A Good Works Translation from De Bello Gallico 6.11-12 and 6.19-20
Alongside the famous Druid passages, Caesar gives a political and legal sketch of Gaul: faction leaders and clientship, the rivalry of Aedui and Sequani, marriage property, funeral practice, control of public rumor, and the rule that public affairs should be spoken through council.
Translation
Section 11
Since we have come to this point, it does not seem out of place to set forth the customs of Gaul and Germany, and how these nations differ among themselves. In Gaul there are factions not only in all the states, in all the districts, and in all the divisions, but almost even in individual households. The leaders of these factions are those who, in their judgment, are thought to have the highest authority; to their decision and judgment the highest conduct of all matters and plans returns. This custom seems to have been established from ancient time for this reason: that no one of the common people should lack help against a more powerful person. For each leader does not allow his own people to be oppressed and surrounded; if he does otherwise, he has no authority among his own. The same arrangement exists at the highest level of all Gaul, for all the states are divided into two parties.
Section 12
When Caesar came into Gaul, the leaders of one faction were the Aedui and of the other the Sequani. Since the Sequani had less strength by themselves, because the highest authority had belonged from ancient time to the Aedui and their clienteles were great, they had joined the Germans and Ariovistus to themselves and brought them over with great losses and promises. But after several successful battles had been fought and all the nobility of the Aedui had been killed, the Sequani had gone so far ahead in power that they drew a large part of the clients from the Aedui to themselves, received the sons of chiefs from them as hostages, forced them to swear publicly that they would undertake no plan against the Sequani, held by force a part of neighboring land that they had occupied, and possessed the chief place of all Gaul. Driven by this necessity, Diviciacus had gone to Rome to the senate to seek help and had returned with the matter unfinished. By Caesar's arrival, a change of affairs had been made: hostages were returned to the Aedui, old clienteles were restored, new ones were gained through Caesar, because those who had attached themselves to their friendship saw that their condition was better and the rule fairer; and, with their influence and dignity increased in other matters, the Sequani lost the chief place. The Remi succeeded into their place. Since it was understood that they were equal in favor with Caesar, those who because of old enmities could in no way be joined with the Aedui committed themselves into clientship with the Remi. The Remi guarded them diligently, and so they held an authority both new and suddenly gathered. The state of affairs then was this: the Aedui were considered by far the leading people, and the Remi held the second place in dignity.
Section 19
Whatever amount of money husbands have received from their wives in the name of dowry, they join an equal amount from their own goods with the dowries, after an assessment has been made. An account of all this money is kept jointly, and the profits are preserved: whichever of the two survives in life, to that one comes the share of both, together with the profits of earlier times. Husbands have power of life and death over wives as over children. When a father of a household born in a more distinguished rank has died, his relatives assemble; if the matter concerning his death comes into suspicion, they hold an inquiry concerning the wives in the manner used for slaves, and, if guilt is established, they kill them after tormenting them with fire and every torture. Funerals, according to the culture of the Gauls, are magnificent and costly. Everything that they think was dear to the living is brought into the fire, even animals; and a little before this time, slaves and clients who were known to have been loved by them were burned together after the proper funeral rites had been completed.
Section 20
The states that are thought to administer their commonwealth more suitably have established by law that if anyone has heard anything about public affairs from neighboring peoples by rumor or report, he must bring it to the magistrate and not share it with anyone else. For it has been learned that reckless and inexperienced people are often frightened by false rumors, driven to crime, and led to make plans about the highest matters. The magistrates conceal what seems best to conceal and disclose to the multitude what they judge to be useful. It is not permitted to speak about public affairs except through the council.
