De Bello Gallico 7.71

7.71.1Vercingetorīx, priusquam mūnītiōnēs ab Rōmānīs perficiantur, cōnsilium capit omnem ab sē equitātum noctū dīmittere.

Vercingetorix, before the Romans could complete their works, decided to send all his cavalry away from him by night.

Note. priusquam … perficiantur: subjunctive because Vercingetorix acts to forestall the completion of the works.

7.71.2Discēdentibus mandat ut suam quisque eōrum cīvitātem adeat omnēsque quī per aetātem arma ferre possint ad bellum cōgant.

As they left, he instructed each of them to go to his own state and to gather for the war all who were of an age to bear arms.

7.71.3Sua in illōs merita prōpōnit obtestāturque ut suae salūtis ratiōnem habeant neu sē optimē dē commūnī lībertāte meritum in cruciātum hostibus dēdant.

He set out his services to them and begged them to take thought for his safety and not hand him over to the enemy to be tortured, a man who had deserved so well of their common freedom.

Note. nēu = et nē. optimē dē commūnī lībertāte meritum: 'who had deserved very well of their common freedom', describing sē.

7.71.3Quod sī indīligentiōrēs fuerint, mīlia hominum dēlēcta octōgintā ūnā sēcum interitūra dēmōnstrat.

But if they were too careless, he pointed out, eighty thousand picked men would perish with him.

7.71.4Ratiōne initā sē exiguē diērum trīgintā habēre frūmentum, sed paulō etiam longius tolerārī posse parcendō.

By his reckoning he had barely thirty days' grain, but it could be made to last a little longer by rationing.

Note. parcendō: ablative of the gerund, 'by sparing', i.e. by rationing.

7.71.4Hīs datīs mandātīs, quā opus erat intermissum, secundā vigiliā silentiō equitātum mittit.

After giving these instructions, he sent the cavalry out in silence at the second watch, where there was a gap in our works.

7.71.6Frūmentum omne ad sē referrī iubet;

He ordered all the grain to be brought to him;

7.71.6capitis poenam eīs quī nōn pāruerint cōnstituit: pecus, cuius magna erat cōpia ab Mandubiīs compulsa, virītim distribuit;

he fixed death as the penalty for those who did not obey; the cattle, of which a large supply had been driven together by the Mandubii, he distributed man by man;

7.71.7frūmentum parcē et paulātim mētīrī īnstituit;

he began to measure out the grain sparingly and a little at a time;

7.71.8cōpiās omnēs quās prō oppidō collocāverat in oppidum recēpit.

he took into the town all the forces he had stationed in front of it.

7.71.9Hīs ratiōnibus auxilia Galliae exspectāre et bellum parat administrāre.

By these measures he prepared to wait for help from Gaul and to carry on the war.