Latin

Latin Texts/English Translation: Caesar, Gallic Wars, Bk 1 Caesar, Gallic Wars, Bk 6 Horace, Satires, Bk 1 Livy, ab Urbe Condita, Bk 1 Cicero, In Catilinam, 1 Cicero, Pro Cornelio Balbo Oratio, a quote

Caesar, The Gallic Wars: Book Six

13.1-13.11: Latin

(13.2) Plerique, cum aut aere alieno aut magnitudine tributorum aut iniuria potentiorum premuntur, sese in servitutem dicant nobilibus, quibus in hos eadem omnia sunt iura quae dominis in servos.

(13.3) Sed de his duobus generibus alterum est druidum, alterum equitum.

(13.4) 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.

(13.5) Nam fere de omnibus controversiis publicis privatisque contistuunt et, si quod est admissum facinus, si caedes facta, si de hereditate, de finibus controversia est, idem decernunt, praemia poenasque constituunt;

(13.6) si qui aut privatus aut populus eorum decreto non stetit, sacrificiis interdicunt.

(13.7) 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.

(13.8) His autem omnibus druidibus praeest unus, qui summam inter eos habet auctoritatem.

(13.9) Hoc mortuo, aut si qui ex reliquis excellit dignitate succedit, aut, si sunt plures pares, suffragio druidum, non numquam etiam armis de principatu contendunt.

(13.10) 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.

(13.11) Disciplina in Britannia reperta atque inde in Galliam translata esse existimatur, et nunc qui dilligentius eam rem cognoscere volunt plerumque illo discendi causa proficiscuntur.

13.1-13.11: English Translation

(13.2) The majority, whenever they are oppressed by debt, or magnitude of taxes, or injury by the more powerful, they give themselves over to slavery to the nobles, who have all the same rights over these as masters over slaves.

(13.3) But of these two kinds one is the druids, the other is the knights.

(13.5) For they decide about almost all of public and private disputes and if any evil deed has been committed, if a murder has been committed, if there is a dispute of inheritance, of territory, the same men decide, set up awards and punishments;

(13.6) if someone private or people does not stand by their decree, they forbid sacrifices.

(13.7) This punishment is a very heavy one among them. These, to whom there has thus been a forbidding (i.e., these who have been thus forbidden), these men are considered in the number of the wicked and criminal, everyone avoids them, avoids their approach and conversation, lest they get some harm from the contact, nor is justice given to these seeking, nor is any honour shared with them.

(13.8) But of all these druids one is in charge, who has chief authority among them.

(13.9) When this one has died, either, if one of the remaining (druids) excels in dignity, he succeeds, or, if many are equal, they contend for the leadership either by the voite of the druids or sometimes even by arms.

(13.10) These men, at a fixed time of the year, sit down in a consecrated place in the territory of Carnutes, which region is considered the center of all Gaul. To here everybody from all sides who has disputes comes together and they obey their decreees and judgements.

(13.11) Teaching is thought to have beendiscovered in Britain and thence when transported into Gaul, and now those who rather dilligently want to know these things, the majority set out to there to study.