List of Caesarian Idioms
William Rainey Harper and Herbert Cushing Tolman, Gaius Julius Caesar: Four Books of Caesar’s Gallic War (New York: American Book Company, 1908).
Prepositional
a dextro cornu: on the right wing
a fronte: in front
a pueris: from boyhood
a sinistro cornu: on the left wing
ab armis discedere: to lay down the arms
ab signis discedere: to leave the ranks
ab officio discedere: to fail in one's duty
ab cohortatione: after exhorting
ab eis defendere: to defend against them
ab milibus passuum octo: eight miles off
ab re frumentaria laborare: to suffer with respect to provisions
ad Caesarem deferre: to lay before Caesar
ad equum rescribere: to enroll in the cavalry
ad hunc modum: in this way
ad milia decem: about ten thousand
ad speciem: for show
ad unum: to a man
ad urbem: near the city
ad urbem pervenit: he arrived at the city
ad Alpes pertinent: extend as far as the Alps
apud Caesarem: in the presence of Caesar
de ea causa: for this reason
de improviso: suddenly
ex aqua mensurae: measures by the water-clocks
ex itinere: on the march
ex navi egredi: to disembark
ex usu Galliae: of advantage to Gaul
ex vestigio: on the spot
e vinculis: in chains
soror ex matre: sister on the mother's side
unus e filiis: one of the sons
in Caesaris fidem venire: put one's self under the protection of Caesar
in dies: daily
in flumine pontem facere: to build a bridge across the river
in fugam dare: to put to flight
in itinere: on the march
in perpetuum: forever
in praesentia: for the present
in reliquum tempus: for the future
in vicem: in turn
habere in animo: to intend
inter se cohortati: exhorting one another
inter se dare: to exchange
inter se differunt: they differ from one another
pro beneficiis: in return for favors
pro multitudine: in proportion to the large body
pro perfuga: as a deserter
sub corona vendere: to sell as slaves
Adjectival
ad extremum: at last
adverso colle: up the hill
adverso flumine: up-stream
aequo animo: with contented mind
alienum aes: debt
alienum tempus: an unfavorable time
alii aliam in partem: some in one direction, others in another
aversi ab hosti circumventi: surrounded by the enemy in the rear
certiorem eum facere: to inform him
certior fieri: to be informed
de improviso: suddenly
extremo oppido: at the end of the town
in arido: on dry land
in perpetuum: forever
loco suo: in a favorable place
medio in colle:" on the middle of the hill
multa lingua Gallica uti: to speak the Gallic language fluently
multa nocte: late at night
multo die: late in the day
primo vere: at the beginning of spring
quisque nobilissimus: all the nobles
rari pugnabant: here and there men were fighting
Adverbial
alias... alias: at one time... at another
contra atque: different than
cum primum: as soon as
graviter ferre: to be annoyed
largiter posse: to have great influence
multum valere: to have great power
quam maximus: the greatest possible
quam primum: as soon as
Participial
ante exactem hiemem: before the winter had passed
confectus vulneribus: weakened by wounds
sol oriens: the East
Verbal
accedit ut: moreover
adficere supplicio: to punish
adfici beneficio: to receive favors
agere gratias: to thank
capere consilium: to form a plan
capere portum: to reach a harbor
castra movere: to break camp
castra ponere: to pitch camp
causam dicere: to plead a case
causam inferre: to allege a reason
conlocare nuptum: to give in marriage
consciscere sibi mortem: to commit suicide
consilium inire: to form a plan
convertere signa: to face about
dare manus: to yield
dare operam: to take pains
defendere bellum: to ward off war
ducere bellum: to prolong a war
ducere uxorem: to marry
facere iter: to march
ferre signa: to advance
gerere bellum: to wage war
gratiam habere: to be grateful
gratias referre: to requite
habere eodem loco: to consider in the same light
habere id conpertum: to have learned
habere sibi persuasum: to be persuaded
inferre bellum: to make war
inferre signa conversa: to face about and charge
laxare manipulos: to open the ranks
memoriam deponere: to forget
naves armare: to fit out ships
naves deducere: to launch ships
naves solvere: to weigh anchor
naves subducere: to beach, draw up ships
praestare virtutem: to show courage
recusare mortem: to shrink from death
referre pedem: to retreat
repetere poenas: to inflict punishment
sententia desistere: to give up a plan
sumere supplicium de eo: to punish him
vertere terga: to flee
vim facere: to use violence
Nominal
aliquid consilii: some new plan
Caesare consule: in the consulship of Caesar
celerius opinione: sooner than anyone supposed
inita aestate: at the beginning of summer
minus dubitationis: less doubt
nihil reliqui: nothing left
nihil vini: no wine
plus doloris: more pain
quantum boni: how much advantage
quid negotii: what business
quod navium: what ships
