Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 1
De Bello Gallico 1.50
The mothers' prophecy
Caesar, De Bello Gallico I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō1.50.1Proximō diē īnstitūtō suō Caesar ex castrīs utrīsque cōpiās suās ēdūxit paulumque ā maiōribus castrīs prōgressus aciem īnstrūxit hostibusque pugnandī potestātem fēcit.
The next day, following his usual practice, Caesar led his forces out of both camps, advanced a little from the larger camp, drew up his battle line and gave the enemy the chance to fight.
1.50.2Ubi nē tum quidem eōs prōdīre intellēxit, circiter merīdiem exercitum in castra redūxit.
When he saw that even then they did not come out, he led his army back into camp about midday.
1.50.2Tum dēmum Ariovistus partem suārum cōpiārum, quae castra minōra oppugnāret, mīsit.
Only then did Ariovistus send part of his forces to attack the smaller camp.
1.50.2Ācriter utrimque usque ad vesperum pugnātum est.
There was fierce fighting on both sides until evening.
1.50.2Sōlis occāsū suās cōpiās Ariovistus multīs et inlātīs et acceptīs vulneribus in castra redūxit.
At sunset Ariovistus led his forces back into camp, after many wounds had been given and received.
1.50.3Cum ex captīvīs quaereret Caesar quam ob rem Ariovistus proeliō nōn dēcertāret, hanc reperiēbat causam, quod apud Germānōs ea cōnsuētūdō esset ut mātrēs familiae eōrum sortibus et vāticinātiōnibus dēclārārent utrum proelium committī ex ūsū esset necne;
When Caesar asked prisoners why Ariovistus would not fight a decisive battle, he found this reason: it was a custom among the Germans that their matrons declared by lots and prophecies whether it was advantageous to join battle or not;
Note. mātrēs familiae: 'matrons, mothers of families'. utrum … necne: 'whether … or not', an indirect question.
1.50.3eās ita dīcere: nōn esse fās Germānōs superāre, sī ante novam lūnam proeliō contendissent.
they said that it was not the will of heaven for the Germans to win if they fought before the new moon.
Note. fās: 'allowed by the gods', an indeclinable noun.
Vocabulary
| proximus, -a, -um | nearest, next |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| īnstitūtum, -ī n. | custom, institution |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| uterque, utraque, utrumque | each, either, both |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| ēdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead out, draw |
| paulum, adv. | a little, somewhat |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| prōgredior, -gredī, -gressus | go forward, advance |
| aciēs, -ēī, f. | line of battle |
| īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctus | build in or into; draw up; equip, furnish, |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | fight |
| potestās, -ātis f. | power, authority |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| ubi, adv. | where; conj., when |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| quidem, adv. | in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| prōdeō, -īre, prōdiī, prōditum | go forward, come out |
| intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctus | perceive, understand |
| circiter, prep. with acc. and adv. | about |
| merīdiēs, -ēī, m. | midday, noon; south |
| exercitus, -ūs, m. | army |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| redūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead or bring back; restore |
| dēmum, adv. | at last |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| parvus, -a, -um | little, small |
| oppugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | attack, besiege |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| ācriter, adv. | sharply, fiercely |
| utrimque, adv. | on either side or both sides |
| ūsque, adv. | all the time; ūsque ad, as far as, until; quō ūsque, see quō |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| vesper, vesperī, m. | evening |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| sōl, sōlis, m. | sun |
| occāsus, -ūs, m. | setting |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| īnferō, īnferre, intulī, inlātus | bring in or against, wage against; inflict |
| accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer |
| vulnus, vulneris, n. | wound |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| captīvus, -a, -um | captive |
| quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītus | seek; ask, inquire |
| quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj. | what? |
| ob, prep. with acc. | on account of, for; in compounds, to, against |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| proelium, -ī, n. | battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| dēcertō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | fight it out, fight a decisive battle |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| reperiō, reperīre, repperī, repertus | find, discover |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| apud, prep, with acc. | among, with |
| cōnsuētūdō, -inis f. | custom, habit; way of life |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| māter, mātris, f. | mother |
| familia, -ae f. | household (incl. slaves and dependents) |
| sors, sortis, f. | lot |
| vāticinātiō, -ōnis f. | prophecy |
| dēclārō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | make clear, declare |
| utrum (conj.) | whether (utrum … an: whether … or) |
| committō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send together; commit, intrust; expose; proelium committere, to join battle |
| ūsus, -ūs, m. | use; experience |
| necne (conj.) | or not |
| ita, adv. | in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| fās (indecl.) n. | what is right by divine law (fās est: it is allowed) |
| superō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | overcome, defeat, conquer |
| sī, conj. | if |
| ante, prep, with acc. and adv. | before |
| novus, -a, -um | new; novissimus, last |
| lūna, -ae f. | moon |
| contendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch, hasten |