de bello gallico, 6.20

Which states are thought to conduct their state more properly, have it ordained by their laws, if any person has received by rumor or report from his neighbors any thing about the state, that he should convey (it) to the magistrate and not share (it) with any other: because it has been learned that more rash and inexperienced men were often alarmed by false reports and were driven to crime and formed a plan about the most important affairs. The magistrates conceal those things which seem best and they reveal to the multitude which things they judge according to use. It is not allowed to speak about the state except in (lit. through) council.

de bello gallico, 6.19

As much money as the husbands have received in the name of dowry from their wives, with an estimate having been made, they join so much with the dowries out of their own goods. An account is kept of all this money conjointly, and the profits are preserved: which of these two survives in life, to that one comes the part of both with the profits of the previous times. Husbands have power of life and death over their wives as well as over their children; and when the father of a family, having been born in a more distinguished rank, has died, his relations assemble and, if the circumstance of his death comes into suspicion, hold an investigation of the wives in the servile manner, and, if it was verified, kill them having been tormented by fire and totures. Their funerals, for civilization of the Gauls, are magnificent and costly; and everything, which they think were dear to them living they carry into the fire, even animals; and, a little before this memory, slaves and clients, whom it was agreed were beloved by them, with the regular funeral rites having been completed, were burnt together (with them).

de bello gallico, 6.18

The Gauls proclaim that they all are descended from the god Dis, and say that this has been handed down by the Druids. Because of this reason they make the divisions of every season not by the number of days but of nights; they observe birthdays and the beginnings of months and years thus that the day follows the night. Among the other customs of life, they differ in this from nearly (all) remaining, that they do not permit their children to approach them openly unless when they have grown up so as to be able to bear the duty of war; and they consider it as shameful for a son of boyish age to stand in public in the sight of his father.

de bello gallico, 6.17

They worship as the god Mercury in particular, and there are very many images of this one, and they consider him the inventor of all arts, the guide of their journeys and marches, and (they consider) this one to have the greatest power for the gain of money and trades. After this one (they worship) Apollo, and Mars, and Jupiter, and Minerva. About these they have generally the same belief as remaining nations: (that) Apollo averts diseases, Minerva hands down the beginnings of works and trades, Jupiter holds the command of the heavenly beings, Mars rules wars. To this one, when they have decided to strive in battle, they commonly vow those things which they will take in war: which will have survived, they sacrifice the captured animals, and collect the remaining things into one place. In many states one may see piles of these things heaped in consecrated places; nor does it often happen that any one, with sanctity having been disregarded, dares either to hide in his house things captured or take away things deposited, and the most severe punishment for this matter, with torture, has been established.

de bello gallico, 6.16

The nation of all the Gauls is exceedingly devoted to religious rites, and because of this reason (those) who have been afflicted with more severe diseases and who are engaged in battles and dangers either sacrifice men as victims or vow that they will sacrifice them and use the Druids as ministers for those sacrifices; because they think that, unless the life of a man be returned for the life of a man, the will of the immortal gods can not be propitiated, and they have sacrifices of the same kind established publicly. Others have figures of immense size, the limbs of which woven with twigs they fill with living men; with which having been set on fire, the men perish surrounded by flame. They think that the punishment of such who have been taken in theft, or in robbery, or in any offense, is more pleasing to the immortal gods, but, when a supply of that type is lacking, they descend to the punishment of the innocent.

de bello gallico, 6.15

The other class is that of the knights. These, when there is advantage and any war occurs (which before the arrival of Caesar was generally accustomed to happen every year, as either they themselves were inflecting injuries or repelling those inflected on them), are all engaged in war; and, of those in proportion as is most distinguished by birth and resources, thus have the greatest number of slaves and dependents about them. They know this one influence and power.

de bello gallico, 6.14

The Druids are accustomed to be apart from war, and they do not pay tribute together with the rest; they have an exemption from military service and a immunity from all matters. Induced by such rewards and by their own free will many come into the discipline and are sent to it by their parents and relations. There they are said to learn by heart a great number of verses. And so not none remain in the instruction twenty years. Nor do they think it right to commit these to writing, although generally in remaining matters, in their public and private matters, they use Greek characters. They seem to me to have adopted it for two reasons, because they neither want their discipline to be born among the common people, nor those who learn, having relied on writing, to cultivate their memory less; because it generally happens to most that with the help of writing they relax their diligence in learning thoroughly and their memory. They wish to inculcate this among the first, that souls do not die, but pass after death from some to others, and they think that by this (men) are most excited to virtue, the fear of death having been neglected. Many things besides about the stars and their motion, about the size of the world and lands, about the nature of things, about the power and the majesty of the immortal gods they debate and hand down to the youth.

de bello gallico, 6.13

In all Gaul there are two classes of those men who are of any rank and dignity. For the commons is held almost in the place of slaves, and dares nothing through itself, and is admitted to no deliberation. Very many, when they are pressed either by another’s money (i.e. debt), or the magnitude of their taxes, or the injustice of the more powerful, offer themselves into slavery to the nobles, who have over them the same rights which masters have over their slaves. But of these two orders, one is that of the Druids, the other that of the knights. Those men (the former) take part in things sacred, attend to the public and the private sacrifices, and interpret religious matters: to these a great number of young men flock for the sake of instruction, and these are in great honor among them. For they decide about nearly all controversies, public and private and, if any crime has been committed, if murder has been done, if there is any dispute about an inheritance, if (any) about boundaries, these same persons decide it, they decree rewards and punishments; if any one, either in a private or public, has not submitted to their decision, they interdict him from the sacrifices. This punishment among them is the most severe. Against whom it has been thus interdicted, these are held in the number of the impious and the criminals: all withdraw from these, they flee their society and conversation, lest they receive any harm from their contact, nor is justice administered to those seeking (it), nor is any honor bestowed. One is in control over all these Druids, moreover, who has supreme authority among them. With this one having died, either, if any one from the rest excels in dignity, he succeeds; or, if there are many equal, (the election is made) by the suffrage of the Druids; not never do they even contend for the supremacy with arms. These at a certain time of the year in the territories of the Carnutes, which is considerd the middle region of the whole of Gaul, assemble in a consecrated place. Hither all from every part, who have disputes, assemble and obey the decrees and determinations of them. The discipline is thought to have been discovered in Britain and brought over thence into Gaul, and now those who wish to learn more carefully this system generally set out thither for the sake of learning (it).