Colophon
This page translates Caesar, De Bello Gallico 6.11-12 and 6.19-20 from Latin for the Celtic continental expansion of the Good Work Library. The passage is Roman administrative evidence, useful for Gaulish social order but shaped by Caesar's political interests and categories.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: Caesar, De Bello Gallico 6.11-12 and 6.19-20
Latin source text from The Latin Library's text of Caesar, De Bello Gallico, Book 6. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
Section 11
Quoniam ad hunc locum perventum est, non alienum esse videtur de Galliae Germaniaeque moribus et quo differant hae nationes inter sese proponere. In Gallia non solum in omnibus civitatibus atque in omnibus pagis partibusque, sed paene etiam in singulis domibus factiones sunt, earumque factionum principes sunt qui summam auctoritatem eorum iudicio habere existimantur, quorum ad arbitrium iudiciumque summa omnium rerum consiliorumque redeat. Itaque eius rei causa antiquitus institutum videtur, ne quis ex plebe contra potentiorem auxili egeret: suos enim quisque opprimi et circumveniri non patitur, neque, aliter si faciat, ullam inter suos habet auctoritatem. Haec eadem ratio est in summa totius Galliae: namque omnes civitates in partes divisae sunt duas.
Section 12
Cum Caesar in Galliam venit, alterius factionis principes erant Aedui, alterius Sequani. Hi cum per se minus valerent, quod summa auctoritas antiquitus erat in Aeduis magnaeque eorum erant clientelae, Germanos atque Ariovistum sibi adiunxerant eosque ad se magnis iacturis pollicitationibusque perduxerant. Proeliis vero compluribus factis secundis atque omni nobilitate Aeduorum interfecta tantum potentia antecesserant, ut magnam partem clientium ab Aeduis ad se traducerent obsidesque ab eis principum filios acciperent et publice iurare cogerent nihil se contra Sequanos consili inituros et partem finitimi agri per vim occupatam possiderent Galliaeque totius principatum obtinerent. Qua necessitate adductus Diviciacus auxili petendi causa Romam ad senatum profectus infecta re redierat. Adventu Caesaris facta commutatione rerum, obsidibus Aeduis redditis, veteribus clientelis restitutis, novis per Caesarem comparatis, quod hi, qui se ad eorum amicitiam adgregaverant, meliore condicione atque aequiore imperio se uti videbant, reliquis rebus eorum gratia dignitateque amplificata Sequani principatum dimiserant. In eorum locum Remi successerant: quos quod adaequare apud Caesarem gratia intellegebatur, ei, qui propter veteres inimicitias nullo modo cum Aeduis coniungi poterant, se Remis in clientelam dicabant. Hos illi diligenter tuebantur: ita et novam et repente collectam auctoritatem tenebant. Eo tum statu res erat, ut longe principes haberentur Aedui, secundum locum dignitatis Remi obtinerent.
Section 19
Viri, quantas pecunias ab uxoribus dotis nomine acceperunt, tantas ex suis bonis aestimatione facta cum dotibus communicant. Huius omnis pecuniae coniunctim ratio habetur fructusque servantur: uter eorum vita superarit, ad eum pars utriusque cum fructibus superiorum temporum pervenit. Viri in uxores, sicuti in liberos, vitae necisque habent potestatem; et cum paterfamiliae illustriore loco natus decessit, eius propinqui conveniunt et, de morte si res in suspicionem venit, de uxoribus in servilem modum quaestionem habent et, si compertum est, igni atque omnibus tormentis excruciatas interficiunt. Funera sunt pro cultu Gallorum magnifica et sumptuosa; omniaque quae vivis cordi fuisse arbitrantur in ignem inferunt, etiam animalia, ac paulo supra hanc memoriam servi et clientes, quos ab eis dilectos esse constabat, iustis funeribus confectis una cremabantur.
Section 20
Quae civitates commodius suam rem publicam administrare existimantur, habent legibus sanctum, si quis quid de re publica a finitimis rumore aut fama acceperit, uti ad magistratum deferat neve cum quo alio communicet, quod saepe homines temerarios atque imperitos falsis rumoribus terreri et ad facinus impelli et de summis rebus consilium capere cognitum est. Magistratus quae visa sunt occultant quaeque esse ex usu iudicaverunt multitudini produnt. De re publica nisi per concilium loqui non conceditur.
Source Colophon
The Latin source was captured from The Latin Library on 2026-05-13 and inspected on disk at Tulku/Tools/celtic/sources/continental_batch_2026-05-13/caesar_gallic_war_6_latin_library.html. The English translation is a New Tianmu Anglican Church Good Works Translation made from the Latin source.
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