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In completely dog-free news, I've finally had a chance to get a little Caesar translation in again.
When we left off back in August, Caesar was getting distinctly grim about his supposed allies, the Haedui (who might or might not be conquered people, I’m a little fuzzy on the details), failing to provide him with the grain he was expecting. And which his army needed in order to go chasing after those Helvetii (who I keep wanting to call the Helveticas) who set all their houses on fire and then invaded their neighbors. A young man named Liscus showed up to say that there was a nefarious plot among his people, and that he has put himself in terrible danger by telling Caesar about it.
In chapter 18 of this book--still book 1, ye gods--we find out what the actual nefarious plot is.
18.1 Caesar perceived that Dumnorix, the brother of Diviciacus, was being indicated by this speech of Liscus, but, since he didn’t want these matters to be chattered about among the many people present, he swiftly dismissed the council, keeping Liscus behind.
18.2 From that man alone, Caesar asked after those things which he had said in the council. He spoke boldly and freely. In secret, Caesar asked after the same things from the other men; he discovered these things to be true:
18.3 Dumnorix was the very man, of the greatest audacity, greatly popular among the plebes because of his generosity, and desirous of revolution. For several years he’d been redeeming the tariffs and all the remaining taxes of the Haedui at a small price, on account of which no one dared make an opposing bid when he’d placed a bid.
18.4 By these things he had augmented his own domestic estate, and gathered great resources for use in political bribery;
18.5 he always supported a great number of cavalry at his own expense and had them around him,
18.6 not only at home, but he was even able to have them with him in neighboring states because of his generosity; and for the sake of this power, he had married this man’s mother* to a very noble and powerful man in Biturges;
18.7 he himself had a wife from the Helvetii, and had even given a half sister on his mother’s side, and his neighbors, in marriage in other provinces;
18.8 He favored and was well-disposed towards the Helvetii on account of this marriage relationship, even hating Caesar and the Romans on his own account, because with their approach his power had been diminished and his brother Diviciacus had been restored to the ancient position of esteem** and honor.
18.9 If anything should happen to the Romans, he would come into the highest hope of acquiring rulership through the Helvetii; during the rule of the Roman people he despaired of getting not only the rulership, but even the esteem which he possessed.
18.10 Caesar even discovered in his investigation that during the unfortunate cavalry attack*** that was made a few days earlier, the first retreat was made by Dumnorix and his knights; for Dumnorix led the cavalry which the Haedui had sent as auxiliaries to Caesar; and by their retreat, the rest of the cavalry was terrified.
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* I think this means Liscus's mother? Because it's using the hic/haec/hoc paradigm as a possessive, and Dumnorix is usually "ipsum" or "suum" in indirect speech in which he's the subject. So I think Liscus is the only "this man" it could refer to, no one else having been named yet. Or does it mean his brother's mother? Argh. Not sure! Maybe that would make more sense.
** I’m having trouble translating “gratia” here. Sometimes it means “for the sake of”, and sometimes it means “favor”, and sometimes it means “generosity” or “gratitude”, and sometimes it means “esteem”... Anyway.
*** You may recall the accidental cavalry tangle from earlier in this book, wherein the Helvetii destroyed some unprepared Roman cavalry.
When we left off back in August, Caesar was getting distinctly grim about his supposed allies, the Haedui (who might or might not be conquered people, I’m a little fuzzy on the details), failing to provide him with the grain he was expecting. And which his army needed in order to go chasing after those Helvetii (who I keep wanting to call the Helveticas) who set all their houses on fire and then invaded their neighbors. A young man named Liscus showed up to say that there was a nefarious plot among his people, and that he has put himself in terrible danger by telling Caesar about it.
In chapter 18 of this book--still book 1, ye gods--we find out what the actual nefarious plot is.
18.1 Caesar perceived that Dumnorix, the brother of Diviciacus, was being indicated by this speech of Liscus, but, since he didn’t want these matters to be chattered about among the many people present, he swiftly dismissed the council, keeping Liscus behind.
18.2 From that man alone, Caesar asked after those things which he had said in the council. He spoke boldly and freely. In secret, Caesar asked after the same things from the other men; he discovered these things to be true:
18.3 Dumnorix was the very man, of the greatest audacity, greatly popular among the plebes because of his generosity, and desirous of revolution. For several years he’d been redeeming the tariffs and all the remaining taxes of the Haedui at a small price, on account of which no one dared make an opposing bid when he’d placed a bid.
18.4 By these things he had augmented his own domestic estate, and gathered great resources for use in political bribery;
18.5 he always supported a great number of cavalry at his own expense and had them around him,
18.6 not only at home, but he was even able to have them with him in neighboring states because of his generosity; and for the sake of this power, he had married this man’s mother* to a very noble and powerful man in Biturges;
18.7 he himself had a wife from the Helvetii, and had even given a half sister on his mother’s side, and his neighbors, in marriage in other provinces;
18.8 He favored and was well-disposed towards the Helvetii on account of this marriage relationship, even hating Caesar and the Romans on his own account, because with their approach his power had been diminished and his brother Diviciacus had been restored to the ancient position of esteem** and honor.
18.9 If anything should happen to the Romans, he would come into the highest hope of acquiring rulership through the Helvetii; during the rule of the Roman people he despaired of getting not only the rulership, but even the esteem which he possessed.
18.10 Caesar even discovered in his investigation that during the unfortunate cavalry attack*** that was made a few days earlier, the first retreat was made by Dumnorix and his knights; for Dumnorix led the cavalry which the Haedui had sent as auxiliaries to Caesar; and by their retreat, the rest of the cavalry was terrified.
---
* I think this means Liscus's mother? Because it's using the hic/haec/hoc paradigm as a possessive, and Dumnorix is usually "ipsum" or "suum" in indirect speech in which he's the subject. So I think Liscus is the only "this man" it could refer to, no one else having been named yet. Or does it mean his brother's mother? Argh. Not sure! Maybe that would make more sense.
** I’m having trouble translating “gratia” here. Sometimes it means “for the sake of”, and sometimes it means “favor”, and sometimes it means “generosity” or “gratitude”, and sometimes it means “esteem”... Anyway.
*** You may recall the accidental cavalry tangle from earlier in this book, wherein the Helvetii destroyed some unprepared Roman cavalry.