Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 7
De Bello Gallico 7.51
The Romans driven back
Caesar, De Bello Gallico VII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō7.51.1Nostrī, cum undique premerentur, XLVI centuriōnibus āmissīs dēiectī sunt locō.
Our men, hard pressed on every side, were driven from their position with the loss of forty-six centurions.
7.51.1Sed intolerantius Gallōs īnsequentēs legiō decima tardāvit, quae prō subsidiō paulō aequiōre locō cōnstiterat.
But the tenth legion, which had taken its stand in support on somewhat more level ground, checked the Gauls as they pursued too boldly.
7.51.2Hanc rūrsus XIII legiōnis cohortēs excēpērunt, quae ex castrīs minōribus ēductae cum Titō Sextiō lēgātō cēperant locum superiōrem.
The cohorts of the thirteenth legion in turn supported it; they had been led out of the smaller camp with Titus Sextius the lieutenant and had taken up a higher position.
7.51.3Legiōnēs, ubi prīmum plānitiem attigērunt, īnfestīs contrā hostēs signīs cōnstitērunt.
As soon as the legions reached the plain, they halted with their standards turned against the enemy.
7.51.4Vercingetorīx ab rādīcibus collis suōs intrā mūnītiōnēs redūxit.
Vercingetorix led his men back from the foot of the hill inside the fortifications.
7.51.4Eō diē mīlitēs sunt paulō minus septingentī dēsīderātī.
On that day a little less than seven hundred soldiers were lost.
Note. paulō minus septingentī: 'a little less than seven hundred'; paulō is ablative of degree of difference.
Vocabulary
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| undique, adv. | from or on all sides |
| premō, premere, pressī, pressus | press, check, restrain |
| Roman numeral | a number written with letters: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000 |
| centuriō, -ōnis m. | centurion (officer commanding about 80 men) |
| āmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send away, lose |
| dēiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw down, cast, drive out of one's course |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| sed, conj. | but |
| intoleranter (adv.) | immoderately, without restraint |
| īnsequor, -sequī, -secūtus | follow upon or up, pursue |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| decimus, -a, -um | tenth |
| tardō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | slow down, check |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| prō, prep. with abl. | before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for |
| subsidium, -ī, n. | reserve, reinforcement, support, help |
| paulō, adv. | by a little, a little, somewhat |
| aequus, -a, -um | level; equal; fair |
| cōnsistō, -sistere, -stitī, -stitus | station oneself, take one's stand; consist |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| rūrsus, adv. | again |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| excipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take out or up, receive, welcome, entertain |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| parvus, -a, -um | little, small |
| ēdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead out, draw |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | ambassador |
| capiō, capere, cēpī, captus | take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt |
| superior, -ius, adj. | higher; former, previous, preceding |
| ubi, adv. | where; conj., when |
| prīmum, adv. | first, in the first place |
| plānitiēs, -ēī f. | plain, level ground |
| attingō, -tingere, -tigī, -tāctus | touch at |
| īnfestus, -a, -um | unsafe, dangerous |
| contrā, prep, with acc. | against, contrary to |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| signum, -ī, n. | sign, signal |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| rādīx, -īcis f. | root; (of a hill) foot |
| collis, -is m. | hill |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| intrā, prep. with acc. | within |
| mūnītiō, -ōnis f. | fortification, defence works |
| redūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead or bring back; restore |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| minus, comp. adv. | less |
| septingentī, -ae, -a | seven hundred |
| dēsīderō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | long for, miss; require |