Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 7
De Bello Gallico 7.27
The storming of Avaricum
Caesar, De Bello Gallico VII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō7.27.1Posterō diē Caesar prōmōtā turrī perfectīsque operibus quae facere īnstituerat, magnō coortō imbre nōn inūtilem hanc ad capiendum cōnsilium tempestātem arbitrātus est, quod paulō incautius custōdiās in mūrō dispositās vidēbat, suōsque languidius in opere versārī iussit et quid fierī vellet ostendit.
The next day Caesar, having moved a tower forward and completed the works he had decided to build, when a great rainstorm had arisen, thought this weather not unsuitable for carrying out a plan, because he saw that the guards on the wall were posted a little carelessly; and he ordered his men to go about the work less briskly, and showed them what he wanted done.
Note. quid fierī vellet ostendit: an indirect question, 'he showed what he wanted done'. The heavy rain gave cover for the assault, since the guards would be careless.
7.27.2Legiōnibusque intrā vīneās in occultō expedītīs, cohortātus ut aliquandō prō tantīs labōribus frūctum victōriae perciperent, eīs quī prīmī mūrum ascendissent praemia prōposuit mīlitibusque signum dedit.
Having got the legions ready under cover inside the sheds, he urged them to reap at last the fruit of victory for such great labours, offered rewards to those who should first climb the wall, and gave the soldiers the signal.
7.27.3Illī subitō ex omnibus partibus ēvolāvērunt mūrumque celeriter complēvērunt.
They suddenly flew out from all sides and quickly filled the wall.
Vocabulary
| posterus, -a, -um | following, next |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| prōmoveō, -ēre, -mōvī, -mōtum | move forward |
| turris, -is f. | tower; siege tower |
| perficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | do or make through, accomplish |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| opus, operis, n. | work, task |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| īnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | decide upon, determine |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| coorior, -orīrī, -ortus | arise |
| imber, imbris, m. | rain, shower |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| inūtilis, -e | not useful, useless |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| capiō, capere, cēpī, captus | take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt |
| cōnsilium, -ī, n. | advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence |
| tempestās, -tātis, f. | weather; storm, tempest |
| arbitror, -ārī, -ātus | consider, think, judge |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| paulō, adv. | by a little, a little, somewhat |
| incautē (adv.) | carelessly, without due caution |
| custōdia, -ae f. | guard, protection |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| mūrus, -ī, m. | wall |
| dispōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positum | station here and there, post |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| languidē (adv.) | slackly, without energy |
| versor, -ārī, -ātus | keep turning, be busy or employed, be |
| iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus | bid, order, command |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| quis, quid, interrog. pron. | who? which? what? |
| fīō, fierī, factus sum | be done or made, become, happen |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| ostendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch out before, show, explain |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| intrā, prep. with acc. | within |
| vīnea, -ae f. | shed (a movable shelter for besiegers) |
| occultus, -a, -um | hidden, secret |
| expediō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | free, set clear; get ready; arrange, settle |
| cohortor, -hortārī, -hortātus | encourage, exhort |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| aliquandō, adv. | at some time or other; finally, at length |
| prō, prep. with abl. | before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for |
| tantus, -a, -um | so great or much |
| labor, -ōris, m. | labor, toil |
| frūctus, -ūs, m. | enjoyment; fruit |
| victōria, -ae, f. | victory |
| percipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | feel |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| prīmus, -a, -um | first, foremost |
| ascendō, -scendere, -scendī, -scēnsus | climb to, ascend, mount |
| praemium, -ī, n. | reward |
| prōpōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | put or set before, offer, propose; set forth, say |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| signum, -ī, n. | sign, signal |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| subitō, adv. | unexpectedly, suddenly |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| ēvolō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | fly out, rush out |
| celeriter, adv. | swiftly, quickly |
| compleō, -plēre, -plēvī, -plētus | fill full, fill up |