Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 7
De Bello Gallico 7.78
The Mandubii driven out
Caesar, De Bello Gallico VII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō7.78.1Sententiīs dictīs cōnstituunt ut eī quī valētūdine aut aetāte inūtilēs sunt bellō oppidō excēdant, atque omnia prius experiantur, quam ad Critognātī sententiam dēscendant: illō tamen potius ūtendum cōnsiliō, sī rēs cōgat atque auxilia morentur, quam aut dēditiōnis aut pācis subeundam condiciōnem.
When the opinions had been spoken, they decide that those who are useless for war because of health or age should leave the town, and that they should try everything before they come down to the proposal of Critognatus; but that plan should rather be used, if the situation forced it and the relief forces delayed, than that terms of surrender or peace should be accepted.
Note. prius … quam … dēscendant: 'before they come down to'. illō … potius ūtendum cōnsiliō … quam … subeundam condiciōnem: gerundives in indirect statement, 'that plan should rather be used than terms accepted'.
7.78.3Mandubiī, quī eōs oppidō recēperant, cum līberīs atque uxōribus exīre cōguntur.
The Mandubii, who had received them into their town, are forced to leave with their children and wives.
7.78.3Hī, cum ad mūnītiōnēs Rōmānōrum accessissent, flentēs omnibus precibus ōrābant, ut sē in servitūtem receptōs cibō iuvārent.
When these had come to the Roman fortifications, weeping, they begged with every kind of prayer that the Romans would take them as slaves and help them with food.
Note. ut sē … receptōs cibō iuvārent: 'that they would take them in as slaves and help them with food'; the participle carries the first action.
7.78.5At Caesar dispositīs in vallō custōdibus recipī prohibēbat.
But Caesar placed guards on the rampart and forbade them to be taken in.
Vocabulary
| sententia, -ae, f. | opinion; purpose |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | set together or up; appoint; determine |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| valētūdō, -inis f. | health, state of health; ill health |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| aetās, -tātis, f. | age |
| inūtilis, -e | not useful, useless |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| oppidum, -ī, n. | town |
| excēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessus | go out or forth, depart |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| prius, adv. | before, first |
| experior, -īrī, expertus sum | try, test, experience |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| dēscendō, -scendere, -scendī, -scēnsus | climb down, descend |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| potius (adv.) | rather |
| ūtor, ūtī, ūsus | use |
| cōnsilium, -ī, n. | advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence |
| sī, conj. | if |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctus | drive together, collect; compel |
| auxilium, -ī, n. | help, aid |
| moror, -ārī, -ātus | delay, linger, stay |
| dēditiō, -ōnis f. | surrender |
| pāx, pācis f. | peace |
| subeō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go under; undergo, submit to, sustain, bear, endure |
| condiciō, -ōnis f. | terms; condition, status |
| recipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take or get back, recover; sē recipere, to betake oneself, withdraw; to collect oneself, recover |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| līberī, -ōrum, m. plur. | children |
| uxor, -ōris, f. | wife |
| exeō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go out |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| mūnītiō, -ōnis f. | fortification, defence works |
| Rōmānus, -a, -um | Roman |
| accēdō, -ere, accessī, accessum | come near, approach; be added |
| fleō, -ēre, flēvī, flētum | weep |
| prex, precis f. (usu. pl.) | prayer, entreaty |
| ōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | speak; beg, pray |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| servitūs, -tūtis, f. | slavery, servitude |
| cibus, -ī, m. | food |
| iuvō, -āre, iūvī, iūtum | help |
| at, conj. | but |
| dispōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positum | station here and there, post |
| vallum, -ī n. | rampart, palisade |
| custōs, -ōdis m. | guard |
| prohibeō, -hibēre, -hibuī, -hibitus | hold back, prevent, hinder |