Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 8
De Bello Gallico 8.35
The supply convoy destroyed
Hirtius, De Bello Gallico VIII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō8.35.1Magnā cōpiā frūmentī comparātā cōnsīdunt Drappēs et Lucterius nōn longius ab oppidō X mīlibus, unde paulātim frūmentum in oppidum supportārent.
Having collected a great supply of grain, Drappes and Lucterius take up a position no more than ten miles from the town, so that from there they could carry the grain into the town little by little.
Note. nōn longius … X mīlibus: 'not further than ten miles'. unde … supportārent: relative clause of purpose, 'from where they could carry'.
8.35.2Ipsī inter sē prōvinciās partiuntur: Drappēs castrīs praesidiō cum parte cōpiārum restitit;
They divide the duties between themselves: Drappes stayed behind with part of the forces to guard the camp;
Note. prōvinciās: here 'duties, tasks'. castrīs praesidiō: double dative, 'as a guard for the camp'. restitit: from restō, 'stayed behind'.
8.35.2Lucterius agmen iūmentōrum ad oppidum dūcit.
Lucterius leads the train of pack animals to the town.
Note. agmen iūmentōrum: 'the train of pack animals'.
8.35.3Dispositīs ibi praesidiīs hōrā noctis circiter decimā silvestribus angustīsque itineribus frūmentum importāre in oppidum īnstituit.
Having posted guards there, at about the tenth hour of the night he begins to bring the grain into the town by narrow paths through the woods.
Note. hōrā noctis circiter decimā: the Romans divided the night into twelve hours, so this is shortly before dawn. silvestribus angustīsque itineribus: 'by narrow paths through the woods'.
8.35.4Quōrum strepitum vigilēs castrōrum cum sēnsissent, explōrātōrēsque missī quae gererentur renūntiāssent, Canīnius celeriter cum cohortibus armātīs ex proximīs castellīs in frūmentāriōs sub ipsam lūcem impetum fēcit.
When the sentries of the camp heard the noise they made, and scouts sent out had reported what was happening, Caninius quickly, with armed cohorts from the nearest forts, attacked the grain-carriers at first light.
Note. vigilēs: 'sentries'. sub ipsam lūcem: 'just at dawn'. frūmentāriōs: 'the grain-carriers'.
8.35.5Eī repentīnō malō perterritī diffugiunt ad sua praesidia;
Terrified by this sudden disaster they scatter to their own posts;
Note. Eī: nominative plural of is, 'they'. ad sua praesidia: 'to their own posts'.
8.35.5quae nostrī ut vīdērunt, ācrius contrā armātōs incitātī nēminem ex eō numerō vīvum capī patiuntur.
when our men saw these, they were roused even more fiercely against men under arms and let no one of that number be taken alive.
Note. quae: the posts (praesidia). contrā armātōs: against men who still had their weapons. nēminem … vīvum capī patiuntur: 'they let no one be taken alive'.
8.35.5Profugit inde cum paucīs Lucterius nec sē recipit in castra.
Lucterius escapes from there with a few men, and does not get back to the camp.
Note. Profugit: 'escapes'. Lucterius later fled to an Arvernian noble who handed him over to Caesar (chapter 44).
Vocabulary
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| frūmentum, -ī, n. | grain |
| comparō, -parāre, -parāvī, -parātus | prepare, collect |
| cōnsīdō, -sīdere, -sēdī, -sessus | sit down |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| longē, adv. | far |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| oppidum, -ī, n. | town |
| Roman numeral | a number written with letters: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000 |
| mīlle, indecl. adj. | a thousand; mīlia, -ium, n. plur., thousands; |
| unde, adv. | whence |
| paulātim (adv.) | little by little, gradually |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| supportō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | bring up, convey |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| prōvincia, -ae f. | province; here, the Roman Province in southern Gaul |
| partior, -īrī, partītus sum | share out, divide |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| restō, -āre, restitī | stay behind, remain |
| agmen, -minis, n. | band, column |
| iūmentum, -ī n. | pack animal, beast of burden |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus | lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry |
| dispōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positum | station here and there, post |
| ibi, adv. | in that place, there |
| hōra, -ae, f. | hour |
| nox, noctis, f. | night |
| circiter, prep. with acc. and adv. | about |
| decimus, -a, -um | tenth |
| silvestris, -e | wooded |
| angustus, -a, -um | narrow, cramped |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| iter, itineris, n. | a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march |
| importō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | bring in, import |
| īnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | decide upon, determine |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| strepitus, -ūs m. | noise, din |
| vigil, -is m. | watchman, sentry |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsus | perceive, feel |
| explōrātor, -ōris, m. | explorer, scout, spy |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus | carry, wear; carry on, do |
| renūntiō, -nūntiāre, -nūntiāvī, -nūntiātus | bring back word, report, announce |
| celeriter, adv. | swiftly, quickly |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| armātus, -a, -um | armed |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| proximus, -a, -um | nearest, next |
| castellum, -ī n. | fort, redoubt |
| frūmentārius, -a, -um | of grain (rēs frūmentāria: grain supply) |
| sub, prep. with acc. and abl. | under; sub vesperum, towards evening |
| lūx, lūcis, f. | light |
| impetus, -ūs, m. | attack; impetum facere, to charge |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| repentīnus, -a, -um | sudden |
| malum, -ī, n. | evil, mischief |
| perterreō, -terrēre, -terrui, -territus | thoroughly frighten, terrify |
| diffugiō, -ere, -fūgī | scatter in flight, flee in all directions |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| ācriter, adv. | sharply, fiercely |
| contrā, prep, with acc. | against, contrary to |
| incitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | stir up, provoke |
| nēmō, nēminis, m. and f. | no one, nobody |
| numerus, -ī, m. | number |
| vīvus, -a, -um | alive, living |
| capiō, capere, cēpī, captus | take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt |
| patior, patī, passus, bear | suffer, allow |
| profugiō, -ere, -fūgī | flee, escape |
| inde (adv.) | from there; then |
| paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj. | few |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| recipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take or get back, recover; sē recipere, to betake oneself, withdraw; to collect oneself, recover |