great wind having arisen, they began to throw heated balls of molten white clay with slings and heated javelins into the huts, which in the Gallic custom had been covered with thatch. These quickly caught fire and the winds carried it with their magnitude in every place of the camp. The enemies, with a very great shout, as if with victory already having been acquired and having been found, began to drive their towers and sheds to climb the rampart with ladders. But so great was the courage of the soldiers and this presence of mind that, when they burned on all sides by fire and they were pressed by a very great multitude of missiles and they understood that all their baggage and all their fortunes were burning, not only did no one depart from the wall for the sake of moving away, but almost no one even looked back, and then all fought very fiercely and very bravely. This day was by far the gravest for our men; but nevertheless it had this outcome, that on this day a very large number of enemies was wounded and was killed, when they had crowded themselves at the foot of the rampart itself and those in the back did not give a retreat to the first men. Indeed with the fire gradually having died down and with the tower having been moved in a certain place and touching rampart, the centurions of the third cohort retreated from this place where they were standing and withdrew all their own men, and began to call the enemies with a nod and with their voices, if they wanted to enter; no one of these men dared to proceed. Then with stones having been hurled from every side they were driven off, and the tower was set on fire.
ut - introduces a result clause demigrandi - gerund ut - introduces a substantive clause of result quorum - partitive genitive
Erant in ea legione fortissimi viri, centuriones, qui primis ordinibus appropinquarent, Titus Pullo et Lucius Vorenus. Hi perpetuas inter se controversias habebant, quinam anteferretur, omnibusque annis de locis summis simultatibus contendebant. Ex his Pullo, cum acerrime ad munitiones pugnaretur, “Quid dubitas,” inquit, “Vorene? aut quem locum tuae probandae virtutis exspectas? Hic dies de nostris controversiis iudicabit.” Haec cum dixisset, procedit extra munitiones quaque pars hostium confertissma est visa irrumpit. Ne Vorenus quidem tum sese vallo continet, sed omnium veritus existimationem subsequitur. Mediocri spatio relicto Pullo pilum in hostes immittit atque unum ex multitudine procurrentem traicit; quo percusso et exanimato hunc scutis protegunt, in hostem tela universi coniciunt neque dant regrediendi facultatem. Transfigitur scutum Pulloni et verutum in balteo defigitur. Avertit hic casus vaginam et gladium educere conanti dextram moratur manum, impeditumque hostes circumsistunt. Succurrit inimicus illi Vorenus et laboranti subvenit. Ad hunc se confestim a Pullone omnis multitudo convertit: illum veruto arbitrantur occisum. Gladio comminus rem gerit Vorenus atque uno interfecto reliquos paulum propellit; dum cupidius instat, in locum deiectus inferiorem concidit. Huic rursus circumvento fert subsidium Pullo, atque ambo incolumes compluribus interfectis summa cum laude sese intra munitiones recipiunt. Sic fortuna in contentione et certamine utrumque versavit, ut alter alteri inimicus auxilio salutique esset, neque diiudicari posset, uter utri virtute anteferendus videretur.
There were very brave men in this legion, centurions, who were approaching the first ranks, Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus. These men had continuous arguments between themselves, [as to] who was prefered and they contended about their ranks with the highest rivalries in all years. From these men, Pullo, when it was being fought very fiercely at the fortifications, said, “Why do you hesitate, Vorenus? Or what place of demonstrating your courage are you waiting for? This day will judge about our arguments.” When he had said these things, he proceeded outside of the fortifications and he rushed into what part of the enemies which seemed the most dense. Then not even Vorenus keeps himself on the rampart, but having feared the judgment of all he follows. With a moderate space having been left, Pullo sends his javelin against the enemies and he pierces one running forward from the multitude; and with him having been struck and having been killed, they cover this man with their shields, [and] all together they hurl they hurl their missiles against the enemy nor do they give the opportunity of retreating. For Pullo the shield is pierced and the spear is fixed in his sword belt. This misfortune turns aside his sheath and hinders the right hand for him trying to draw his sword, and the enemies surround him having been hindered. Vorenus, an enemy to that man, helps and assists him struggling. The entire multitude turns itself to this man from Pullo immediately: they think that that man has been killed by a spear. Vorenus carries on the matter in close combat with his sword and with one man having been killed he drives the remaining men back a bit; while he presses on more eagerly, having been cast down into a lower place, he falls. Pullo brings help in turn to this man having been surrounded, and both unharmed take themselves back within the fortifications with many men having been killed with the highest praise. Thus fortune dealt with each in their dispute and their struggle, such that one, an enemy to the other, was his help and salvation, nor was it able to be decided which seemed to be prefered to which in courage.
