The power of the Druids
Elizabeth Lewis / The Druids
- Created on 2018-01-28 22:16:21
- Modified on 2018-03-01 14:31:23
- Aligned by Elizabeth Lewis
Latin
English
Druides rebus divinis intersunt , sacrificia publica ac privata procurant , religiones interpretantur : ad hos magnus numerus adulescentium discendi causa concurrit , magnoque hi sunt apud--eos honore . nam fere de omnibuscontroversiis publicis privatisque constituunt , et , si quod facinus admissum--est , si caedes facta , si de hereditate , de finibus controversia est , Druides rem decernunt , praemia poenasque constituunt . si quis aut privatus aut publicus eorum decreto non stetit , sacrificiis interdicunt : haec poena apud eos est gravissima . ei quibus ita interdictum est numero impiorum ac scelestorum habentur ; eis omnes decedunt , aditum sermonemque fugiunt , ne quid ex contagione incommodi accipiant ; neque eis petentibus ius redditur neque honos ullus datur . his autem omnibus Druidibus praeest unus , qui summam inter eos habet auctoritatem . hoc mortuo , aut is qui ex reliquis excellit dignitate succedit , aut , si sunt multi pares , suffragio Druidum , nonnumquam etiam armis , de principatu
contendunt . disciplina eorum in Britannia reperta atque inde in Galliam translata--esse existimatur , et nunc ei , qui
diligentius eam rem cognoscere volunt , plerumque in Britanniam discendi causa proficiscuntur .
contendunt . disciplina eorum in Britannia reperta atque inde in Galliam translata--esse existimatur , et nunc ei , qui
diligentius eam rem cognoscere volunt , plerumque in Britanniam discendi causa proficiscuntur .
The
Druids
are
concerned
with
divine
activities
,
they
look
after
public
and
private
sacrifices
,
they
explain
religious
questions
:
to
these
Druids
a
great
number
of
young
men
flock
to
learn
,
and
these
Druids
are
held by them in great honour . For they decide about almost all public and private disputes , and , if any
crime has been committed , if murder has been carried out , if there is a dispute about inheritance , about boundaries , the Druids settle the problem , they decide the rewards and punishments . If anyone , either a private or public citizen , does not stand by their decision , they ban them from sacrifices : this punishment is very serious among the people . Those who have been banned in this way are considered the same as the wicked and criminal ; everybody avoids them , they flee their approach and conversation in case they receive any harm from the contact ; justice is not given to them seeking it nor is any honour given them . However ,
in charge of all these Druids is one man , who has the greatest authority over them . When he dies , either he who stands out from the rest in dignity succeeds , or , if there are many equals , they compete for the leadership in a vote of the Druids , sometimes even at arms . Their training is thought to have been invented in Britain and from there to have been transferred into Gaul , and now those , who want to find out more carefully about that matter for the most part set out to Britain to learn .
held by them in great honour . For they decide about almost all public and private disputes , and , if any
crime has been committed , if murder has been carried out , if there is a dispute about inheritance , about boundaries , the Druids settle the problem , they decide the rewards and punishments . If anyone , either a private or public citizen , does not stand by their decision , they ban them from sacrifices : this punishment is very serious among the people . Those who have been banned in this way are considered the same as the wicked and criminal ; everybody avoids them , they flee their approach and conversation in case they receive any harm from the contact ; justice is not given to them seeking it nor is any honour given them . However ,
in charge of all these Druids is one man , who has the greatest authority over them . When he dies , either he who stands out from the rest in dignity succeeds , or , if there are many equals , they compete for the leadership in a vote of the Druids , sometimes even at arms . Their training is thought to have been invented in Britain and from there to have been transferred into Gaul , and now those , who want to find out more carefully about that matter for the most part set out to Britain to learn .
Their education
Elizabeth Lewis / The Druids
- Created on 2018-02-06 21:21:24
- Modified on 2018-02-06 21:22:28
- Aligned by Elizabeth Lewis
Latin
English
Druides a bello abesse solent neque tributa una cum reliquis pendunt ; militiae vacationem omniumque rerum immunitatem habent . tantis praemiis excitati et sua sponte multi in disciplinam conveniunt et a parentibus propinquisque mittuntur . magnum ibi numerum versuum ediscere dicuntur ; itaque nonnulli viginti annos in disciplina permanent . neque fas esse existimant hos versus litteris mandare , cum in reliquis fere rebus Graecis litteris utantur . id mihi duabus de causis instituisse videntur , quod neque in vulgum disciplinam efferri velint , neque eos , qui discunt , litteris confisos minus memoriae studere . in--primis hoc
volunt persuadere , animas non perire , sed ab aliis post mortem transire ad alios , atque hoc maxime homines ad virtutem excitari putant metu mortis neglecto . multa praeterea de sideribus atque eorum motu , de mundi ac terrarum magnitudine , de rerum natura , de deorum immortalium vi ac potestate disputant et iuventuti tradunt .
