Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 1
De Bello Gallico 1.51
The Germans are forced out
Caesar, De Bello Gallico I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō1.51.1Postrīdiē eius diēī Caesar praesidiō utrīsque castrīs quod satis esse vīsum est relīquit, ālāriōs omnēs in cōnspectū hostium prō castrīs minōribus cōnstituit, quod minus multitūdine mīlitum legiōnāriōrum prō hostium numerō valēbat, ut ad speciem ālāriīs ūterētur;
The next day Caesar left in each camp what seemed a sufficient guard and placed all the auxiliaries in full view of the enemy in front of the smaller camp, since he was weaker in number of legionary soldiers compared with the enemy's numbers, so as to use the auxiliaries for show;
Note. ad speciem: 'for show'. Caesar puts the auxiliaries where the enemy can see them so his army looks larger.
1.51.1ipse triplicī īnstrūctā aciē usque ad castra hostium accessit.
he himself, with his army drawn up in three lines, advanced right up to the enemy's camp.
1.51.2Tum dēmum necessāriō Germānī suās cōpiās castrīs ēdūxērunt generātimque cōnstituērunt paribus intervallīs, Harūdēs, Marcomanōs, Tribocōs, Vangionēs, Nemetēs, Sedusiōs, Suēbōs, omnemque aciem suam raedīs et carrīs circumdedērunt, nē qua spēs in fugā relinquerētur.
Then at last the Germans were forced to lead their forces out of camp and drew them up tribe by tribe at equal intervals, Harudes, Marcomanni, Triboci, Vangiones, Nemetes, Sedusii and Suebi, and surrounded their whole line with wagons and carts, so that no hope would be left in flight.
Note. generātim: 'tribe by tribe'. nē qua spēs: after nē, qua means 'any'.
1.51.3Eō mulierēs imposuērunt, quae ad proelium proficīscentēs mīlitēs passīs manibus flentēs implōrābant nē sē in servitūtem Rōmānīs trāderent.
On these they put their women, who with outstretched hands and tears begged the soldiers as they set out for battle not to hand them over into slavery to the Romans.
Note. passīs manibus: 'with hands outstretched', from pandō.
Vocabulary
| postrīdiē, adv. | the day after, the next day |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| uterque, utraque, utrumque | each, either, both |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| satis, adv. | enough, sufficiently |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| ālārius, -ī m. | auxiliary soldier (posted on the wings) |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| cōnspectus, -ūs, m. | sight |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| prō, prep. with abl. | before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for |
| parvus, -a, -um | little, small |
| cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | set together or up; appoint; determine |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| minus, comp. adv. | less |
| multitūdō, -tūdinis, f. | multitude |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| legiōnārius, -a, -um | of a legion, legionary |
| numerus, -ī, m. | number |
| valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrus | be strong or effectual, have effect, prevail |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| speciēs, -ēī, f. | sight, appearance, shape |
| ūtor, ūtī, ūsus | use |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| triplex, -icis | threefold, triple |
| īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctus | build in or into; draw up; equip, furnish, |
| aciēs, -ēī, f. | line of battle |
| ūsque, adv. | all the time; ūsque ad, as far as, until; quō ūsque, see quō |
| accēdō, -ere, accessī, accessum | come near, approach; be added |
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| dēmum, adv. | at last |
| necessāriō (adv.) | of necessity, unavoidably |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| ēdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead out, draw |
| generātim (adv.) | by tribes, by kinds |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| pār, paris | equal |
| intervallum, -ī, n. | interval, space, distance |
| raeda, -ae f. | wagon, carriage |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| carrus, -ī m. | wagon, cart |
| circumdō, -dare, -dedī, -datus | put around, surround |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| quis, qua, quid, indef. pron. | any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something |
| spēs, speī, f. | hope |
| fuga, -ae, f. | flight |
| eō (adv.) | to that place, thither; to that point (usque eō); (with comparatives) by so much, all the (more) |
| mulier, mulieris, f. | woman |
| impōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | place or lay upon, impose; embark |
| proelium, -ī, n. | battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle |
| proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sum | set out, depart, march |
| pandō, -ere, pandī, passum | spread out (passīs manibus: with hands outstretched) |
| manus, -ūs, f. | hand |
| fleō, -ēre, flēvī, flētum | weep |
| implōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | beg for, appeal for |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| servitūs, -tūtis, f. | slavery, servitude |
| Rōmānus, -a, -um | Roman |
| trādō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | give across, over, or up, deliver; hand down, relate, report |