Mediocri...relicto - ablative absolute Pulloni - dative of reference conanti - pres. act. ptc., dat. sg. illum - refers to Pullo ambo - nom. pl. masc. ut - introduces a result clause auxilio, saluti - datives of purpose virtute - ablative of respect anteferendus - gerundive
Quanto erat in dies gravior atque asperior oppugnatio, et maxime quod magna parte militum confecta vulneribus res ad paucitatem defensorum pervenerat, tanto crebriores litterae nuntiique ad Caesarem mittebantur; quorum pars deprehensa in conspectu nostrorum militum cum cruciatu necabatur. Erat unus intus Nervius nomine Vertico, loco natus honesto, qui a prima obsidione ad Ciceronem perfugerat suamque ei fidem praestiterat. Hic servo spe libertatis magnisque persuadet praemiis, ut litteras ad Caesarem deferat. Has ille in iaculo illigatas effert et Gallus inter Gallos sine ulla suspicione versatus ad Caesarem pervenit. Ab eo de periculis Ciceronis legionisque cognoscitur.
By however much more serious and more violent the attack was during the days, and especially because with a great part of the soldiers having been weakened by wounds, the matter had arrived at a small number of defenders, by so much were more frequent letters and messengers sent to Caesar; a part of these having been captured was killed in the sight of our soldiers with torture. There was one man within, a Nervian, Vertico by name, having been born in a distinguished place, who from the first siege had fled to Cicero and had shown his loyalty to him. This man persuades his slave with the hope of freedom and with great rewards, that he carry letters to Caesar. That man carries these having been bound together on a javelin and as a Gaul among Gauls, having been dealt with without any suspicion, he arrives to Caesar. It is learned from him concerning the dangers of Cicero and the legion.
quorum - refers to the messengers ei - refers to Cicero Hic - refers to Vertico ut - introduces a substantive clause of purpose eo - refers to Vertico’s slave
Caesar acceptis litteris hora circiter XI diei statim nuntium in Bellovacos ad M. Crassum quaestorem mittit, cuius hiberna aberant ab eo milia passuum XXV; iubet media nocte legionem proficisci celeriterque ad se venire. Exit cum nuntio Crassus. Alterum ad Gaium Fabium legatum mittit, ut in Atrebatium fines legionem adducat, qua sibi iter faciendum sciebat. Scribit Labieno, si rei publicae commodo facere posset, cum legione ad fines Nerviorum veniat. Reliquam partem exercitus, quod paulo aberat longius, non putat exspectandam; equites circiter quadringentos ex proximis hibernis colligit.
Caesar, with letters having been received around the eleventh hour of the day, immediately sends a messenger among the Bellovaci to Marcus Crassus the quaestor, whose winter quarters were 25 miles away from him; he orders that the legion set out in the middle of the night and quickly come to him. Crassus leaves with the message. He sends another to Gaius Fabius the lieutenant, that he lead his legion into the boundaries of the of the Atrebatians, where he knew that a journey must be made by him. He writes to Labienus that, if he is able to act for the advantage of the republic, he come to the borders of the Nervii with his legion. He does not think that the remaining part of the army, because it was a little farther away, must be awaited; he gathers around 400 horsemen from the nearest winter quarters.
sibi - dative of agent exspectandam - fut. pass. inf. in passive periphrastic with esse understood
Hora circiter tertia ab antecursoribus de Crassi adventu certior factus eo die milia passuum XX procedit. Crassum Samarobrivae praeficit legionemque attribuit, quod ibi impedimenta exercitus, obsides civitatum, litteras publicas frumentumque omne quod eo tolerandae hiemis causa devexerat relinquebat. Fabius, ut imperatum erat, non ita multum moratus in itinere cum legione occurrit. Labienus interitu Sabini et caede cohortium cognita, cum omnes ad eum Treverorum copiae venissent, veritus, si ex hibernis fugae similem profectionem fecisset, ut hostium impetum sustinere posset, praesertim quos recenti victoria efferri sciret, litteras Caesari remittit, quanto cum periculo legionem ex hibernis educturus esset; rem gestam in Eburonibus perscribit; docet omnes equitatus peditatusque copias Treverorum tria milia passuum longe ab suis castris consedisse.
