Caesar Gallic Wars, Book 1,
chapter 3.
Please translate and know the syntax of the following:
[3] 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;
WE START HERE ON FRIDAY OCT 26
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.
WE WILL IN ALL LIKELIHOOD DO SOME OF Book
1, Chapter 4 ON FRIDAY TOO, SO PREPARE SOME OF THAT. DAN WILL
FINISH THAT UP ON MONDAY WITH Y'ALL.
I encourage you to do the following:
try translating and understanding the syntax of it on your own with
just a dictionary: work with someone else in the class at this
- find the verbs, look them up, and ask yourself what constructions
they are likely to take (subject? d.o.? ind. obj? prepositional phrase?
adverbs? subordinate clauses? indirect speech? ALL those things arise
because of a verb)
- then, if you have not got it yet, put it down for at least an
hour, or go on to the next sentence.
- then try again after leaving it for a while
- then, read over a translation carefully for about 5 minutes to
try to get clues about what you don't get and confirm that what you
think you understand is right.
- then put it down and try again in an hour or so.
- then, if you still don't get it, write out careful questions to
ask me in class.
- and keep trying it over and over again now and then so that you
are ready for the midterm when it comes (soon!).
Things to remember:
- you need to know the syntax as much as the translation
- if you cannot account for a word, that is a very bad sign for
your theory about what the sentence means and possibly for syntax as
well
- subjunctives: syntax includes two things (1. why subjunctive? and
2. what sequence of tenses?)