De Bello Gallico 5.26

Ambiorix attacks Sabinus' camp

In brief. About fifteen days into the winter, Ambiorix and Catuvolcus, urged on by Indutiomarus, overwhelm the Roman woodcutters and attack the camp of Sabinus and Cotta. Driven back, partly by the Spanish cavalry, they call for Romans to come out and talk.

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5.26.1Diēbus circiter XV, quibus in hīberna ventum est, initium repentīnī tumultūs ac dēfectiōnis ortum est ab Ambiorīge et Catuvolcō;About fifteen days after they had come into winter quarters, the beginning of a sudden uprising and revolt arose from Ambiorix and Catuvolcus; 5.26.2quī, cum ad fīnēs regnī suī Sabīnō Cottaeque praestō fuissent frūmentumque in hīberna comportāvissent, Indutiomārī Trēverī nūntiīs impulsī suōs concitāvērunt subitōque oppressīs lignātōribus magnā manū ad castra oppugnātum vēnērunt.they had met Sabinus and Cotta at the borders of their kingdom and had brought corn into the winter camp, but then, spurred on by messages from Indutiomarus the Treveran, they stirred up their people, suddenly overwhelmed the men gathering wood, and came with a large force to attack the camp.Note. oppugnātum: supine of purpose after a verb of motion, 'came to attack'. 5.26.3Cum celeriter nostrī arma cēpissent vallumque adscendissent atque ūnā ex parte Hispānīs equitibus ēmissīs equestrī proeliō superiōrēs fuissent, dēspērātā rē hostēs suōs ab oppugnātiōne redūxērunt.When our men had quickly taken up arms and mounted the rampart, and on one side the Spanish cavalry had been sent out and had won a cavalry fight, the enemy gave up hope and led their men back from the attack.

5.26.4Tum suō mōre conclāmāvērunt, utī aliquī ex nostrīs ad colloquium prōdīret: habēre sēsē, quae dē rē commūnī dīcere vellent, quibus rēbus contrōversiās minuī posse spērārent.Then, in their usual way, they shouted out that some of our men should come forward for a talk: they had things they wished to say about matters of common concern, by which they hoped the disputes could be lessened.Note. utī = ut. aliquī … prōdīret: 'that someone should come forward'. habēre sēsē quae … dīcere vellent: reported speech, 'they had things they wished to say'.

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Grammar in this passage: cum clauses ×2, ablative absolute ×2, indirect statement ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (72 words)

diēs, -ēī, m. and f.	day
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
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
hīberna, -ōrum n. pl.	winter quarters
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus	come
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
initium, -ī, n.	beginning
repentīnus, -a, -um	sudden
tumultus, -ūs m.	uproar, uprising
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
dēfectiō, -ōnis f.	revolt, desertion
orior, -īrī, -tus	arise, come forth, spring up; ortā lūce, at dawn
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
fīnis, -is, m.	end, boundary; plur., borders, territory, country
regnum, -ī, n.	royal power, rule, throne; kingdom, realm
suus, -a, -um	his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
que, enclitic conj.	and
praestō, -stāre, -stitī, -stitus	stand in front; show
frūmentum, -ī, n.	grain
comportō, -portāre, -portāvī, -portātus	carry or bring together, collect
nūntius, -ī, m.	messenger; message
impellō, -pellere, -pulī, -pulsus	drive or urge on, incite, urge
concitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	stir up, rouse
subitō, adv.	unexpectedly, suddenly
opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressus	press against, overpower, crush
lignātor, -ōris m.	woodcutter, soldier sent for firewood
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
manus, -ūs, f.	hand
castra, -ōrum, n. plur.	camp
oppugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	attack, besiege
celeriter, adv.	swiftly, quickly
noster, -tra, -trum	our
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.	arms, weapons
capiō, capere, cēpī, captus	take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
vallum, -ī n.	rampart, palisade
ascendō, -scendere, -scendī, -scēnsus	climb to, ascend, mount
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
pars, partis, f.	part, side, direction
Hispānus, -a, -um	Spanish; as noun, a Spaniard
eques, equitis m.	horseman; (pl.) cavalry
ēmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus	send out or forth
equester, -tris, -tre	of cavalry
proelium, -ī, n.	battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
superior, -ius, adj.	higher; former, previous, preceding
dēspērō, -spērāre, -spērāvī, -spērātus	despair
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
hostis, -is, m. and f.	enemy, foe
oppugnātiō, -ōnis f.	siege, assault on a town
redūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus	lead or bring back; restore
tum, adv.	then, at that time
mōs, mōris, m.	way, manner, habit, custom
conclāmō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	shout out, cry out
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
aliquis, -quid, indef. pron.	someone, any one, something, anything, some, any
colloquium (conloquium), -ī n.	conference, talk
prōdeō, -īre, prōdiī, prōditum	go forward, come out
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	have, hold; consider
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
commūnis, -e	common, shared, public
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
volō, velle, voluī	wish
contrōversia, -ae, f.	quarrel, dispute, debate
minuō, -ere, minuī, minūtum	lessen, reduce
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
spērō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	hope

Caesar, De Bello Gallico V. Latin text: T. Rice Holmes (Oxford, 1914), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. Vocabulary: F. Ritchie (1903, public domain) and entries written for this app. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.