Having been made more certain about the arrival of Crassus by the vanguard around the third hour, he proceeds 20 miles on that day. He puts Crassus in charge of Samarobriva and he assigns a legion, because there he was leaving behind the baggage of the armies, the hostages of states, his public letters, and all the grain which he had brought there for the sake of enduring the winter. Fabius, as it had been ordered, not having delayed so much, met him on the journey with a legion. Labienus, with the death of Sabinus and the slaughter of the cohorts having been learned about, since all the forces of the Treveri had come to him, having feared that, if he had made a departure from the winter quarters similar to a flight, he would not be able to withstand the attack of the enemies, especially those whom he knew to be elated by the recent victory, sends letters back to Caesar, with how much danger he was going to lead his legion from the winter quarters; he writes about the thing having been done among the Eburones; he informs that all the forces of the cavalry and of the infantry of the Treveri had settled three miles away from his camp.
educturus esset - active periphrastic suis - refers to Labienus
Caesar consilio eius probato, etsi opinione trium legionum deiectus ad duas redierat, tamen unum communis salutis auxilium in celeritate ponebat. Venit magnis itineribus in Nerviorum fines. Ibi ex captivis cognoscit, quae apud Ciceronem gerantur, quantoque in periculo res sit. Tum cuidam ex equitibus Gallis magnis praemiis persuadet uti ad Ciceronem epistolam deferat. Hanc Graecis conscriptam litteris mittit, ne intercepta epistola nostra ab hostibus consilia cognoscantur. Si adire non possit, monet ut tragulam cum epistola ad amentum deligata intra munitionem castrorum abiciat. In litteris scribit se cum legionibus profectum celeriter adfore; hortatur ut pristinam virtutem retineat. Gallus periculum veritus, ut erat praeceptum, tragulam mittit. Haec casu ad turrim adhaesit neque ab nostris biduo animadversa tertio die a quodam milite conspicitur, dempta ad Ciceronem defertur. Ille perlectam in conventu militum recitat maximaque omnes laetitia adficit. Tum fumi incendiorum procul videbantur; quae res omnem dubitationem adventus legionum expulit.
Caesar, with his plan having been approved of, although having been disappointed in his expectation of three legions, he returned to two, nevertheless put his one help of common safety in swiftness. He arrives into the boundaries of the Nervii by great marches. There he learns from captives what things are being done at Cicero’s, and in how much danger the matter is. Then he persuades a certain man from the Gallic horsemen with great rewards that he carry a letter to Cicero. He sends this having been written with Greek letters, so that with the letter having been intercepted our plans may not be learned about by the enemies. If he is not able to approach, he advises that he throw his spear with the letter having been bound to a strap within the fortification of the camp. He writes in the letter that he, having set out with his legions, will arrive quickly; he encourages that he retain his former courage. The Gaul, having feared danger, as was the order, sends forth the spear. By chance this clung to the tower and not having been noticed by our men with two days it is seen by a certain soldier on the third day, having been taken down it is carried to Cicero. That man recites it having been read in an assembly of soldiers and he inspires all men with the greatest happiness. Then the smoke of fires was seen from afar; a thing which expelled all doubt of the arrival of the legions.
quae...gerantur, quantoque...sit - indirect questions adfore - fut. act. inf.
