Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 7
De Bello Gallico 7.8
Caesar crosses the Cévennes
Caesar, De Bello Gallico VII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō7.8.1Hīs rēbus comparātīs, repressō iam Lucteriō et remōtō, quod intrāre intrā praesidia perīculōsum putābat, in Helviōs proficīscitur.
With these arrangements made, and Lucterius now checked and withdrawn, because he thought it dangerous to go within the line of garrisons, Caesar sets out for the Helvii.
7.8.2Etsī mōns Cevenna, quī Arvernōs ab Helviīs disclūdit, dūrissimō tempore annī altissimā nive iter impediēbat, tamen discussā nive sex in altitūdinem pedum atque ita viīs patefactīs summō mīlitum sūdōre ad fīnēs Arvernōrum pervēnit.
Although the Cévennes, the mountain range that separates the Arverni from the Helvii, blocked the way with very deep snow at the hardest season of the year, yet the snow was cleared to a depth of six feet, the roads were opened in this way, and with the greatest toil of the soldiers he reached the territory of the Arverni.
7.8.3Quibus oppressīs inopīnantibus, quod sē Cevennā ut mūrō mūnītōs exīstimābant, ac nē singulārī quidem umquam hominī eō tempore annī sēmitae patuerant, equitibus imperat, ut quam lātissimē possint vagentur et quam maximum hostibus terrōrem īnferant.
They were caught off guard, because they believed themselves protected by the Cévennes as by a wall, and at that season of the year the paths had never been open even to a single man; he orders the cavalry to range as widely as they can and to strike the greatest possible terror into the enemy.
7.8.4Celeriter haec fāma ac nūntiīs ad Vercingetorīgem perferuntur;
News of this is quickly brought to Vercingetorix by rumor and messengers;
7.8.4quem perterritī omnēs Arvernī circumsistunt atque obsecrant, ut suīs fortūnīs cōnsulat, nēve ab hostibus dīripiantur, praesertim cum videat omne ad sē bellum trānslātum.
all the Arverni, terrified, surround him and implore him to look after their fortunes and not let them be plundered by the enemy, especially since he saw that the whole war had been turned against them.
7.8.5Quōrum ille precibus permōtus castra ex Biturīgibus movet in Arvernōs versus.
Moved by their prayers, he moves his camp from the Bituriges toward the Arverni.
Vocabulary
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| comparō, -parāre, -parāvī, -parātus | prepare, collect |
| reprimō, -ere, -pressī, -pressum | hold back, check |
| iam, adv. | now, already |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| removeō, -movēre, -mōvī, -mōtus | move back, remove |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| intrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | go within or into, enter |
| intrā, prep. with acc. | within |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| perīculōsus, -a, -um | dangerous |
| putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | think |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sum | set out, depart, march |
| etsī, conj. | even if, although |
| mōns, montis, m. | mountain |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| disclūdō, -ere, -clūsī, -clūsus | keep apart, separate |
| dūrus, -a, -um | hard; harsh; difficult |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| annus, -ī, m. | year |
| altus, -a, -um | high, deep; altum, -ī, n., the deep |
| nix, nivis, f. | snow |
| iter, itineris, n. | a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march |
| impediō, -pedīre, -pedīvī, -pedītus | hinder, prevent, impede |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| discutiō, -ere, -cussī, -cussus | shatter; clear away |
| sex (indecl.) | six |
| altitūdō, -inis f. | height; depth |
| pēs, pedis, m. | foot |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| ita, adv. | in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as |
| via, -ae, f. | road, way |
| patefaciō, -facere, -fēcī, -factus | throw, or lay open, open |
| summus, -a, -um | uppermost, highest, greatest |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| sūdor, -ōris m. | sweat; toil |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| fīnis, -is, m. | end, boundary; plur., borders, territory, country |
| perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come through, come, arrive, reach |
| opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressus | press against, overpower, crush |
| inopīnāns, -antis | not expecting, off guard |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| mūrus, -ī, m. | wall |
| mūniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | fortify |
| exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, believe, think |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| singulāris, -e | single; remarkable |
| quidem, adv. | in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even |
| umquam, adv. | ever |
| homō, hominis, m. | man |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| sēmita, -ae f. | path, track |
| pateō, -ēre, -uī | lie open; extend, stretch |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| imperō, -perāre, -perāvī, -perātus | command, order, enjoin |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| lātē | widely |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| vagor, -ārī, -ātus sum | wander, roam |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| terror, -ōris, m. | terror, fright |
| īnferō, īnferre, intulī, inlātus | bring in or against, wage against; inflict |
| celeriter, adv. | swiftly, quickly |
| fāma, -ae, f. | report, rumor |
| nūntius, -ī, m. | messenger; message |
| perferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātus | bear through, bear, endure; weather |
| perterreō, -terrēre, -terrui, -territus | thoroughly frighten, terrify |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| circumsistō, -ere, circumstetī | stand around, surround |
| obsecrō, -secrāre, -secrāvī, -secrātus | beseech, entreat |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| fortūna, -ae, f. | fortune |
| cōnsulō, -ere, -uī, -tus | consult |
| nēve or neu, conj. | and that not, and not, nor |
| dīripiō, -ere, -ripuī, -reptum | plunder |
| praesertim (adv.) | especially |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| trānsferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātus | carry across, transfer |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| prex, precis f. (usu. pl.) | prayer, entreaty |
| permoveō, -ēre, -mōvī, -mōtum | move deeply, influence |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtus | move |
| versus (adv.) | toward, in the direction of (often after ad or in + acc.) |