De Bello Gallico 7.82

7.82.1Dum longius ab mūnītiōne aberant Gallī, plūs multitūdine tēlōrum prōficiēbant;

While the Gauls were rather far from the fortification, they gained more by the number of their missiles;

7.82.1posteāquam propius successērunt, aut sē stimulīs inopīnantēs induēbant aut in scrobēs dēlātī trānsfodiēbantur aut ex vallō ac turribus trāiectī pīlīs mūrālibus interībant.

after they came nearer, they either impaled themselves unawares on the spurs, or fell into the pits and were pierced, or were struck by wall spears from the rampart and towers and died.

Note. The three aut clauses match the traps described in chapter 73: the stimulī, the pits (scrobēs) with the 'lilies', and the rampart itself.

7.82.2Multīs undique vulneribus acceptīs nūllā mūnītiōne perruptā, cum lūx appeteret, veritī nē ab latere apertō ex superiōribus castrīs ēruptiōne circumvenīrentur, sē ad suōs recēpērunt.

Having received many wounds everywhere and broken through the fortification nowhere, since daylight was approaching, they were afraid that they would be surrounded on their exposed flank by a sally from the higher camp, and they withdrew to their own men.

Note. veritī nē … circumvenīrentur: after a verb of fearing, nē means 'that'. veritī is a deponent participle with active meaning, 'fearing'.

7.82.3At interiōrēs, dum ea quae ā Vercingetorīge ad ēruptiōnem praeparāta erant prōferunt, priōrēs fossās explent, diūtius in hīs rēbus administrandīs morātī prius suōs discessisse cognōvērunt, quam mūnītiōnibus appropinquārent.

But the men inside, while they bring out the things Vercingetorix had prepared for the sally and fill in the first trenches, delayed too long in doing these things and learned that their people had withdrawn before they got near the fortifications.

Note. prius … cognōvērunt quam … appropinquārent: 'learned before they could get near'. The subjunctive shows that they never did.

7.82.3Ita rē īnfectā in oppidum revertērunt.

So, with nothing achieved, they returned to the town.