Book 6
Chapters 13-20
In omni Gallia eorum hominum, qui aliquo sunt numero atque honore, genera sunt duo. Nam plebes paene servorum habetur loco, quae nihil audet per se, nullo adhibetur consilio. Plerique, cum aut aere alieno aut magnitudine tributorum aut iniuria potentiorum premuntur, sese in servitutem dicant nobilibus: in hos eadem omnia sunt iura, quae dominis in servos. Sed de his duobus generibus alterum est druidum, alterum equitum. Illi rebus divinis intersunt, sacrificia publica ac privata procurant, religiones interpretantur: ad hos magnus adulescentium numerus disciplinae causa concurrit, magnoque hi sunt apud eos honore. Nam fere de omnibus controversiis publicis privatisque constituunt, et, si quod est admissum facinus, si caedes facta, si de hereditate, de finibus controversia est, idem decernunt, praemia poenasque constituunt; si qui aut privatus aut populus eorum decreto non stetit, sacrificiis interdicunt. Haec poena apud eos est gravissima. Quibus ita est interdictum, hi numero impiorum ac sceleratorum habentur, his omnes decedunt, aditum sermonemque defugiunt, ne quid ex contagione incommodi accipiant, neque his petentibus ius redditur neque honos ullus communicatur. His autem omnibus druidibus praeest unus, qui summam inter eos habet auctoritatem. Hoc mortuo aut si qui ex reliquis excellit dignitate succedit, aut, si sunt plures pares, suffragio druidum, nonnumquam etiam armis de principatu contendunt. hi certo anni tempore in finibus Carnutum, quae regio totius Galliae media habetur, considunt in loco consecrato. Huc omnes undique, qui controversias habent, conveniunt eorumque decretis iudiciisque parent. Disciplina in Britannia reperta atque inde in Galliam translata esse existimatur, et nunc, qui diligentius eam rem cognoscere volunt, plerumque illo discendi causa proficiscuntur.
In all Gaul of those men who are with some number and honor there are two classes. For the populace is held almost in the place of slaves, which dares nothing by itself, [and] is summoned for no plan. Very often, when they are pressed by debt or by the magnitude of taxes or by the wrongdoing of more powerful men, they surrender themselves into slavery to the nobles; for whom there are all the same rights over these men which [are] for masters over slaves. But concerning these two classes one is that of the Druids, the other that of the horsemen. Those men take part in divine matters, they attend to public and private sacrifices, they handle religious issues: a great number of young men rush to these men for the sake of instruction, and these men are with great honor among them. For they decide concerning almost all public and private disagreements, and, if any crime has been committed, if slaughter has been done, if there is a disagreement concerning inheritance, concerning boundaries, the same men decide, they decide rewards and punishments; if anyone, either a private citizen or a tribe, did not stand by their decree, they exclude them from the sacrifices. This punishment is very serious among them. These men, for whom it has thus been prohibited, are held in the number of the ungodly and the criminals, all men go away from these men, they flee from their approach and conversation, so that they may not receive anything of disadvantage from contact, nor is justice rendered for these men seeking it nor is any honor shared. Moreover, one man is in command of all these Druids, who has the highest authority among them. With this man having died, either, if anyone out of the remaining men excels in merit, he succeeds, or, if more men are equal, with a vote of the Druids, sometimes they even contend concerning leadership with weapons. These men, in a certain time of the year, in the boundaries of the Carnutes, the region which is considered the middle of all Gaul, sette in a consecrated place. Here from everywhere all men who have disagreements come together and they obey their decrees and judgments. Instruction is thought to have been discovered in Britain and from there to have been brought over into Gaul, and now those who want to learn this matter, more diligently very often set out to that place for the sake of learning.
potentiorum - comparative; genitive plural hos - refers to the common people illi - refers to the Druids eos - refers to the Gauls hoc mortuo - ablative absolute diligentius - comparative adverb discendi - gerund
Druides a bello abesse consuerunt neque tributa una cum reliquis pendunt; militiae vacationem omniumque rerum habent immunitatem. Tantis excitati praemiis et sua sponte multi in disciplinam conveniunt et a parentibus propinquisque mittuntur. Magnum ibi numerum versuum ediscere dicuntur. Itaque annos nonnulli vicenos in disciplina permanent. Neque fas esse existimant ea litteris mandare, cum in reliquis fere rebus, publicis privatisque rationibus Graecis litteris utantur. Id mihi duabus de causis instituisse videntur, quod neque in vulgum disciplinam efferri velint neque eos, qui discunt, litteris confisos minus memoriae studere: quod fere plerisque accidit, ut praesidio litterarum diligentiam in perdiscendo ac memoriam remittant. In primis hoc volunt persuadere, non interire animas, sed ab aliis post mortem transire ad alios, atque hoc maxime ad virtutem excitari putant metu mortis neglecto. Multa praeterea de sideribus atque eorum motu, de mundi ac terrarum magnitudine, de rerum natura, de deorum immortalium vi ac potestate disputant et iuventuti tradunt.
