Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 4
De Bello Gallico 4.37
The Morini attack
Caesar, De Bello Gallico IV. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
Tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and track your reading.
Read in Lectitō4.37.1Quibus ex nāvibus cum essent expositī mīlitēs circiter CCC atque in castra contenderent, Morinī, quōs Caesar in Britanniam proficīscēns pācātōs relīquerat, spē praedae adductī prīmō nōn ita magnō suōrum numerō circumstetērunt ac, sī sēsē interficī nōllent, arma pōnere iussērunt.
When about three hundred soldiers had been landed from these ships and were hurrying to the camp, the Morini, whom Caesar had left at peace when he set out for Britain, were led on by the hope of plunder; at first with no very large number of their men they surrounded them, and ordered them to lay down their arms if they did not want to be killed.
Note. Caesar in Britanniam proficīscēns: the present participle refers to his departure at the start of the campaign. sī sēsē interficī nōllent: reported condition, 'if they did not want to be killed'.
4.37.2Cum illī orbe factō sēsē dēfenderent, celeriter ad clāmōrem hominum circiter mīlia VI convēnērunt.
When our men formed a circle and defended themselves, about six thousand men quickly gathered at the shouting.
4.37.2Quā rē nūntiātā, Caesar omnem ex castrīs equitātum suīs auxiliō mīsit.
When this was reported, Caesar sent all the cavalry from the camp to help his men.
4.37.3Interim nostrī mīlitēs impetum hostium sustinuērunt atque amplius hōrīs IIII fortissimē pugnāvērunt et paucīs vulneribus acceptīs complūrēs ex iīs occīdērunt.
Meanwhile our soldiers withstood the enemy's attack and fought very bravely for more than four hours, and, receiving few wounds, killed several of them.
4.37.4Posteā vērō quam equitātus noster in cōnspectum vēnit, hostēs abiectīs armīs terga vertērunt magnusque eōrum numerus est occīsus.
But after our cavalry came into sight, the enemy threw down their arms and turned their backs, and a great number of them were killed.
Note. Posteā … quam: 'after', the same as postquam, split by vērō.
Vocabulary
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| nāvis, -is, f. | ship |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| expōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | put out, set forth; put on shore, land; explain |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| circiter, prep. with acc. and adv. | about |
| Roman numeral | a number written with letters: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000 |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| contendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch, hasten |
| proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sum | set out, depart, march |
| pācō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | subdue, pacify |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| spēs, speī, f. | hope |
| praeda, -ae, f. | booty, spoil, plunder |
| addūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead to, bring, take; induce, influence |
| prīmō, adv. | at first |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| ita, adv. | in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| numerus, -ī, m. | number |
| circumstō, -stāre, -stetī | stand around |
| sī, conj. | if |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | put out of the way, kill |
| nōlō, nōlle, nōluī | not wish, be unwilling |
| arma, -ōrum, n. plur. | arms, weapons |
| pōnō, pōnere, posuī, positus | place, put; pōnī with in and abl., to be placed in, rest or depend on |
| iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus | bid, order, command |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| orbis, -is, m. | circle; orbis terrae or terrārum, circle of the earth or lands, earth, world |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| dēfendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsus | ward off; defend |
| celeriter, adv. | swiftly, quickly |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| clāmor, -ōris, m. | shout, cry |
| homō, hominis, m. | man |
| mīlle, indecl. adj. | a thousand; mīlia, -ium, n. plur., thousands; |
| conveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come together, assemble |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| nūntiō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | report, announce |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| equitātus, -ūs m. | cavalry |
| auxilium, -ī, n. | help, aid |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| interim (adv.) | meanwhile |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| impetus, -ūs, m. | attack; impetum facere, to charge |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| sustineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or bear up, sustain, withstand |
| amplius (adv.) | more, further |
| hōra, -ae, f. | hour |
| fortiter, adv. | bravely |
| pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | fight |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj. | few |
| vulnus, vulneris, n. | wound |
| accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer |
| complūrēs, -plūra, plur. adj. | several, many |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| occīdō, -cīdere, -cīdī, -cīsus | cut down, kill |
| posteā, adv. | after this, afterwards |
| vērō, adv. | in truth, indeed; however |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| cōnspectus, -ūs, m. | sight |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| abiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw away |
| tergum, -ī, n. | back |
| vertō, vertere, vertī, versus | turn |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |