Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 5
De Bello Gallico 5.32
The ambush
Caesar, De Bello Gallico V. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō5.32.1At hostēs, posteāquam ex nocturnō fremitū vigiliīsque dē profectiōne eōrum sēnsērunt, collocātīs īnsidiīs bipertītō in silvīs opportūnō atque occultō locō ā mīlibus passuum circiter duōbus Rōmānōrum adventum exspectābant, et cum sē maior pars agminis in magnam convallem dēmīsisset, ex utrāque parte eius vallis subitō sē ostendērunt novissimōsque premere et prīmōs prohibēre ascēnsū atque inīquissimō nostrīs locō proelium committere coepērunt.
But the enemy, after they realized from the noise in the night and the lack of sleep that they were setting out, laid an ambush in two places in the woods, in a well-chosen and hidden spot about two miles away, and waited for the Romans to arrive; and when the greater part of the column had gone down into a large valley, they suddenly showed themselves on both sides of it and began to press the rear, to keep the front from climbing out, and to join battle in a place very unfavourable to our men.
Note. bipertītō: 'in two places'. nostrīs locō inīquissimō: 'on ground very unfavourable to our men'.
Vocabulary
| at, conj. | but |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| posteāquam (conj.) | after |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| nocturnus, -a, -um | of night, nocturnal; nocturnum tempus, night-time |
| fremitus, -ūs, m. | roaring, roar |
| vigilia, -ae, f. | watch |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| profectiō, -ōnis, f. | departure, start |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsus | perceive, feel |
| collocō (conlocō), -āre, -āvī, -ātum | place, station; give in marriage |
| īnsidiae, -ārum, f. plur. | ambush; plot, stratagem |
| bipertītō (adv.) | in two divisions |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| silva, -ae, f. | wood, forest |
| opportūnus, -a, -um | suitable, seasonable, convenient, opportune |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| occultus, -a, -um | hidden, secret |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| mīlle, indecl. adj. | a thousand; mīlia, -ium, n. plur., thousands; |
| passus, -ūs, m. | pace (mīlia passuum: miles) |
| circiter, prep. with acc. and adv. | about |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |
| Rōmānus, -a, -um | Roman |
| adventus, -ūs, m. | approach, arrival |
| exspectō, -spectāre, -spectāvī, -spectātus | look out for, wait for, await, expect; wait |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| agmen, -minis, n. | band, column |
| convallis, -is f. | enclosed valley |
| dēmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send down, let fall; animōs dēmittere, to lose courage |
| uterque, utraque, utrumque | each, either, both |
| vallis, -is, f. | valley |
| subitō, adv. | unexpectedly, suddenly |
| ostendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch out before, show, explain |
| novissimus, -a, -um | last (novissimum agmen: the rear) |
| premō, premere, pressī, pressus | press, check, restrain |
| prīmus, -a, -um | first, foremost |
| prohibeō, -hibēre, -hibuī, -hibitus | hold back, prevent, hinder |
| ascēnsus, -ūs m. | way up, climb |
| inīquus, -a, -um | uneven; unfair |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| proelium, -ī, n. | battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle |
| committō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send together; commit, intrust; expose; proelium committere, to join battle |
| coepī, coepisse, coeptus (used in tenses of completed action) | have begun, began |