De Bello Gallico: Liber Primus - Forum Book Club

[Bitmap]

Die constituta causae dictionis
Given: On the day appointed for the pleading of his cause

How does this work? dies, diei is masculine, so how could constituta modify it?
I had "On that day, the matter of pleading the cause having been decided [(re) causae dictionis constituta]"

the answer is simple: because dies is feminine here. dies can be of either gender. In prose, it usually means something like "appointment" if it is feminine; in poetry the genders are usually completely interchangable.

incitata armis ius suum exequi conaretur
Given: incensed at this act, was endeavoring to assert its right by arms
Could incitate armis not mean "incited to arms"?

that would leave quam ob rem stranded

 

[Tactixian]

the answer is simple: because dies is feminine here. dies can be of either gender. In prose, it usually means something like "appointment" if it is feminine; in poetry the genders are usually completely interchangable.

Oh, cool. That makes it very clear, thanks.

incitata armis ius suum exequi conaretur
Given: incensed at this act, was endeavoring to assert its right by arms
Could incitate armis not mean "incited to arms"?

that would leave quam ob rem stranded

Cum civitas ob eam rem incitata armis ius suum exequi conaretur

When the state, incited to arms on account of this matter, endeavored to follow its law

Does that leave Cum ob rem any more stranded than the Perseus Project version?

 

[Bitmap]

cum ob rem?? oO

 

[Tactixian]

Well the phrase is cum civitas ob eam rem. What is being stranded by my translation? I don't see a quam ob rem.

 

[Bitmap]

oh, sorry ... meant to say ob eam rem ... it goes with incitata

 

[Imber Ranae]

In addition to what Bitmap has said, "to arms" would be ad arma, not armīs. Ablative of means is the only possibility here, I think.

 

[Nooj]

domum reditionis

I guess reditio has the force of gerund or verbal noun and takes a direct object here? Interesting.

 

[Bitmap]

That's fascinating, indeed ... but it's not entirely unusual for verbal nouns to retain some of their verbal character; especially nouns that are formed on the basis of verbs of movement. You often find those kinds of nouns linked with adverbial expressions (e.g. prepositions: aditus ad urbem), too. I think reditio domum belongs into that category.

 

[Decimvs]

Translation for Chapter 5 (Taken from The Perseus Project)

[5] After his death, the Helvetii nevertheless attempt to do that which they had resolved on, namely, to go forth from their territories. When they thought that they were at length prepared for this undertaking, they set fire to all their towns, in number about twelve-to their villages about four hundred-and to the private dwellings that remained; they burn up all the corn, except what they intend to carry with them; that after destroying the hope of a return home, they might be the more ready for undergoing all dangers. They order every one to carry forth from home for himself provisions for three months, ready ground. They persuade the Rauraci, and the Tulingi, and the Latobrigi, their neighbors, to adopt the same plan, and after burning down their towns and villages, to set out with them: and they admit to their party and unite to themselves as confederates the Boii, who had dwelt on the other side of the Rhine , and had crossed over into the Norican territory, and assaulted Noreia.

C. Julius Caesar. Caesar's Gallic War. Translator. W. A. McDevitte. Translator. W. S. Bohn. 1st Edition. New York. Harper & Brothers. 1869. Harper's New Classical Library.

Chapter 6 (Taken from The Latin Library)

[6] 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.

No Dictionaries Version

Map of Roman Gaul

Thank you to all those who participate in this discussion of De Bello Gallico: Liber Primus!

 

[Decimvs]

I am hoping that this thread does not completely die.

I have not been able to be as active in it as I had wanted; the summer has been very busy for me personally and academically. I am going to make more of an effort to post here, however.

Thank you to those of you who have been active in this thread, and have kept the discussion and questions coming.

 

[Reziac]

I am hoping that this thread does not completely die.

I'm enjoying it too, even tho I've not had time lately to do more than read the translations -- at the very least it's getting me to read something that I might never have gotten around to without this forum. So yes, let's keep going, even if there aren't many comments on the work itself!

 

[Nikolaos]

To be completely honest, this thread is getting too confusing for me to follow. Maybe we should have a new thread for different chunks of text?

 

[Akela]

Maybe we should have a new thread for different chunks of text?

This is not a bad idea, especially since we have a whole subforum for the Latin readings now.

The final decision is Decimvs', however

 

[Reziac]

Maybe one thread for the reading and the translation, and another (linked from the first) for each discussion? Tho I'm not sure that's really any less confusing

 

[Decimvs]

Hmmmmm....... :wondering:

*thinking*

 

[Decimvs]

Maybe one thread for the reading and the translation, and another (linked from the first) for each discussion? Tho I'm not sure that's really any less confusing

This is the direction that I am leaning. Is this ok with everyone else?

I will create one thread with the readings and translations for chapters 1-20, and at the bottom of each chapter post, link to a thread for discussion of that chapter?

 

[Reziac]

Maybe one thread for the reading and the translation, and another (linked from the first) for each discussion? Tho I'm not sure that's really any less confusing

This is the direction that I am leaning. Is this ok with everyone else?

I will create one thread with the readings and translations for chapters 1-20, and at the bottom of each chapter post, link to a thread for discussion of that chapter?

I think it's worth a try. After all, if we wind up not liking the new format, we can always go back to this one! But it would certainly be more organised for folks who come in late and are trying to figure out just which chunk people are talking about.

 

[Nikolaos]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Decimvs]

Sorry that this has taken so long. I am going to start chopping up this thread and making new ones very soon.

We will do readings from De Bello Gallico Liber Primus, and there will be a thread for each chapter (or maybe for every 2-3 so that the Reading Forum does not appear overrun with Caesar threads) - Latin text and translations (the usual) as the first post, and then discussion of that chapter below.

 

[Reziac]

Cool by me.. I've been busy myself, and whenever you get to it will be absolutely fine!