Book 5.49-58

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5.49

Galli re cognita per exploratores obsidionem relinquunt, ad Caesarem omnibus copiis contendunt. Haec erant armatae circiter milia LX. Cicero data facultate Gallum ab eodem Verticone, quem supra demonstravimus, repetit qui litteras ad Caesarem deferat. Hunc admonet iter caute diligenterque faciat. Perscribit in litteris hostis ab se discessisse omnemque ad eum multitudinem convertisse.

Re cognita: ‘on ascertaining the state of affairs.’ (Moberly)

data facultate: ‘as soon as he found the way clear’ (Moberly)

Quibus litteris circiter media nocte Caesar allatis suos facit certiores eosque ad dimicandum animo confirmat. Postera die luce prima movet castra et circiter milia passuum quattuor progressus trans vallem et rivum multitudinem hostium conspicatur. Erat magni periculi res tantulis copiis iniquo loco dimicare; tum, quoniam obsidione liberatum Ciceronem sciebat, aequo animo remittendum de celeritate existimabat.

Aequo…celeritate: he might with a clear conscience relax his speed. The meaning of necessity or obligation which we have found attaching to the gerundive in the periphrastic conjugation is neither original nor invariable. (Hodges)

Consedit et quam aequissimo loco potest castra communit, atque haec, etsi erant exigua per se, vix hominum milium septem praesertim nullis cum impedimentis, tamen angustiis viarum quam maxime potest contrahit eo consilio ut in summam contemptionem hostibus veniat. Interim speculatoribus in omnis partis dimissis explorat quo commodissime itinere valles transiri possit.

Hominum: pred. gen. after erant (Allen & Greenough)

Milium septem: the legions averaged, then, 3500 men each, and this was less than the normal strength. The latter was quite likely at least 4800. (Allen & Judson)

Angustiis viarum: i.e. narrow paths or streets within the camp. (Allen & Judson)

Hostibus: in the eyes of the enemy. (Hodges)

5.50

Eo die parvulis equestribus proeliis ad aquam factis, utrique sese suo loco continent: Galli, quod ampliores copias, quae nondum convenerant, exspectabant; Caesar, si forte timoris simulatione hostis in suum locum elicere posset, ut citra vallem pro castris proelio contenderet; si id efficere non posset, ut exploratis itineribus minore cum periculo vallem rivumque transiret.

ut contenderet: which, expressing a purpose, has a future force (Allen & Greenough)

Prima luce hostium equitatus ad castra accedit proeliumque cum nostris equitibus committit. Caesar consulto equites cedere seque in castra recipere iubet; simul ex omnibus partibus castra altiore vallo muniri portasque obstrui atque in his administrandis rebus quam maxime concursari et cum simulatione agi timoris iubet.

Quam maxime concursari: the soldiers should run to and fro as much as possible. (Hodges)

5.51

Quibus omnibus rebus hostes invitati copias traducunt aciemque iniquo loco constituunt, nostris vero etiam de vallo deductis propius accedunt et tela intra munitionem ex omnibus partibus coiciunt, praeconibusque circummissis pronuntiari iubent, seu quis Gallus seu Romanus velit ante horam tertiam ad se transire, sine periculo licere; post id tempus non fore potestatem; ac sic nostros contempserunt, ut obstructis in speciem portis singulis ordinibus caespitum, quod ea non posse introrumpere videbantur, alii vallum manu scindere, alii fossas complere inciperent.

obstructis…portis singulis ordinibus: ‘that although the gates had been built up only for a show and only with single courses of turf.’ They thus presented from without an appearance like that of the rest of the ‘agger.’ (Moberly)

ea: an adverb (Allen & Judson)

ea: that way, there. (Hodges)

5.52

Longius prosequi veritus, quod silvae paludesque intercedebant neque etiam parvulo detrimento illorum locum relinqui videbat, omnibus suis incolumibus copiis eodem die ad Ciceronem pervenit. Institutas turris, testudines, munitionesque hostium admiratur. Legione producta, cognoscit non decimum quemque esse reliquum militem sine vulnere. Ex eis omnibus iudicat rebus quanto cum periculo et quanta cum virtute res sint administratae.

