Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 7
De Bello Gallico 7.53
Caesar leaves Gergovia
Caesar, De Bello Gallico VII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō7.53.1Hāc habitā cōntiōne et ad extrēmam ōrātiōnem cōnfirmātīs mīlitibus, nē ob hanc causam animō permovērentur neu quod inīquitās locī attulisset id virtūtī hostium tribuerent, eadem dē profectiōne cōgitāns quae ante sēnserat legiōnēs ex castrīs ēdūxit aciemque idōneō locō cōnstituit.
After holding this assembly and encouraging the soldiers at the end of his speech not to be disheartened for this reason, nor to put down to the courage of the enemy what the unevenness of the ground had brought about, Caesar, with the same thoughts about departure that he had had before, led the legions out of the camp and drew up a battle line in a suitable place.
Note. eadem … quae ante sēnserat: 'having the same thoughts as before', referring back to sentence 56: Caesar still means to leave, but not to seem driven out.
7.53.2Cum Vercingetorīx nihil magis in aequum locum dēscenderet, levī factō equestrī proeliō atque secundō in castra exercitum redūxit.
When Vercingetorix still would not come down onto level ground, after a slight and successful cavalry skirmish he led the army back into camp.
7.53.3Cum hoc idem posterō diē fēcisset, satis ad Gallicam ostentātiōnem minuendam mīlitumque animōs cōnfirmandōs factum exīstimāns in Aeduōs mōvit castra.
When he had done the same on the next day, thinking that enough had been done to lessen the boasting of the Gauls and to strengthen the spirits of the soldiers, he moved camp into the country of the Aedui.
Note. ad … ostentātiōnem minuendam … animōs cōnfirmandōs: two gerundive phrases of purpose with ad. factum (esse) exīstimāns: 'thinking that enough had been done'.
7.53.4Nē tum quidem īnsecūtīs hostibus tertiō diē ad flūmen Elaver vēnit;
Not even then did the enemy follow, and on the third day he came to the river Elaver;
7.53.4pontem refēcit exercitumque trādūxit.
he rebuilt the bridge and led the army across.
Vocabulary
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| cōntiō, -ōnis f. | assembly, meeting; speech to an assembly |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| extrēmus, -a, -um | last, extreme, furthest |
| ōrātiō, -ōnis, f. | speech; ōrātiōnem habēre, to deliver an oration, speak |
| cōnfirmō, -firmāre, -firmāvī, -firmātus | strengthen, establish; declare, assert |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| ob, prep. with acc. | on account of, for; in compounds, to, against |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| permoveō, -ēre, -mōvī, -mōtum | move deeply, influence |
| nēve or neu, conj. | and that not, and not, nor |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| inīquitās, -ātis f. | unevenness; unfairness, difficulty |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| afferō, afferre, attulī, allātum | bring, bring to; cause |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| virtūs, -tūtis, f. | manliness, courage, bravery |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| tribuō, -ere, tribuī, tribūtum | assign, attribute |
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| profectiō, -ōnis, f. | departure, start |
| cōgitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, think over |
| ante, prep, with acc. and adv. | before |
| sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsus | perceive, feel |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| ēdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead out, draw |
| aciēs, -ēī, f. | line of battle |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| idōneus, -a, -um | suitable, fit; favorable |
| cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | set together or up; appoint; determine |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| nihil, n., indecl. | nothing |
| magis, comp. adv. | more, rather |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| aequus, -a, -um | level; equal; fair |
| dēscendō, -scendere, -scendī, -scēnsus | climb down, descend |
| levis, -e | light, slight |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| equester, -tris, -tre | of cavalry |
| proelium, -ī, n. | battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| secundus, -a, -um | following, favorable |
| exercitus, -ūs, m. | army |
| redūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead or bring back; restore |
| posterus, -a, -um | following, next |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| satis, adv. | enough, sufficiently |
| Gallicus, -a, -um | Gallic, of Gaul |
| ostentātiō, -ōnis f. | display, show |
| minuō, -ere, minuī, minūtum | lessen, reduce |
| exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, believe, think |
| moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtus | move |
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| quidem, adv. | in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even |
| īnsequor, -sequī, -secūtus | follow upon or up, pursue |
| tertius, -a, -um | third |
| flūmen, -minis, n. | river |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| pōns, pontis, m. | bridge |
| reficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | make anew, renew, repair |
| trādūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead across |