The Druids were accustomed to be absent from war nor do they pay taxes together with the rest; they have exemption of military service and freedom of all things. Many men, having been excited by such great rewards, both come into instruction by their own accord and are sent by their parents and relatives. They are said to learn a great number of verses there. Therefore, some remain in instruction for twenty years. Nor do they think that it is right to entrust these things to letters, although for the most part in the rest of their matters, public and private accounts, they use Greek letters. To me they seem to have adopted this from two reasons, because they desire neither their instruction to be carried out into the common people nor for those who are learning to be less eager for memory relying on letters: a thing which for the most part happens for many people, that they give up their diligence in learning with the help of letters. Among the foremost things, they wish to persuade this, that souls do not perish but they travel after death from some men to others, and from this they think that men are especially excited towards courage with fear of death having been disregarded. Furthermore, they discuss many things about the stars and their movement, about the size of the world and of the lands, about the nature of things, about the force and power of the immortal gods, and they entrust these things to they youth.
velint - present subjunctive
Alterum genus est equitum. Hi, cum est usus atque aliquod bellum incidit (quod fere ante Caesaris adventum quotannis accidere solebat, uti aut ipsi iniurias inferrent aut illatas propulsarent), omnes in bello versantur, atque eorum ut quisque est genere copiisque amplissimus, ita plurimos circum se ambactos clientesque habet. Hanc unam gratiam potentiamque noverunt.
The other class is that of the horsemen. All these men, when there is a need and some war arises (a thing which was accustomed to happen almost yearly before the arrival of Caesar, that either they themselves inflicted injuries or they repelled those having been inflicted), engage in war, and just as each of them is very illustrious in class and in supplies, thus he has very many vassals and clients around. They have come to know this one influence and power.
genere, copiis - ablatives of respect
Natio est omnis Gallorum admodum dedita religionibus, atque ob eam causam, qui sunt adfecti gravioribus morbis quique in proeliis periculisque versantur, aut pro victimis homines immolant aut se immolaturos vovent administrisque ad ea sacrificia druidibus utuntur, quod, pro vita hominis nisi hominis vita reddatur, non posse deorum immortalium numen placari arbitrantur, publiceque eiusdem generis habent instituta sacrificia. Alii immani magnitudine simulacra habent, quorum contexta viminibus membra vivis hominibus complent; quibus succensis circumventi flamma exanimantur homines. Supplicia eorum qui in furto aut in latrocinio aut aliqua noxia sint comprehensi gratiora dis immortalibus esse arbitrantur; sed, cum eius generis copia defecit, etiam ad innocentium supplicia descendunt.
The entire nation of the Gauls is very devoted to religious ceremonies, and on account of this reason, those who have been afflicted by rather serious diseases and those who engage in battles and dangers, either sacrifice men in place of animals or vow that they will sacrifice them and they use the Druids as priests for these sacrifices, because, unless the life of a human is rendered for the life of a human, they think that the divine power of the immortal gods is not able to be pleased, and they established sacrifices of the same kind publicly. Some have statues with immense size, whose limbs having been woven with wicker they fill with living men; with these having been burned, the men having been surrounded by fire are killed. They think that the punishments of those who have been arrested in theft or in robbery or some crime are more pleasing to the immortal gods; but when a supply of this type is insufficient, they even resort to the punishment of innocent men.
Deum maxime Mercurium colunt. Huius sunt plurima simulacra: hunc omnium inventorem artium ferunt, hunc viarum atque itinerum ducem, hunc ad quaestus pecuniae mercaturasque habere vim maximam arbitrantur. Post hunc Apollinem et Martem et Iovem et Minervam. De his eandem fere, quam reliquae gentes, habent opinionem: Apollinem morbos depellere, Minervam operum atque artificiorum initia tradere, Iovem imperium caelestium tenere, Martem bella regere. Huic, cum proelio dimicare constituerunt, ea quae bello ceperint plerumque devovent: cum superaverunt, animalia capta immolant reliquasque res in unum locum conferunt. Multis in civitatibus harum rerum exstructos tumulos locis consecratis conspicari licet; neque saepe accidit, ut neglecta quispiam religione aut capta apud se occultare aut posita tollere auderet, gravissimumque ei rei supplicium cum cruciatu constitutum est.
