De Bello Gallico 5.24

5.24.1Subductīs nāvibus conciliōque Gallōrum Samarobrīvae peractō, quod eō annō frūmentum in Galliā propter siccitātēs angustius prōvēnerat, coāctus est aliter ac superiōribus annīs exercitum in hībernīs collocāre legiōnēsque in plūrēs cīvitātēs distribuere;

When the ships had been drawn up on shore and the council of the Gauls had been held at Samarobriva, because that year the corn crop in Gaul had been rather poor on account of droughts, he was forced to quarter the army for the winter differently from earlier years and to distribute the legions among several states;

Note. Subductīs nāvibus … perāctō: two ablative absolutes. aliter ac: 'otherwise than'; ac after words of likeness and difference means 'than' or 'as'.

5.24.2ex quibus ūnam in Morinōs dūcendam Gāiō Fabiō lēgātō dedit, alteram in Nerviōs Quīntō Cicerōnī, tertiam in Esubiōs Lūciō Rosciō;

of these he gave one to the legate Gaius Fabius to lead to the Morini, a second to Quintus Cicero to lead to the Nervii, a third to Lucius Roscius to lead to the Esubii;

5.24.2quārtam in Rēmīs cum Titō Labiēnō in cōnfīniō Trēverōrum hiemāre iussit.

he ordered a fourth to winter among the Remi with Titus Labienus, on the border of the Treveri.

5.24.2Trēs in Belgīs collocāvit: eīs Mārcum Crassum quaestōrem et Lūcium Munātium Plancum et Gāium Trebōnium lēgātōs praefēcit.

He placed three among the Belgae, and put in command of them Marcus Crassus, his quaestor, and the legates Lucius Munatius Plancus and Gaius Trebonius.

5.24.4Ūnam legiōnem, quam proximē trāns Padum cōnscrīpserat, et cohortēs V in Eburōnēs, quōrum pars maxima est inter Mosam ac Rhēnum, quī sub imperiō Ambiorīgis et Catuvolcī erant, mīsit.

One legion, which he had most recently enrolled beyond the Po, and five cohorts he sent to the Eburones, the greater part of whose land lies between the Meuse and the Rhine, and who were under the rule of Ambiorix and Catuvolcus.

Note. proximē here is 'most recently'. The relative quī … erant goes back to the Eburōnēs, not to the rivers.

5.24.5Eīs mīlitibus Quīntum Titūrium Sabīnum et Lūcium Aurunculeium Cottam lēgātōs praeesse iussit.

He ordered the legates Quintus Titurius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculeius Cotta to command these soldiers.

5.24.6Ad hunc modum distribūtīs legiōnibus facillimē inopiae frūmentāriae sēsē medērī posse exīstimāvit.

With the legions distributed in this way, he thought he could most easily remedy the shortage of corn.

5.24.7Atque hārum tamen omnium legiōnum hīberna praeter eam, quam Lūciō Rosciō in pācātissimam et quiētissimam partem dūcendam dederat, mīlibus passuum centum continēbantur.

And yet the winter quarters of all these legions, except the one which he had given Lucius Roscius to lead into the most peaceful and quiet region, lay within a hundred miles of one another.

5.24.8Ipse intereā, quoad legiōnēs collocātās mūnītaque hīberna cognōvisset, in Galliā morārī cōnstituit.

He himself decided to stay in Gaul in the meantime, until he knew that the legions were in position and the winter camps fortified.