De Bello Gallico 3.17

3.17.1Dum haec in Venetīs geruntur, Q. Titūrius Sabīnus cum iīs cōpiīs quās ā Caesare accēperat in fīnēs Venellōrum pervēnit.

While this was happening among the Veneti, Quintus Titurius Sabinus reached the territory of the Venelli with the forces he had received from Caesar.

3.17.2Hīs praeerat Viridovīx ac summam imperiī tenēbat eārum omnium cīvitātum quae dēfēcerant, ex quibus exercitum magnāsque cōpiās coēgerat;

Viridovix was in command of them and held supreme power over all the states that had revolted, from which he had raised an army and large forces;

3.17.3atque hīs paucīs diēbus Aulercī Eburovīcēs Lexoviīque, senātū suō interfectō quod auctōrēs bellī esse nōlēbant, portās clausērunt sēque cum Viridovīce coniūnxērunt;

and in these few days the Aulerci Eburovices and the Lexovii had put their senates to death because they would not support the war, shut their gates and joined Viridovix;

3.17.4magnaque praetereā multitūdō undique ex Galliā perditōrum hominum latrōnumque convēnerat, quōs spēs praedandī studiumque bellandī ab agrī cultūrā et cōtīdiānō labōre revocābat.

besides, a great crowd of desperate men and robbers had gathered from all over Gaul, whom the hope of plunder and the love of fighting called away from farming and daily work.

3.17.5Sabīnus idōneō omnibus rēbus locō castrīs sēsē tenēbat, cum Viridovīx contrā eum duōrum mīlium spatiō cōnsēdisset cōtīdiēque prōductīs cōpiīs pugnandī potestātem faceret, ut iam nōn sōlum hostibus in contemptiōnem Sabīnus venīret, sed etiam nostrōrum mīlitum vōcibus nōn nihil carperētur;

Sabinus kept himself in his camp, in a place suitable in every way, while Viridovix had camped two miles away facing him and every day led out his forces and offered battle, so that Sabinus was now not only despised by the enemy but was also criticised somewhat in the talk of our own soldiers;

Note. in contemptiōnem venīret: 'came to be despised'. nōn nihil: 'somewhat', literally 'not nothing'.

3.17.6tantamque opīniōnem timōris praebuit ut iam ad vallum castrōrum hostēs accēdere audērent.

and he gave such an impression of fear that the enemy now dared to come right up to the rampart of the camp.

3.17.7Id eā dē causā faciēbat quod cum tantā multitūdine hostium, praesertim eō absente quī summam imperiī tenēret, nisi aequō locō aut oportūnitāte aliquā datā lēgātō dīmicandum nōn exīstimābat.

He did this for the following reason: he did not think that a subordinate officer should fight with so large a number of the enemy, especially while the commander-in-chief was away, unless on favourable ground or when some opportunity was given.

Note. lēgātō dīmicandum: an impersonal gerundive with a dative of the agent, 'that a subordinate should fight'.