De Bello Gallico 7.47

7.47.1Cōnsecūtus id quod animō prōposuerat, Caesar receptuī canī iussit legiōnīque decimae, quācum erat, continuō signa cōnstituit.

Having gained what he had intended, Caesar ordered the retreat to be sounded, and at once halted the standards of the tenth legion, with which he was.

Note. receptuī canī: impersonal passive, 'the retreat to be sounded'; receptuī is a dative of purpose. quācum = cum quā.

7.47.2Ac reliquārum legiōnum mīlitēs nōn exaudītō sonō tubae, quod satis magna vallēs intercēdēbat, tamen ab tribūnīs mīlitum lēgātīsque, ut erat ā Caesare praeceptum, retinēbantur.

But the soldiers of the other legions did not hear the sound of the trumpet, because a fairly large valley lay between; still they were being held back by the military tribunes and lieutenants, as Caesar had ordered.

7.47.3Sed ēlātī spē celeris victōriae et hostium fugā et superiōrum temporum secundīs proeliīs nihil adeō arduum sibi esse exīstimāvērunt quod nōn virtūte cōnsequī possent, neque fīnem prius sequendī fēcērunt quam mūrō oppidī portīsque appropinquārunt.

But carried away by the hope of a quick victory, by the flight of the enemy, and by the successful battles of earlier times, they thought nothing so hard that they could not achieve it by courage, and they did not stop the pursuit until they came close to the wall and gates of the town.

Note. nihil adeō arduum … quod nōn … cōnsequī possent: a relative clause of characteristic, 'nothing so steep that they could not achieve it'. prius … quam: 'before', written apart.

7.47.3Tum vērō ex omnibus urbis partibus ortō clāmōre, quī longius aberant repentīnō tumultū perterritī, cum hostem intrā portās esse exīstimārent, sēsē ex oppidō ēiēcērunt.

Then indeed, when a shout went up from all parts of the city, those who were farther away, terrified by the sudden uproar, thinking that the enemy was inside the gates, rushed out of the town.

7.47.5Mātrēs familiae dē mūrō vestem argentumque iactābant et pectore nūdō prōminentēs passīs manibus obtestābantur Rōmānōs, ut sibi parcerent neu, sīcut Avaricī fēcissent, nē ā mulieribus quidem atque īnfantibus abstinērent: nōnnūllae dē mūrīs per manūs dēmissae sēsē mīlitibus trādēbant.

The mothers of families threw clothing and silver down from the wall, and leaning out with bared breasts and outstretched hands they begged the Romans to spare them and not, as they had done at Avaricum, to keep their hands off not even women and children: some, let down from the walls by hand, gave themselves up to the soldiers.

Note. Avaricī: locative, 'at Avaricum', where the Romans spared neither women nor children (VII.28). nē … quidem: 'not even', emphasizing the word placed between.

7.47.7Lūcius Fabius, centuriō legiōnis VIII, quem inter suōs eō diē dīxisse cōnstābat excitārī sē Avaricēnsibus praemiīs neque commissūrum, ut prius quisquam mūrum ascenderet, trēs suōs nactus manipulārēs atque ab eīs sublevātus mūrum ascendit: hōs ipse rūrsus singulōs exceptāns in mūrum extulit.

Lucius Fabius, a centurion of the eighth legion, who, it was agreed, had said among his men that day that he was spurred on by the rewards of Avaricum and would not let anyone climb the wall before him, found three men of his maniple, was lifted up by them, and climbed the wall: he in turn took hold of them one by one and pulled them up onto the wall.

Note. neque commissūrum ut …: 'and that he would not allow anyone to …', future infinitive in indirect statement with esse left out. exceptāns: frequentative of excipiō, 'catching each in turn'.