Druids- Power Flashcards
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.
The Druids are concerned with divine matters, they look after public and private sacrifices, and they explain religious questions: a large number of young men flock to these (Druids) in order to learn, and these are held in great honour in their eyes.
nam fere de omnibus controversiis 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.
For they decide on almost all public and private disputes, and, if any crime has been committed, if a murder has occurred, if there is an argument about inheritance or about boundaries, the Druids settle the matter, and they decide on rewards and punishments.
si qui aut privatus aut publicus eorum decreto non stetit, sacrifiis interdicunt: haec poenaapud eos est gravissima.
If anyone, either private or public, has not stood by their decision, they ban them from sacrifices: this punishment is very serious in their eyes.
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.
Those who have been banned in this way are considered to be in the number of impious and wicked men; everyone avoids these people, and flee from their approach and conversation, in case they receive any harm from the contact; neither is justice restored to those who ask for it, nor is any honour given to them.
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.
However, in charge of all these Druids is one man, who has highest authority among them. When this man dies, either the one who stands out from the rest in dignity succeeds him, or, if there are many on an equal footing, they compete for the leadership by a vote of the Druids, and sometimes even with weapons.
disciplina eorum in Britannia reperta atque inde Galliam translata esse existimatur, et nunc ei, qui diligentius eam rem cognoscere volunt, plerumque in Britanniam discendi causa proficiscuntur.
Their rule of life is thought to have been invented in Britain and carried across from there into Gaul, and now those who wish to learn more carefully about this whole business, for the most part, set off for Britain in order to learn.
