Caesar 6.13 - Gallic Traditions

In omnī Galliā eōrum hominum quī aliquō sunt numerō atque honōre genera sunt duo. Nam plēbēs paene servōrum habētur locō, quae nihil audet per sē, nūllō adhibētur cōnsiliō. Plērīque, cum aut aere aliēnō aut māgnitūdine tribūtōrum aut iniūriā potentiōrum premuntur, sēsē in servitūtem dicant nōbilibus, quibus in hōs eadem omnia sunt iūra quae dominīs in servōs. Sed dē hīs duōbus generibus alterum est druidum, alterum equitum.

In all of Gaul there are two types of men, who are in some sort of rank and honor. For the plebs are held in almost the rank of slaves who dare nothing for themselves and are admitted by no assembly. Most, when they are either oppressed by foreign debt or by the largeness of their taxes or by wrongdoing of the more powerful, they declare themselves into slavery to the nobility in regards to them they have the same right as masters have over slaves. But, concurring these two races one Druids, another the cavalry.

Illī rēbus dīvīnīs intersunt, sacrificia pūblica ac prīvāta prōcūrant, religiōnēs interpretantur: ad hōs māgnus adulēscentium numerus disciplīnae causā concurrit, māgnōque hī sunt apud eōs honōre. Nam ferē dē omnibus contrōversiīs pūblicīs prīvātīsque cōnstituunt et, sī quod est admīssum facinus, sī caedēs facta, sī dē hērēditāte, dē fīnibus contrōversia est, īdem dēcernunt, praemia poenāsque cōnstituunt; sī quī aut prīvātus aut populus eōrum dēcrētō nōn stetit, sacrificiīs interdīcunt. Haec poena apud eōs est gravissima.

The former take part in divine matters, look after private and public sacrifices, and explain religious matters: to them a great number of young people run for the sake of learning among them, there is great honor.

Quibus ita est interdictum, hī numerō impiōrum ac scelerātōrum habentur, hīs omnēs dēcēdunt, aditum sermōnemque dēfugiunt, nē quid ex contāgiōne incommodī accipiant, neque hīs petentibus iūs redditur, neque hōnōs ūllus commūnicātur.

For generally they decide about all public and private controversies, and if any crime has been committed, if murder has been made, if there is controversies concerning land, concerning inheritance they likewise decide, they determine penalties and rewards; if any either private person or people do not stand with their decision, they are prohibited from sacrifices. This penalty among them is the most severe. For those who have been judged in this way are held in the rank of the unholy and wicked from all these withdraw and flee their approach from conversation, lest they receive anything bad from touching, neither is any right given to them seeking nor is any honor shared.

Hīs autem omnibus druidibus praeest ūnus, quī summam inter eōs habet auctōritātem. Hōc mortuō, aut sī quī ex reliquīs excellit dīgnitāte succēdit, aut, sī sunt plūrēs parēs, suffrāgiō druidum, nōn numquam etiam armīs dē prīncipātū contendunt. Hī certō annī tempore in fīnibus Carnūtum, quae regiō tōtīus Galliae media habētur, cōnsīdunt in locō cōnsecrātō. Hūc omnēs undique quī contrōversiās habent conveniunt eōrumque dēcrētīs iūdiciīsque pārent. Disciplīna in Britanniā reperta atque inde in Galliam trānslāta esse exīstimātur, et nunc quī dīligentius eam rem cōgnōscere volunt plērumque illō discendī causā profīcīscuntur.

One man proceeds over all these Druids, who has the greatest authority among them. When this one dies, of anyone from the remainder excels in dignity, eitehr he succeeds or if there are rather many equals, by a vote of the Druids and sometimes even fight for supremacy with arms. These men at a certain time of year in the territory of the Carnutes, which is region considered the middle of all Gaul, they hold court in a sacred place. To this place in all directions those who have disagreements come together and obey their decrees and judgements. The teaching is thought to have been discovered in Britain and then brought over into Gaul, and now those who wish to study the matter more diligently generally set out to that place for the sake of learning.

Line 1: qui

masc, plural, accusative - hominum

Line 3: sese

accusative - direct object

Line 5: nobilibus

dative - indirect object

Line 5: eadem

nominative - subject

Line 6: equitum

genative - possession

Line 7: divinis

dative - compound verb*

Line 8: disciplinae

genative - causa

Line 13: sacrificiis

dative - compounds verb*

Line 14: his

ablative of separation

Line 16: accipiant (verb)

present, active, subjunctive - purpose

Line 16: ius

nominative - subject

Line 18: druidibus

dative - compound verb*

Line 19: mortuo

ablative absolute

Line 21: tempore

ablative - time when

Line 22: huc

ablative - place where

Line 23: decretis

dative - special verb

Line 26: discendi (gerund)

genative - causa

Noun-Adjective Agreement

• Omni Gallia - all of Gaul

• rebus divinis - divine matters

• sacrifica publica (privata) - public (private) sacrifices

• magnus adulescentium - a great number of adolescents

• genera duo - two ranks