---
title: "Gallic War — Book IV"
author: "Julius Caesar"
translator: "W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn"
languages: [la, en]
shelf: "Classical Latin"
section: 20 of 38
url: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-iv/20/
cite: "Julius Caesar, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn, Gallic War — Book IV, section 20. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-iv/20/"
---

# Gallic War — Book IV

*Julius Caesar, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn*

## 20. Book IV — Chapter 20

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-iv/20/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-iv/20/#p-N

[¶0] During the short part of summer which remained, Caesar, although in these countries, as all Gaul lies toward the north, the winters are early, nevertheless resolved to proceed into Britain, because he discovered that in almost all the wars with the Gauls succors had been furnished to our enemy from that country;

> Latin: Exigua parte aestatis reliqua Caesar, etsi in his locis, quod omnis Gallia ad septentriones vergit, maturae sunt hiemes, tamen in Britanniam proficisci contendit, quod omnibus fere Gallicis bellis hostibus nostris inde subministrata auxilia intellegebat,

[¶1] and even if the time of year should be insufficient for carrying on the war, yet he thought it would be of great service to him if he only entered the island, and saw into the character of the people, and got knowledge of their localities, harbors, and landing-places, all which were for the most part unknown to the Gauls.

> Latin: et si tempus anni ad bellum gerendum deficeret, tamen magno sibi usui fore arbitrabatur, si modo insulam adiisset, genus hominum perspexisset, loca, portus, aditus cognovisset; quae omnia fere Gallis erant incognita.

[¶2] For neither does any one except merchants generally go thither, nor even to them was any portion of it known, except the sea-coast and those parts which are opposite to Gaul.

> Latin: Neque enim temere praeter mercatores illo adit quisquam, neque his ipsis quicquam praeter oram maritimam atque eas regiones quae sunt contra Galliam notum est.

[¶3] Therefore, after having called up to him the merchants from all parts, he could learn neither what was the size of the island, nor what or how numerous were the nations which inhabited it, nor what system of war they followed, nor what customs they used, nor what harbors were convenient for a great number of large ships.

> Latin: Itaque vocatis ad se undique mercatoribus, neque quanta esset insulae magnitudo neque quae aut quantae nationes incolerent, neque quem usum belli haberent aut quibus institutis uterentur, neque qui essent ad maiorem navium multitudinem idonei portus reperire poterat.