Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 1
De Bello Civili 1.55
Foragers ambushed
Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 1.55.1Eōdem diē equitum magnam partem flūmen trānsiēcit.
On the same day he took a large part of the cavalry across the river.
Note. trānsiēcit: perfect of trāiciō, 'took across'. flūmen: a second accusative with a verb of carrying across.
BC 1.55.1quī inopīnantēs pābulātōrēs et sine ūllō dissipātōs timōre adgressī magnum numerum iūmentōrum atque hominum intercipiunt cohortibusque caetrātīs subsidiō missīs scienter in duās partēs sēsē distribuunt, aliī ut praesidiō sint praedae, aliī ut venientibus resistant atque eōs prōpellant, ūnamque cohortem, quae temerē ante cēterās extrā aciem prōcurrerat, sēclūsam ab reliquīs circumveniunt atque interficiunt, incolumēsque cum magnā praedā eōdem ponte in castra revertuntur.
They attacked the foragers, who were not expecting it and were scattered without any fear, and cut off a great number of animals and men; and when cohorts of light-armed troops were sent to help, they skilfully divided themselves into two parts, some to guard the booty, others to resist and drive back those coming on; one cohort, which had rashly run out ahead of the others beyond the line, they cut off from the rest, surrounded and killed, and returned unharmed to camp with great booty by the same bridge.
Note. A long sentence in stages. inopīnantēs: 'not expecting it'. cohortibus caetrātīs: Spanish light infantry with the caetra shield. aliī ut … aliī ut: 'some to …, others to'. praesidiō … praedae: double dative, 'as a guard for the booty'.
Vocabulary
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| flūmen, -minis, n. | river |
| trāiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw across, strike through, pierce |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| inopīnāns, -antis | not expecting, off guard |
| pābulātor, -ōris m. | forager |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| sine, prep. with abl. | without |
| ūllus, -a, -um | any |
| dissipō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | scatter |
| timor, -ōris, m. | fear |
| aggredior, -ī, aggressus sum | attack |
| numerus, -ī, m. | number |
| iūmentum, -ī n. | pack animal, beast of burden |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| homō, hominis, m. | man |
| intercipiō, -ere, -cēpī, -ceptum | intercept, catch |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| caetrātus, -a, -um | armed with the caetra (a light leather shield); caetrātī: light-armed troops |
| subsidium, -ī, n. | reserve, reinforcement, support, help |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| scienter (adv.) | skilfully, expertly |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| distribuō, -ere, -tribuī, -tribūtum | divide up, distribute |
| alius, -a, -ud | another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| praeda, -ae, f. | booty, spoil, plunder |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| resistō, -sistere, -stitī | stand back, resist |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| prōpellō, -ere, -pulī, -pulsum | drive off, rout |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| temerē, adv. | rashly |
| ante, prep, with acc. and adv. | before |
| cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj. | the other, the remaining, the rest of |
| extrā (prep. + acc.) | outside, beyond |
| aciēs, -ēī, f. | line of battle |
| prōcurrō, -ere, prōcucurrī | run forward, charge |
| sēclūdō, -ere, -clūsī, -clūsum | shut away, put aside |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| reliquus, -a, -um | left, the remaining, the other, the rest of |
| circumveniō, -īre, -vēnī, -ventum | surround |
| interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | put out of the way, kill |
| incolumis, -e | unhurt, safe |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| pōns, pontis, m. | bridge |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| revertor, -vertī, -versus, perf. act. -vertī | turn back, return |