volunt persuadere , animas non perire , sed ab aliis post mortem transire ad alios , atque hoc maxime homines ad virtutem excitari putant metu mortis neglecto . multa praeterea de sideribus atque eorum motu , de mundi ac terrarum magnitudine , de rerum natura , de deorum immortalium vi ac potestate disputant et iuventuti tradunt .
Druids
are
accustomed
to
be
exempt
from
war
nor
do
they
pay
taxes
together
with
the
others
;
they
have
exemption
from
military
service
and
freedom
from
all
things
.
Encouraged
by
so
many
rewards
and
of
their
own
accord
many
gather
for
training
and
are
sent
by
their
parents
and
relations
.
They
are
said
there
to
learn
by
heart
a
great
number
of
verses
;
and
so
some
spend
twenty
years
in
training
.
Nor
do
they
think
it
right
to
entrust
these
verses
to
writing
,
although
in
most
other
things
they
use
Greek
writing
.
They
seem
to
me
to
have
established
that
for
two
reasons
,
because
they
want
neither
the
learning
to
be
spread
to
the
commons
nor
those
,
who
are
learning
,
relying
on
writing
,
to
pay
less
attention
to
memory
.
They
wish
to
persuade
people
of
this
especially
,
that
souls
do
not
perish
,
but
after
death
they
cross
from
one
to
another
,
and
by
means
of
this
belief
most
of
all
they
think
that
men
are
encouraged
toward
virtue
with
the
fear
of
death
ignored
.
They
discuss
and
teach
the
young
people
many
other
things
about
the
stars
and
their
movement
,
about
the
size
of
the
universe
and
of
the
earth
,
about
the
nature
of
things
and
about
the
power
and
strength
of
the
immortal
gods
.
Their religion
Elizabeth Lewis / The Druids
- Created on 2018-02-06 21:41:32
- Aligned by Elizabeth Lewis
Latin
English
natio omnis Gallorum est magnopere dedita religionibus , atque ob eam causam ei , qui sunt affecti gravioribus morbis quique in proeliis periculisque versantur , aut pro victimis homines immolant aut se immolaturos esse vovent administrisque ad ea sacrificia Druidibus utuntur , quod , nisi pro vita hominis reddatur hominis vita , non posse deorum immortalium numen placari arbitrantur : publiceque eiusdem generis habent instituta sacrificia . alii simulacra ngenti magnitudine habent , quorum membra viminibus contexta vivis hominibus complent ; simulacris incensis homines flamma circumventi pereunt . supplicia eorum qui in furto aut in latrocinio aut aliqua noxia sint comprehensi gratiora deis immortalibus esse arbitrantur ; sed , cum copia eius generis defecit , etiam ad innocentium supplicia descendunt .
The
whole
nation
of
the
Gauls
is
greatly
devoted
to
religious
beliefs
,
and
for
that
reason
those
,
who
have
been
affected
by
rather
serious
illnesses
and
who
are
engaged
in
battles
and
dangers
,
either
sacrifice
men
as
victims
or
vow
that
they
will
sacrifice
them
and
for
those
sacrifices
they
use
Druids
as
assistants
because
,
unless
the
life
of
a
man
is
given
in
place
of
the
life
of
a
man
,
they
do
not
think
that
the
will
of
the
immortal
gods
is
able
to
be
appeased
:
and
they
have
sacrifices
of
the
same
sort
established
in
the
name
of
the
state
.
Others
have
figures
of
great
size
,
whose
bodies
woven
with
branches
they
fill
with
living
men
;
when
the
figures
have
been
burned
,
the
men
,
encircled
by
flame
,
die
.
The
executions
of
those
who
have
been
caught
in
theft
or
in
robbery
or
some
other
offence
are
thought
to
be
more
pleasing
to
the
immortal
gods
;
but
,
when
the
supply
of
that
sort
runs
out
,
they
even
descend
to
the
executions
of
innocent
men
.