Question about passage in Caesar\'s Gallic War

[Anonymous]

In Book VII Chapter (or paragraph) 13 Caesar mentions 400 German cavalry that some texts translate as "keeping with him from the beginning of the campaign" and others "keeping with him from the beginning of the war" and in the Loeb version "keeping with him from the first"<br>
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Is it possible from the context of the actual Latin to determine whether Caesar meant the beginning of the campaign (i.e. the Vercingetorix rebellion) or the the war (i.e. the Helvetian Migration).?<br>
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FYI Caesar does not mention obtaining for himself German horsemen and their light infantry until later in the same book Chapter (or paragraph) 65.<br>
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thanks,<br>
Jeff <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

The Latin is "quos ab initio habere secum instituerat", which is not very helpful for you; the Loeb translation is closest - literally "whom he had made a habit of having with him from the beginning ("ab initio")". No word for war or campaign.<br>
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The word order may give a clue to what Caesar means; "from the beginning" is placed right next to "having them with him", the implication probably being that he had kept them with him from the moment he got them, whenever that was.<br>
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Shaun <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=shaunh@romanarmytalk>ShaunH</A> at: 9/12/03 8:41 am<br></i>

[Guest]

Salve,<br>
<br>
For some reading on the subject:<br>
<br>
Speidel, M.P., <em>Riding for Caesar. The Roman emperors' horse guard</em> (London 1994) 223p.<br>
Tausend, K., 'Caesars germanische Reiter' in: <em>Historia</em> 37 (198, 491-497.<br>
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Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Thanks,<br>
It would seem reasonable that since Caesar does not mention German cavalry working for him prior to this that he probably means the current campaign.<br>
Jeff <p></p><i></i>