Friday, September 3, 2010

de bello gallico, 1.1

All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgians inhabit, another the Aquitani, the third (those inhabit) who in the language of themselves (are called) the Celts, in our (language) are called the Gauls. These all differ among themselves in language, institutions, laws. The Garumna river (separates) the Gauls from the Aquitani, the Matrona and Sequana divide (the Gauls) from the Belgians. Of all these the bravest are the Belgians, on account of the fact that they are farthest from the culture and humanity of our province, and least often do merchants go back and forth to them and import these things which pertain to the weakening of spirits, and they are nearest to the Germans, who live across the Rhenus, with whom they continually wage war. From which cause the Helvetii also surpass the remaining Gauls in virtue because they strive in nearly daily wars with the Germans, when either they keep them from their territory or they themselves wage war in their territory. One part of these, which it is said that the Gauls hold, takes its beginning from the river Rhodanus; it is contained by the river Garumna, by the Ocean, by the territory of the Belgians; it touches also the Rhenus river from the Sequani and Helvetii; it lies to the north. The Belgians arise from the last borders of Gaul; they look into the north and rising sun. Aquitania stretches from the Garumna river to the Pyrenese mountains and this part of the Ocean which is near Spain; it looks between the setting of the sun and the north.