Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 5
De Bello Gallico 5.21
The stronghold of Cassivellaunus
Caesar, De Bello Gallico V. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō5.21.1Trinobantibus dēfēnsīs atque ab omnī mīlitum iniūriā prohibitīs Cenimagnī, Segontiacī, Ancalitēs, Bibrocī, Cassī lēgātiōnibus missīs sēsē Caesarī dēdunt.
When the Trinobantes had been protected and kept safe from any harm by the soldiers, the Cenimagni, the Segontiaci, the Ancalites, the Bibroci and the Cassi sent embassies and surrendered to Caesar.
5.21.2Ab hīs cognōscit nōn longē ex eō locō oppidum Cassivellaunī abesse silvīs palūdibusque mūnītum, quō satis magnus hominum pecorisque numerus convēnerit.
From them he learns that not far from there was the stronghold of Cassivellaunus, protected by woods and marshes, where a fairly large number of people and cattle had gathered.
5.21.3Oppidum autem Britannī vocant, cum silvās impedītās vallō atque fossā mūniērunt, quō incursiōnis hostium vītandae causā convenīre cōnsuērunt.
The Britons call it a stronghold when they have fortified a thick wood with a rampart and a trench, where they usually gather to escape enemy raids.
Note. Oppidum … vocant: 'they call it a stronghold'. A British oppidum was a fortified wood, not a town.
5.21.4Eō proficīscitur cum legiōnibus: locum reperit ēgregiē nātūrā atque opere mūnītum;
He sets out there with the legions: he finds a place excellently protected by nature and by work;
5.21.4tamen hunc duābus ex partibus oppugnāre contendit.
even so he hurries to attack it from two sides.
5.21.5Hostēs paulisper morātī mīlitum nostrōrum impetum nōn tulērunt sēsēque aliā ex parte oppidī ēiēcērunt.
The enemy held out for a short time, but could not withstand the attack of our soldiers and rushed out of the stronghold on the other side.
5.21.6Magnus ibi numerus pecoris repertus, multīque in fugā sunt comprehēnsī atque interfectī.
A great number of cattle was found there, and many were caught in flight and killed.
Vocabulary
| dēfendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsus | ward off; defend |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| iniūria, -ae, f. | injury, wrong, hurt, harm |
| prohibeō, -hibēre, -hibuī, -hibitus | hold back, prevent, hinder |
| lēgātiō, -ōnis f. | embassy, mission |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| dēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | give away or up |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitus | find out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| longē, adv. | far |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| oppidum, -ī, n. | town |
| absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrus | be away, be absent, be distant; be wanting |
| silva, -ae, f. | wood, forest |
| palūs, -ūdis, f. | swamp, marsh |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| mūniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | fortify |
| quō, adv. | to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long? |
| satis, adv. | enough, sufficiently |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| homō, hominis, m. | man |
| pecus, pecoris, n. | herd, flock, cattle |
| numerus, -ī, m. | number |
| conveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come together, assemble |
| autem, conj. | moreover; but, however; now |
| vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | call, summon |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| impediō, -pedīre, -pedīvī, -pedītus | hinder, prevent, impede |
| vallum, -ī n. | rampart, palisade |
| fossa, -ae, f. | ditch, trench |
| incursiō, -ōnis f. | raid, attack |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| vītō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | avoid, escape |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| cōnsuēscō, -suēscere, -suēvī, -suētus | become accustomed; in tenses of completed action, have become accustomed, be accustomed or wont |
| eō (adv.) | to that place, thither; to that point (usque eō); (with comparatives) by so much, all the (more) |
| proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sum | set out, depart, march |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| reperiō, reperīre, repperī, repertus | find, discover |
| ēgregiē, adv. | excellently, splendidly, admirably |
| nātūra, -ae, f. | nature, character |
| opus, operis, n. | work, task |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| oppugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | attack, besiege |
| contendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch, hasten |
| paulisper (adv.) | for a short time |
| moror, -ārī, -ātus | delay, linger, stay |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| impetus, -ūs, m. | attack; impetum facere, to charge |
| ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus | bear, bring |
| alius, -a, -ud | another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others |
| ēiciō, -ere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw out; sē ēicere: rush out |
| ibi, adv. | in that place, there |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| fuga, -ae, f. | flight |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| comprehendō, -prehendere, -prehendī, -prehēnsus | seize, catch |
| interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | put out of the way, kill |