InduperatorRex,
InduperatorRex avatar

This manuscript, Latin 5763, is thought to be the oldest surviving manuscript of Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic War). It dates to the first quarter of the 9th century - almost 900 years after the death of its original author. Despite the sheer magnitude of time between Caesar writing the book and a medieval copyist producing this version, it is likely that no significant changes were made during that almost complete millennium - as can be seen with virtually all other works of antiquity that were transmitted throughout the medieval period unto our time.

The work itself has continuously used by students of Latin, due to the very plain language that Caesar employed in communicating his conquests to the common people. Its first line, as seen in the image, is the famous "Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur."

"Gallia" - Gaul - the region that's generally congruent with modern day France

"est" - is. 3rd person singular present indicative active form of the verb "sum" (to be).

"omnis" - all. Nominative singular, applying to "Gallia".

"divisa" - divided. Nominative singular form of the perfect passive participle "divisus" from the verb "divido" (to divide), agreeing with "Gallia".

"in" - in. Preposition.

"partes" - parts. Accusative plural form of "pars".

"tres" - three. Accusative plural form of "tres".

"quarum" - of which. Genitive plural feminine form of "qui" (relative pronoun), referring back to "partes".

"unam" - one. Accusative singular feminine form of "unus", agreeing with implied "partem".

"incolunt" - they inhabit. 3rd person plural present indicative active form of "incolo" (to inhabit).

"Belgae" - the Belgae - i.e. Belgians

"aliam" - another. Accusative singular feminine form of "alius", agreeing with implied "partem".

"Aquitani" - the Aquitani - i.e. Aquitanians

"tertiam" - the third. Accusative singular feminine form of "tertius", agreeing with implied "partem".

"qui" - who. Nominative plural masculine form of "qui" (relative pronoun).

"ipsorum" - their own. Genitive plural masculine form of "ipse", referring to the Gallic people.

"lingua" - language. Ablative singular form of "lingua".

"Celtae" - Celts. Nominative plural form of "Celta".

"nostra" - our. Ablative singular feminine form of "noster", agreeing with "lingua".

"Galli" - Gauls. Nominative plural form of "Gallus", a proper noun.

"appellantur" - they are called. 3rd person plural present passive indicative form of "appello" (to call).

"All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts, in ours Gauls, the third."

You can view the manuscript at https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8426038x/f5.image

You can read the full Latin text at https://la.wikisource.org/wiki/Commentarii_de_bello_Gallico/Liber_I

And you can read its English translation at https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Commentaries_on_the_Gallic_War/Book_1

KoreanPerson,

Awesome, when was it written?

InduperatorRex,
InduperatorRex avatar

I've written a post in another comment that might interest you, but the TLDR is that it was likely written between 800 and 825AD

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