They especially honor the god Mercury. There are very many statues of this man: they say that this man is the inventor of all the arts, that this man is a leader of the roads and of journeys, they think that this man has the greatest power for the acquisition of money and trade. After this man [they honor] Apollo and Mars and Jupiter and Minerva. Concerning these they have nearly the same opinion which the rest of nations [have]: that Apollo drives away diseases, that Minerva teaches the basic elements of works and of trades, that Jupiter has the power of the gods, that Mars controls wars. To this man, when they have decided to fight in battle, they devote those things which they have seized in war very often: when they have conquered, they sacrifice animals having been captured and they bring together the remaining things into one place. In many states it is permitted for mounds of these things having been heaped up to be seen in consecrated places; nor does it often happen that with their religion having been neglected someone dares either to hide things having been captured with themselves or to destroy things having been deposited, and the most serious punishment has been decided for this thing.
hunc - refers to Mercury his - refers to the gods huic - refers to Mars
Galli se omnes ab Dite patre prognatos praedicant idque ab druidibus proditum dicunt. Ob eam causam spatia omnis temporis non numero dierum sed noctium finiunt; dies natales et mensum et annorum initia sic observant ut noctem dies subsequatur. In reliquis vitae institutis hoc fere ab reliquis differunt, quod suos liberos, nisi cum adoleverunt, ut munus militiae sustinere possint, palam ad se adire non patiuntur filiumque puerili aetate in publico in conspectu patris adsistere turpe ducunt.
All Gauls proclaim themselves to be descended from father Dis and they say that this has been revealed by the Druids. On account of this reason they measure the spans of all time not by the number of days but of nights; they observe birthdays and the beginnings of months and of years in such a way that day follows night. In the remaining institutions of life they differ for the most part from the rest by this, the fact that they do not allow their children to approach them publicly, except when they have grown up, such that they are able to undertake the duty of military service, and they consider it to be disgraceful for a son of childish age to stand in the sight of his father in public.
puerili aetate - ablative of description turpe - accusative singular neuter
Viri, quantas pecunias ab uxoribus dotis nomine acceperunt, tantas ex suis bonis aestimatione facta cum dotibus communicant. Huius omnis pecuniae coniunctim ratio habetur fructusque servantur: uter eorum vita superarit, ad eum pars utriusque cum fructibus superiorum temporum pervenit. Viri in uxores, sicuti in liberos, vitae necisque habent potestatem; et cum pater familiae illustriore loco natus decessit, eius propinqui conveniunt et, de morte si res in suspicionem venit, de uxoribus in servilem modum quaestionem habent et, si compertum est, igni atque omnibus tormentis excruciatas interficiunt. Funera sunt pro cultu Gallorum magnifica et sumptuosa; omniaque quae vivis cordi fuisse arbitrantur in ignem inferunt, etiam animalia, ac paulo supra hanc memoriam servi et clientes, quos ab eis dilectos esse constabat, iustis funeribus confectis una cremabantur.
The men, however much money he received from the wives in the name of a dowry, share just as much from their own goods with an appraisal having been made with the dowries. The account of all this money is held jointly and the profits are saved: whichever of them has survived, part of each comes to this one with the profits of previous times. Men have the power of life and of death over their wives, just as over their children; and when the father of a family, having been born in a rather distinguished place, has died, his relatives come together and, if the matter concerning his death comes into suspicion, they hold an inquiry concerning the wives in the manner of a slave and, if it has been discovered, they kill those having been tortured by fire and by all torments. Funerals are magnificent and expensive in proportion to the culture of the Gauls; and they carry into the fire all things which they think to have been dear to the living, even animals, and a little before this memory servants and clients, whom it was evident to have been loved by them, were burned together with the appropriate funeral rites having been completed.
in servilem modum - in Rome, the testimony of slaves was admissible in court, only if it had been extracted through torture
Quae 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, quod saepe homines temerarios atque imperitos falsis rumoribus terreri et ad facinus impelli et de summis rebus consilium capere cognitum est. Magistratus quae visa sunt occultant quaeque esse ex usu iudicaverunt multitudini produnt. De re publica nisi per concilium loqui non conceditur.
States which are thought to manage their own government rather easily have it sanctioned by laws that, if anyone has received anything about the government from his neighbors by rumor or report, he report it to the magistrate and not share it with anyone else, because it has been learned that often reckless and ignorant men are terrified by false rumors and are driven to crime and take advice about the highest matters. The magistrates hide things which have seemed best and they reveal to the multitude things which they have judged to be of use. It is not permitted to speak about the government except through council.