Apud Helvētiōs longē nōbilissimus fuit et dītissimus Orgetorīx. Is, M. Messālā et M. Pupio Pīsōne cōnsulibus, rēgnī cupiditāte inductus coniūrātiōnem nōbilitātis fēcit, et cīvitātī persuāsit ut dē fīnibus suīs cum omnibus cōpiīs exīrent: perfacile esse, cum virtūte omnibus praestārent, tōtīus Galliae imperiō potīrī. Id hōc facilius iīs persuāsit, quod undique locī nātūrā Helvētiī continentur: ūnā ex parte flūmine Rhēnō lātissimō atque altissimō, quī agrum Helvētium ā Germānīs dīvidit; alterā ex parte mōnte Iūrā altissimō, quī est inter Sēquanōs et Helvētiōs; tertiā lacū Lemannō et flūmine Rhodanō, quī prōvinciam nostram ab Helvētiīs dīvidit. Hīs rēbus fīēbat ut et minus lātē vagārentur et minus facile fīnitimīs bellum īnferre possent: quā ex parte hominēs bellandī cupidī māgnō dolōre adficiēbantur. Prō multitūdine autem hominum et prō glōriā bellī atque fortitūdinis angustōs sē fīnēs habēre arbitrābantur, quī in longitūdinem mīlia passuum CCXL, in lātitūdinem CLXXX patēbant. Hīs rēbus adductī et auctōritāte Orgetorīgis permōtī, cōnstituērunt ea quae ad proficīscendum pertinērent comparāre, iūmentōrum et carrōrum quam māximum numerum coemere, sēmentēs quam māximās facere ut in itinere cōpia frūmentī suppeteret, cum proximīs cīvitātibus pācem et amīcitiam cōnfīrmāre. Ad eās rēs cōnficiendās biennium sibi satis esse dūxērunt: in tertium annum profectiōnem lēge cōnfīrmant.

Among the Helvetians by far the most aristocratic and wealthy was Orgetorix. He, when M. Messala and M. Piso were consuls, incited by his desire for the kingship, made a conspiracy with the nobility, and persuaded the citizens to go out from their own territories with all their supply: that it was very easy, since they excelled in every virtue, to possess power over all of Gaul. This he persuaded them rather easily, because they were contained on all sides by the nature of their location: on one side by the Rhine river, very long and very deep, which separates the Helvetian fields from the Germans; on another side by the Iura mountain, very tall, which is between the Sequani and the Helvetians, on the third side by Lake Geneva and the Rhone river, which separates our province from the Helvetians. Because of these reasons it happened that they both wandered less widely and were less easily able to wage war with their neighbors; for which reason the men eager of waging war were afflicted with great sorrow. Because, moreover, of the multitude of men and because of their glory of battle and strength, they thought that they had narrow limits, which extended 240 miles in length and 180 in width. Led by these reasons and deeply moved by the authority of Orgetorix, they decided to prepare those things which pertain for setting out, to buy up as great a number as possible of beasts of burden and wagons, to make their sowings as great as possible so that in their journey the supply of grain would suffice, to establish with nearby states peace and friendship. They thought that two years would be enough for accomplishing these things for themselves: in the third year they confirm the departure by law.