De Bello Gallico 7.11

7.11.1Alterō diē cum ad oppidum Senonum Vellaunodūnum vēnisset, nē quem post sē hostem relinqueret, quō expedītiōre rē frūmentāriā ūterētur, oppugnāre īnstituit idque bīduō circumvallāvit;

On the next day, when he had come to Vellaunodunum, a town of the Senones, so as not to leave any enemy behind him and so that he might have a freer grain supply, he began to besiege it and in two days surrounded it with a siege line;

7.11.2tertiō diē missīs ex oppidō lēgātīs dē dēditiōne arma cōnferrī, iūmenta prōdūcī, sescentōs obsidēs darī iubet.

on the third day envoys were sent from the town to surrender, and he orders the arms to be brought together, the pack animals brought out, and six hundred hostages given.

7.11.3Ea quī cōnficeret, C. Trebōnium lēgātum relinquit.

He leaves Gaius Trebonius, his legate, to complete this.

7.11.3Ipse, ut quam prīmum iter faceret, Cēnabum Carnutum proficīscitur;

He himself, so as to make the journey as soon as possible, sets out for Cenabum of the Carnutes;

7.11.4quī tum prīmum allātō nūntiō dē oppugnātiōne Vellaunodūnī, cum longius eam rem ductum īrī exīstimārent, praesidium Cēnabī tuendī causā, quod eō mitterent, comparābant.

they, having then first received the news of the siege of Vellaunodunum, since they thought the matter would drag on longer, were preparing a garrison to send there to defend Cenabum.

Note. ductum īrī: future passive infinitive (supine + īrī), 'would be drawn out'. tuendī: gerundive agreeing with Cēnabī.

7.11.4Hūc bīduō pervēnit.

He arrives there in two days.

7.11.5Castrīs ante oppidum positīs diēī tempore exclūsus in posterum oppugnātiōnem differt quaeque ad eam rem ūsuī sint mīlitibus imperat et, quod oppidum Cēnabum pōns flūminis Ligeris contingēbat, veritus nē noctū ex oppidō profugerent, duās legiōnēs in armīs excubāre iubet.

He pitches camp before the town, but shut out by the lateness of the day he puts off the attack until the next day, orders the soldiers to prepare what was needed for the task, and, because a bridge over the river Loire joined the town of Cenabum, fearing that they would escape from the town by night, he orders two legions to keep watch under arms.

Note. quaeque = et quae, 'and the things which'. in posterum: supply diem.

7.11.7Cēnabēnsēs paulō ante mediam noctem silentiō ex oppidō ēgressī flūmen trānsīre coepērunt.

A little before midnight the people of Cenabum came silently out of the town and began to cross the river.

7.11.7Quā rē per explōrātōrēs nūntiātā Caesar legiōnēs quās expedītās esse iusserat portīs incēnsīs intrōmittit atque oppidō potītur, perpaucīs ex hostium numerō dēsīderātīs quīn cūnctī caperentur, quod pontis atque itinerum angustiae multitūdinis fugam interclūserant.

When this was reported by scouts, Caesar burns the gates, sends in the legions which he had ordered to be ready for action, and takes the town; very few of the enemy were missing from being all captured, because the narrowness of the bridge and roads had cut off the flight of the crowd.

Note. perpaucīs … dēsīderātīs quīn cūnctī caperentur: 'very few being lacking for all to be captured', i.e. almost all were taken.

7.11.9Oppidum dīripit atque incendit, praedam mīlitibus dōnat, exercitum Ligerem trādūcit atque in Biturīgum fīnēs pervenit.

He plunders and burns the town, gives the booty to the soldiers, leads the army across the Loire, and arrives in the territory of the Bituriges.