De Bello Gallico 5.53

5.53.1Interim ad Labiēnum per Rēmōs incrēdibilī celeritāte dē victōriā Caesaris fāmā perfertur, ut, cum ab hībernīs Cicerōnis mīlia passuum abesset circiter LX, eōque post hōram nōnam diēī Caesar pervēnisset, ante mediam noctem ad portās castrōrum clāmor orerētur, quō clāmōre significātiō victōriae grātulātiōque ab Rēmīs Labiēnō fieret.

Meanwhile the news of Caesar's victory is carried to Labienus through the Remi with unbelievable speed, so that, although he was about sixty miles from Cicero's winter camp and Caesar had arrived there after the ninth hour of the day, before midnight a shout arose at the gates of the camp, by which the Remi signalled the victory and congratulated Labienus.

Note. ut … clāmor orerētur: a result clause after incrēdibilī celeritāte. The Remi pass the news along by shouting from one group to the next.

5.53.2Hāc fāmā ad Trēverōs perlātā Indutiomārus, quī posterō diē castra Labiēnī oppugnāre dēcrēverat, noctū profugit cōpiāsque omnēs in Trēverōs redūcit.

When this news reached the Treveri, Indutiomarus, who had decided to attack Labienus' camp the next day, flees by night and leads all his forces back into the land of the Treveri.

5.53.3Caesar Fabium cum suā legiōne remittit in hīberna, ipse cum tribus legiōnibus circum Samarobrīvam trīnīs hībernīs hiemāre cōnstituit et, quod tantī mōtūs Galliae exstiterant, tōtam hiemem ipse ad exercitum manēre dēcrēvit.

Caesar sends Fabius back with his legion to his winter camp; he himself decided to winter with three legions around Samarobriva in three separate camps, and, because such great unrest had arisen in Gaul, to stay with the army himself for the whole winter.

Note. trīnīs hībernīs: distributive numeral, used with nouns that are plural in form: 'in three winter camps'.

5.53.4Nam illō incommodō dē Sabīnī morte perlātō omnēs ferē Galliae cīvitātēs dē bellō cōnsultābant, nūntiōs lēgātiōnēsque in omnēs partēs dīmittēbant et quid reliquī cōnsilī caperent atque unde initium bellī fieret explōrābant nocturnaque in locīs dēsertīs concilia habēbant.

For when the news of that disaster, the death of Sabinus, had spread, almost all the states of Gaul were discussing war, sending messengers and embassies in every direction, finding out what plan the others were adopting and where the war would begin, and holding councils at night in lonely places.

5.53.5Neque ūllum ferē tōtīus hiemis tempus sine sollicitūdine Caesaris intercessit, quīn aliquem dē cōnsiliīs ac mōtū Gallōrum nūntium acciperet.

And hardly any time in the whole winter passed without anxiety for Caesar, without his receiving some report about the plans and the unrest of the Gauls.

Note. quīn … acciperet: after a negative, quīn means 'without', 'but that': no time passed without his receiving news.

5.53.6In hīs ab Lūciō Rosciō, quem legiōnī tertiae decimae praefēcerat, certior factus est magnās Gallōrum cōpiās eārum cīvitātum, quae Armoricae appellantur, oppugnandī suī causā convēnisse neque longius mīlia passuum octō ab hībernīs suīs āfuisse, sed nūntiō allātō dē victōriā Caesaris discessisse, adeō ut fugae similis discessus vidērētur.

Among these he was informed by Lucius Roscius, whom he had put in command of the thirteenth legion, that large forces of the Gauls from the states called Armorican had gathered to attack him and had been no more than eight miles from his winter camp, but on news arriving of Caesar's victory had gone away, so hastily that their departure looked like flight.

Note. oppugnandī suī causā: 'for the purpose of attacking him'; suī is the genitive of the reflexive pronoun with the gerund.