Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 7
De Bello Gallico 7.61
The crossing of the Seine
Caesar, De Bello Gallico VII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō7.61.1Eō cum esset ventum, explōrātōrēs hostium, ut omnī flūminis parte erant dispositī, inopīnantēs, quod magna subitō erat coorta tempestās, ab nostrīs opprimuntur;
When they got there, the enemy scouts, posted as they were along every part of the river, were caught unawares, because a great storm had suddenly blown up, and were overpowered by our men;
7.61.2exercitus equitātusque equitibus Rōmānīs administrantibus, quōs eī negōtiō praefēcerat, celeriter trānsmittitur.
the army and cavalry were quickly ferried across under the direction of the Roman knights whom he had put in charge of that task.
7.61.3Ūnō ferē tempore sub lūcem hostibus nūntiātur in castrīs Rōmānōrum praeter cōnsuētūdinem tumultuārī et magnum īre agmen adversō flūmine sonitumque rēmōrum in eādem parte exaudīrī et paulō īnfrā mīlitēs nāvibus trānsportārī.
At almost the same time, towards dawn, it was reported to the enemy that there was an unusual commotion in the Roman camp, that a large column was going upstream and the sound of oars was heard in the same direction, and that a little further down soldiers were being ferried across in boats.
Note. The infinitives tumultuārī, īre, exaudīrī and trānsportārī all depend on nūntiātur: what was reported to the enemy.
7.61.4Quibus rēbus audītīs, quod exīstimābant tribus locīs trānsīre legiōnēs atque omnēs perturbātōs dēfectiōne Aeduōrum fugam parāre, suās quoque cōpiās in trēs partēs distribuērunt.
On hearing this, since they thought the legions were crossing at three places and that all of them, thrown into confusion by the revolt of the Aedui, were preparing to flee, they too divided their forces into three parts.
7.61.5Nam praesidiō ē regiōne castrōrum relictō et parvā manū Metiosēdum versus missā, quae tantum prōgrediātur, quantum nāvēs prōcessissent, reliquās cōpiās contrā Labiēnum dūxērunt.
For they left a guard opposite the camp, sent a small band towards Metiosedum to advance as far as the boats had gone, and led the rest of their forces against Labienus.
Note. Metiosēdum versus: versus follows its noun, 'towards Metiosedum'. quae … prōgrediātur is a relative clause of purpose.
Vocabulary
| eō (adv.) | to that place, thither; to that point (usque eō); (with comparatives) by so much, all the (more) |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| explōrātor, -ōris, m. | explorer, scout, spy |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| flūmen, -minis, n. | river |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| dispōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positum | station here and there, post |
| inopīnāns, -antis | not expecting, off guard |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| subitō, adv. | unexpectedly, suddenly |
| coorior, -orīrī, -ortus | arise |
| tempestās, -tātis, f. | weather; storm, tempest |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressus | press against, overpower, crush |
| exercitus, -ūs, m. | army |
| equitātus, -ūs m. | cavalry |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| Rōmānus, -a, -um | Roman |
| administrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | manage, carry out |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| negōtium, -ī, n. | business, matter; task, trouble, difficulty |
| praeficiō, -ere, -fēcī, -fectum | put in charge of |
| celeriter, adv. | swiftly, quickly |
| trānsmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send across; cross over |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| ferē, adv. | nearly, about, almost, for the most part |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| sub, prep. with acc. and abl. | under; sub vesperum, towards evening |
| lūx, lūcis, f. | light |
| nūntiō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | report, announce |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| praeter, prep. with acc. | before, past, by; besides, except |
| cōnsuētūdō, -inis f. | custom, habit; way of life |
| tumultuor, -ārī, -ātus sum | be in an uproar, make a commotion |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| eō, īre, iī, itus | go |
| agmen, -minis, n. | band, column |
| adversus, -a, -um | facing; unfavourable, unsuccessful |
| sonitus, -ūs, m. | sound, noise |
| rēmus, -ī, m. | oar |
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| exaudiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītum | hear (from a distance) |
| paulō, adv. | by a little, a little, somewhat |
| īnfrā (adv. and prep. + acc.) | below, further down |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| nāvis, -is, f. | ship |
| trānsportō, -portāre, -portāvī, -portātus | carry across or over, transport |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | hear; listen or attend to |
| exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, believe, think |
| trēs, tria, plur. adj. | three |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| trānseō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go across or over, cross |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| perturbō, -turbāre, -turbāvi, -turbātus | greatly disturb, disturb, agitate, throw into confusion |
| dēfectiō, -ōnis f. | revolt, desertion |
| fuga, -ae, f. | flight |
| parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | make ready, prepare |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| quoque, adv. | also |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| distribuō, -ere, -tribuī, -tribūtum | divide up, distribute |
| nam, conj. | for |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| regiō, -ōnis, f. | direction; country, region |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| parvus, -a, -um | little, small |
| manus, -ūs, f. | hand |
| versus (adv.) | toward, in the direction of (often after ad or in + acc.) |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| tantum, adv. | so much or far, only |
| prōgredior, -gredī, -gressus | go forward, advance |
| quantum, adv. | how much? how? |
| prōcēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessum | go forward, advance |
| reliquus, -a, -um | left, the remaining, the other, the rest of |
| contrā, prep, with acc. | against, contrary to |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus | lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry |