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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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7.61.1Eō 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, futūrusbe
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
explōrātor, -ōris, m.explorer, scout, spy
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
omnis, -eall, every
flūmen, -minis, n.river
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
dispōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positumstation here and there, post
inopīnāns, -antisnot expecting, off guard
quod, conj.that, in that, because
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
subitō, adv.unexpectedly, suddenly
coorior, -orīrī, -ortusarise
tempestās, -tātis, f.weather; storm, tempest
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
noster, -tra, -trumour
opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressuspress against, overpower, crush
exercitus, -ūs, m.army
equitātus, -ūs m.cavalry
que, enclitic conj.and
eques, equitis m.horseman; (pl.) cavalry
Rōmānus, -a, -umRoman
administrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātummanage, 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, -fectumput in charge of
celeriter, adv.swiftly, quickly
trānsmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missussend across; cross over
ūnus, -a, -umone; 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, -ātusreport, 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 sumbe in an uproar, make a commotion
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
eō, īre, iī, itusgo
agmen, -minis, n.band, column
adversus, -a, -umfacing; 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, -ītumhear (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, -portātuscarry across or over, transport
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītushear; listen or attend to
exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusconsider, believe, think
trēs, tria, plur. adj.three
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
trānseō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo across or over, cross
legiō, -ōnis f.legion
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
perturbō, -turbāre, -turbāvi, -turbātusgreatly disturb, disturb, agitate, throw into confusion
dēfectiō, -ōnis f.revolt, desertion
fuga, -ae, f.flight
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmake ready, prepare
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
quoque, adv.also
cōpia, -ae, f.supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops
distribuō, -ere, -tribuī, -tribūtumdivide 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, -lictusleave behind, leave
parvus, -a, -umlittle, small
manus, -ūs, f.hand
versus (adv.)toward, in the direction of (often after ad or in + acc.)
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missussend
tantum, adv.so much or far, only
prōgredior, -gredī, -gressusgo forward, advance
quantum, adv.how much? how?
prōcēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessumgo forward, advance
reliquus, -a, -umleft, the remaining, the other, the rest of
contrā, prep, with acc.against, contrary to
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductuslead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
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Caesar, De Bello Gallico VII. Latin text: T. Rice Holmes (Oxford, 1914), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. Vocabulary: F. Ritchie (1903, public domain) and entries written for this app. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.