Neque etiam etc.: ‘and he did not see that there was room left even for a small amount of damage to them.’ (Stock)

Neque parvulo detrimento: he could do nothing in pursuit with only 400 cavalry. (Moberly)

Parvulo…illorum: for inflicting a small damage upon them; lit., for a small injury of them. ()

Decimum quemque: one man in ten. (Allen & Greenough)

Non decimum quemque: not one in ten. (Hodges)

5.53

Interim ad Labienum per Remos incredibili celeritate de victoria Caesaris fama perfertur, ut, cum ab hibernis Ciceronis milia passuum abesset circiter LX eoque post horam nonam diei Caesar pervenisset, ante mediam noctem ad portas castrorum clamor oreretur, quo clamore significatio victoriae gratulatioque ab Remis Labieno fieret. Hac fama ad Treveros perlata, Indutiomarus, qui postero die castra Labieni oppugnare decreverat, noctu profugit copiasque omnes in Treveros reducit.

horam nonam: ‘Three o’clock in the afternoon’ (Anthon)

Caesar Fabium cum sua legione remittit in hiberna, ipse cum tribus legionibus circum Samarobrivam trinis hibernis hiemare constituit et, quod tanti motus Galliae exstiterant, totam hiemem ipse ad exercitum manere decrevit. Nam illo incommodo de Sabini morte perlato omnes fere Galliae civitates de bello consultabant, nuntios legationesque in omnis partis dimittebant et quid reliqui consili caperent atque unde initium belli fieret explorabant, nocturnaque in locis desertis concilia habebant.

perlato: having been reported far and wide. (Hodges)

quid…caperent: what future plan they should adopt. (Allen & Greenough)

quid reliqui consili &c.: ‘what they should adopt in the way of plans for the future’ – literally, ‘in relation to plans.’ (Moberly)

Neque ullum fere totius hiemis tempus sine sollicitudine Caesaris intercessit, quin aliquem de consiliis ac motu Gallorum nuntium acciperet. In his ab L. Roscio quaestore, quem legioni tertiae decimae praefecerat, certior factus est magnas Gallorum copias earum civitatum quae Aremoricae appellantur oppugnandi sui causa convenisse neque longius milia passuum octo ab hibernis suis afuisse, sed nuntio allato de victoria Caesaris discessisse, adeo ut fugae similis discessus videretur.

notice the literal meaning; almost no time free from anxiety came between the anxious times. (Hodges)

neque ullum fere…tempus &c.: ‘and hardly a single day of the winter passed without anxiety to Caesar or without (ut non) his hearing of some new disturbance.’ (Moberly)

quin acciperet: without his receiving (Hodges)

quin…acciperet: result clause after neque…intercessit (Allen & Greenough)

5.54

At Caesar, principibus cuiusque civitatis ad se evocatis, alias territando, cum se scire quae fierent denuntiaret, alias cohortando magnam partem Galliae in officio tenuit. Tamen Senones, quae est civitas in primis firma et magnae inter Gallos auctoritatis, Cavarinum, quem Caesar apud eos regem constituerat, cuius frater Moritasgus adventu in Galliam Caesaris cuiusque maiores regnum obtinuerant, interficere publico consilio conati, cum ille praesensisset ac profugisset, usque ad finis insecuti regno domoque expulerunt et, missis ad Caesarem satisfaciendi causa legatis, cum is omnem ad se senatum venire iussisset, dicto audientes non fuerunt.

publico consilio: by general consent, or on the authority of the people, not a private act of revenge, or the like. (Allen & Greenough)

conati: agreeing with Senones. (Allen & Greenough)

Dicto: dat with audientes, obedient. (Hodges)

regno domoque: i.e. as a king and as a citizen as well (Allen & Greenough)

nulla non: the two negatives make an emphatic affirmative. We may reproduce the effect by translating there was almost no state that was not suspected. (Hodges)

Tantum apud homines barbaros valuit esse aliquos repertos principes inferendi belli tantamque omnibus voluntatum commutationem attulit, ut praeter Aeduos et Remos, quos praecipuo semper honore Caesar habuit, alteros pro vetere ac perpetua erga populum Romanum fide, alteros pro recentibus Gallici belli officiis, nulla fere civitas fuerit non suspecta nobis.

valuit…attulit: these verbs have for their subject esse, etc.: ‘and such an influence did it have that some had been found, etc… and such a change did this fact produce that, etc.’ (Allen & Greenough)

Idque adeo haud scio mirandumne sit, cum compluribus aliis de causis, tum maxime quod ei qui virtute belli omnibus gentibus praeferebantur tantum se eius opinionis deperdidisse ut a populo Romano imperia perferrent gravissime dolebant.

idque adeo: ‘and this, indeed, is not, I think, to be wondered at.’ (Moberly)

tantum...deperdidisse ut perferrent: that they had lost so much of that prestige as to (be obliged to) endure. (Hodges)