Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 8
De Bello Gallico 8.29
The rout of Dumnacus
Hirtius, De Bello Gallico VIII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō8.29.1Cum aliquamdiū summā contentiōne dīmicārētur, Dumnacus īnstruit aciem quae suīs esset equitibus in vicem praesidiō, cum repente cōnfertae legiōnēs in cōnspectum hostium veniunt.
When the fight had gone on for some time with the greatest effort, Dumnacus draws up his battle line, to support his cavalry in turn, when suddenly the legions in close order come into the enemy's view.
Note. quae suīs esset equitibus in vicem praesidiō: 'to serve in turn as a support for his cavalry', a relative clause of purpose with the double dative. cōnfertae: 'in close order'.
8.29.2Quibus vīsīs perculsae barbarōrum turmae ac perterritae aciēs hostium, perturbātō impedīmentōrum agmine, magnō clāmōre discursūque passim fugae sē mandant.
At this sight the barbarian squadrons were struck down and the enemy's lines terrified; the baggage column was thrown into confusion, and with a great uproar and running in all directions they take to flight everywhere.
Note. Quibus vīsīs: 'when these (the legions) were seen'. fugae sē mandant: 'they commit themselves to flight'.
8.29.3At nostrī equitēs, quī paulō ante cum resistentibus fortissimē cōnflīxerant, laetitiā victōriae ēlātī magnō undique clāmōre sublātō cēdentibus circumfūsī, quantum equōrum vīrēs ad persequendum dextraeque ad caedendum valent, tantum eō proeliō interficiunt.
But our cavalry, who a little before had fought most bravely with the men resisting them, were carried away by the joy of victory; raising a great shout on every side, they pour round the men giving way, and kill in that battle as many as the strength of their horses for pursuit and of their right arms for slaughter can manage.
Note. laetitiā victōriae ēlātī: 'carried away by the joy of victory'. quantum … tantum: 'as many as'. ad persequendum, ad caedendum: gerunds of purpose.
8.29.4Itaque amplius mīlibus XII aut armātōrum aut eōrum quī eō timōre arma prōiēcerant interfectīs omnis multitūdō capitur impedīmentōrum.
So more than twelve thousand were killed, either armed men or men who had thrown away their arms in that panic, and the whole mass of the baggage is captured.
Note. amplius mīlibus XII: 'more than twelve thousand'; here amplius is followed by the ablative of comparison. eō timōre: 'in that panic'.
Vocabulary
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| aliquam diū (adv.) | for some time |
| summus, -a, -um | uppermost, highest, greatest |
| contentiō, -ōnis f. | struggle, dispute |
| dīmicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | fight |
| īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctus | build in or into; draw up; equip, furnish, |
| aciēs, -ēī, f. | line of battle |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| vicis (gen.), vicem f. | change, turn; in vicem: in turn |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| repente (adv.) | suddenly |
| cōnfertus, -a, -um | crowded, close-packed |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| cōnspectus, -ūs, m. | sight |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| percellō, -ere, -culī, -culsus | strike down; dismay, crush |
| barbarus, -a, -um | barbarian |
| turma, -ae f. | troop, squadron of cavalry |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| perterreō, -terrēre, -terrui, -territus | thoroughly frighten, terrify |
| perturbō, -turbāre, -turbāvi, -turbātus | greatly disturb, disturb, agitate, throw into confusion |
| impedīmentum, -ī n. | hindrance; (pl.) baggage |
| agmen, -minis, n. | band, column |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| clāmor, -ōris, m. | shout, cry |
| discursus, -ūs m. | running about; a darting movement |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| passim (adv.) | here and there, in all directions |
| fuga, -ae, f. | flight |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| mandō, -dāre, -dāvī, -dātus | put in hand, intrust, commit; charge, command |
| at, conj. | but |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| paulō, adv. | by a little, a little, somewhat |
| ante, prep, with acc. and adv. | before |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| resistō, -sistere, -stitī | stand back, resist |
| fortiter, adv. | bravely |
| cōnflīgō, -flīgere, -flīxī, -flīctus | dash together |
| laetitia, -ae, f. | joy |
| victōria, -ae, f. | victory |
| efferō, -ferre, extulī, ēlātum | carry out, bring out |
| undique, adv. | from or on all sides |
| tollō, tollere, sustulī, sublātus | lift, raise; take away, remove; ancorās tollere, to weigh anchor |
| cēdō, -ere, cessī, cessum | go, withdraw, give way |
| circumfundō, -ere, -fūdī, -fūsus | pour around; (passive) crowd around, surround |
| quantum, adv. | how much? how? |
| equus, -ī, m. | horse |
| vīs, vīs, f. | violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| persequor, -sequī, -secūtus | follow up, pursue |
| dextra, -ae, f. | right hand (manus understood) |
| caedō, -ere, cecīdī, caesum | cut, cut down; kill |
| valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrus | be strong or effectual, have effect, prevail |
| tantum, adv. | so much or far, only |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| proelium, -ī, n. | battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle |
| interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | put out of the way, kill |
| itaque, adv. | and so, accordingly, therefore |
| amplius (adv.) | more, further |
| mīlle, indecl. adj. | a thousand; mīlia, -ium, n. plur., thousands; |
| Roman numeral | a number written with letters: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000 |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| armātus, -a, -um | armed |
| timor, -ōris, m. | fear |
| arma, -ōrum, n. plur. | arms, weapons |
| prōiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw forth or down, cast away, throw |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| multitūdō, -tūdinis, f. | multitude |
| capiō, capere, cēpī, captus | take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt |